Why do we need REST[ES]?
Although similar facilities exist in the United States, Australia and the Netherlands, the climates and ecosystems of these countries differ greatly from those of Quebec and Canada.
While human decomposition facilities exist in the USA, Australia and the Netherlands, the climates and ecosystems of these locations are distinctly different to Quebec and other parts of Canada. Given the inherent impact of these variables on human decomposition, it is necessary to study the process in our local environment to ensure we provide accurate data to assist law enforcement agencies and forensic science services. We will develop new methods to assist death investigations that are better suited to a cold climate search and recovery process. Our research is not only focused on forensic investigations, but also assists the historical recovery and repatriation of victims of war crimes within Canada and abroad.
In many parts of the world, the process of decomposition is studied using animal remains. This can provide valuable opportunities to test new methods and to carry out research not feasible with human remains. However, recent data has demonstrated that animal remains do not adequately mimic the process of human decomposition for certain forensic disciplines. For this reason, it is imperative to carry out research involving human body donation to advance the forensic methods used for victim recovery and identification.