Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Teaching Cartographic Lexicon And Of Geographic Experience On Map Use, James Cuame Saku

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Although maps are often thought to be easily understood, for many people they are not. Research into how best to make the map more useful to the user has taken different forms including applied psychology. While some researchers focus on the map maker, others are concentrating on the map user. In this study, attention is focused on the map user. Specifically, the study tries to look at how “years of geographic instruction” and teaching of “geographic lexicons” can enhance the performance of map use activities. Since maps are more associated with geographers, it is believed that they are in a …

Regulatory Reform And The Ontario For-Hire Motor Carrier Industry: An Investigation Of Associated Impacts, Clarence G. Woudsma

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The for-hire motor carrier industry is a vital component of the Ontario economy. The industry is presently going through a period of instability brought about by a variety of changes. This research deals with one such change, namely, recent changes in the economic regulation of the for-hire industry. This research focuses on the impact of this regulatory reform on the industry and on the Province in general. The two main issues identified in past research include the impact of regulatory reform on the rates for trucking service, and the impact on service to small/remote areas. An improved methodology for examining …

Depositional And Deformational Structures In Three 'Esker-Like' Ridges, Southwestern Ontario, John D. Parish

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Dundalk Till Plain in southwestern Ontario is crossed by five “esker-like” ridges, believed to have been formed simultaneously during the early stage of the mid-Port Burce Stadial. The three middle ridges are the focus of this research, with each ridge having a different topographic form, but the length of, and distance between, ridges are similar. Occurrences of differing depositional structures and the presence of deformational structures over short lateral and vertical distances reveal the complexity of processes involved. The dominant primary sedimentary structures are large-scale tabular cross-beds. Many individual cross-beds are composed of poorly sorted, matrix-supported gravels. High variability …

The Impact Of Multi-Stop, Multi-Purpose Shopping On The Location And Efficiency Of A Supermarket Chain: A Location-Allocation Approach, Andrea K. Dawkins

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

As the retail environment became increasingly competitive and the risks of opening new outlets also increased, there became a need for firms to develop a quantifiable location strategy in order to help them minimize these risks and be successful in the market place. Past location models however, modeled consumer shopping trips as consisting of a single-stop, single-purpose, were home generated and were only considered with the impact of a single store location. Recent literature however, has revealed consumer shopping trips as being more complex with multiple stops and multiple purposes. In addition, the retail environment has shifted from consisting of …

The Cord Weekly (November 30, 1989)

The Cord

No abstract provided.

Some Hydrologic Aspects Of Snowmelt Runoff Under Summer Conditions, In The Barpu Glacier Basin, Central Karakoram, Himalaya, Northern Pakistan, Ali Ghazanfar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Snow and ice in high mountains represent and important water resource in many parts of the world, especially the dry continental interior of Central Asia. In the Northern Areas of Pakistan, mountain ranges are the primary sources of annually renewed water supplies. They give rise to rivers which are the only significant, sustainable source of fresh water. The Indus basin is drained by the river Indus and its major tributaries, the Kabul, Jhelum, Chanab, Ravi and Sutlej. Snowmelt contributes about 70 percent to the annual flow of these rivers, but is not timed to meet the requirements for crop production, …

Environmental Planning Of Large-Scale Water Projects: The Three Gorges Dam Case, China, Long Li

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Controversy over the construction of the Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River in China is an on-going national issue. Proposals have been advanced by numerous disciplinary research teams to identify the environmental consequences of the project development. However, whether the project will benefit or damage the overall environment still remains in question.

No matter which one of the four storage schemes is going to be put into operation, the human, economic, biological, and physical environmental alterations will have no equal in the our contemporary world and probably even for some time in the future. Above all, flood control, hydro-electricity …

The Perception Of Refuse In West African Cities The Case Of Techiman, Ghana, Joseph Mensah

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The refuse problem in most West African cities has attained such a massive proportion that even the most insensitive city dweller cannot overlook it. Of the very few studies undertaken on the issue most emphasize the distribution, the magnitude and the economic effects of refuse on the urban environment. Although evidence suggests that culture is the filter through which different environments are held significant by the people, little has been documented on the attitudes and perceptions of West African people in relation to the quality of their environment. The present study analyses the public perception of refuse and how this …

Ablation On Barpu Glacier, Karakoram Himalaya, Pakistan A Study Of Melt Processes On A Faceted, Debris-Covered Ice Surface, Mohammad Inamullah Khan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

No abstract provided.

University Growth-Poles And The Canadian Aggregate Situation, Stephen Paul Meyer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The utilization of higher education resources in a regional development function has become an increasingly popular ploy within the realm of government policy. The university, typically through an interaction with today’s growth-inciting high-technology industry, has tended to replace the traditionally-used manufacturing plant as the ‘new’ growth-pole. It is likely that no other single institution could benefit a region in as wide an array of economic and social capacities as can the university. And, it is with respect to this notion that a Canadian university study was pursued. However, where most university ‘impact-type’ assessments have tended to look at individual cases, …

The Changing Canadian Inventive Spatial Economic Pattern: An Urban And Regional Analysis Between 1881 And 1986, S.L. Brian Ceh

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Canadian urban and regional patent and trademark data was analysed between 1881 and 1986 in an attempt to distinguish spatial inventive patterns in Canada over time. Inventive activity, as a pre—condition for economic development, is a viable indicator for predicting future economic growth in an inventive spatial economy. As such, it will be possible to extend the description of spatial inventive patterns in Canada after 1986. The percentage and relative level of inventive activity in urban centers and regions in Canada will help distinguish spatial inventive patterns in Canada over time. This information was based on a 25 percent systematic …

Canadian Railway Museums And Visitor Attraction, Walter Gordon Miller Mcwilliams

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Canadian museums with operating railways constitute special places, and over the past five years they have seen a marked increase in historic preservation work. If this work is to continue these museums, run by volunteer organizations, must be able to increase the numbers of visitors to their sites. Two research questions were investigated, one more objective and scientific, the other more subjective and humanistic: How do such special places function, especially with respect to their market area? And, what sort of sense of place do they create? The first question considers what draws visitors initially; the second question, what brings …

Interbasin Water Transfers: An Appropriate Management Practice For The Great Lakes?, David M. Krentz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Regional water deficiencies exist in North America, and proposals have been advanced to ‘correct’ these by transferring water from regions where it is relatively abundant to regions where it is relatively scarce. Many of these proposals identify the Great Lakes as either a potential source of the water, or as a ‘distribution centre’ into which water may be transferred and subsequently removed to regions experiencing deficiencies. Although the Great Lakes contain a very large amount of fresh water, most of it is required in place, and so many not be removed. The Great Lakes Basin is heavily populated and highly …

Carbon Dioxide Emissions And Fossil Fuel Consumption A Canadian Perspective, John Peter Doucet

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The potential climate change due to increased loading of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has emerged as one of the most significant environmental threats of the late twentieth century. An analysis of a variety of feasible energy demand scenarios for Canada indicates that if we continue to consume the same types and proportions of fuels as we do today, the expected demand for energy in the year 2005 would yield carbon dioxide emissions up to 52.5 per cent greater than that of 1985. On the other hand, if Canada were to alter the types and quantities of fuels required to …

The Effect Of Particle Size On Phosphate Adsorption By Fluvial Sediment, Michael F.A. Stone

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The quantitative phosphate adsorption behaviour of ten grain size fractions of an experimental sediment (silica sand) and fluvial sediment from two Southwestern Ontario rivers, were evaluated and compared to determine the effect of particle size on phosphate absorption. In addition, the elemental composition of grain size fractions of fluvial sediment were determined by X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry to study the combined effect of particle size and sediment geochemical composition on phosphate adsorption. Results of the adsorption studies indicate that phosphate adsorption per unit mass increases in non-linear fashion with decreasing grain size. The capacity of grain size fractions of silica sand …

The Evolution Of Retail Business In Central Business Districts In Response To The Introduction Of A Downtown Shopping Mall A Case Study Of The Cbd In Thunder Bay North, Mark Jordan Smith

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In recent decades, central business districts in many cities in Canada have undergone considerable change with respect to many aspects of their function and importance. A number of factors have been responsible for these changes, notably the migration of populations to the suburbs. The changes in the CBD have resulted in a deterioration of the core areas of almost every major city and a great many smaller communities in the country. In response to this deterioration numerous downtown renewal schemes have been implemented with varying degrees of success. A growing number of these schemes has involved the development of downtown …

The Incorporation Of Environmental Perception Information Into Wilderness Park Safety Planning, Thomas Craig Waldichuk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The park safety planning process currently in use limits users’ inputs to accident statistics. It would be better to more accurately anticipate accident-prone locations and to take preventative measures. A planning methodology is proposed which integrates the safety perceptions of park users into the decision-making for locating facilities and services: the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) serves as a systematic planning guide for such decision-making and is compatible with park policy and objectives. Applications to Garibaldi Provincial Park, British Columbia, and statistical and cartographic analyses of 273 questionnaires returned from there, indicate that park users’ perceptions can be advantageously incorporated into …

Irrigation Agriculture In High Mountain Communities The Example Of Hopar Villages, Pakistan, David Aaron Otto Butz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The interaction of humans with their geophysical environment has been a popular theme in cultural geography. Mountain regions have been common sites for such studies. Pakistan’s Karakoram Ranges, however, have received relatively little attention. Those studies which have been undertaken in the Karakoram are too general to yield credible descriptions or explanations. In addition, many approach human/environment relationships from a superficial environmentalist perspective. Recent efforts by agricultural development agencies to improve conditions in Northern Pakistan have created a sudden interest in the way traditional high-mountain farming communities interact with their geophysical surroundings. Unfortunately, development agencies concentrate on direct causal relationships …

Spatial And Temporal Variation Of Snow Accumulation In The Central Karakoram, Northern Pakistan, Cameron Parker Wake

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Runoff from the Upper Indus Basin depends upon snowfall at high elevations in the northern mountains of Pakistan. However, very little is known concerning the amount of snowfall in the major source area, the high Karakoram, or its spatial and temporal distribution. Glaciers contain well preserved records of snow accumulation and provide a unique tool for retrieving data. A number of studies on temperate and tropical glaciers indicate that variations in chemical content and microparticle concentrations delineates seasonal stratigraphy. In addition, the chemical record of the snowpack can usually be used to determine the source of precipitation. Field work in …

Irrigation Water Use In Southern Ontario, Kenneth Iain Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The appreciation of water as a finite resource has engendered a renewed research interest in producing effective water management policies and practices in order to reduce both current and potential demands on existing reserves. Unfortunately, such research, especially in the humid regions of North America, has concentrated on water use in urban areas and has neglected the use of water in irrigation agriculture; even though irrigation is a major consumptive use of water in many localized areas. In addition, research has been dominated by physical, technological and economic viewpoints at the expense of an understanding of the human element in …

An Assessment And Comparison Of Hazardous Waste Management Hessen, Frg And Ontario, Canada, Elaine F. Collis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Hazardous waste management has recently become an issue of great concern for governments in industrialized countries. In spite of this, no one country has established a successful framework which guarantees the safe handling and disposal of hazardous wastes. The ideal system would generate no hazardous wastes in the first place but this, of course, is wishful thinking for highly industrialized societies. The next best or “preferred” solution is a system which emphasized reduction and recycling of hazardous wastes. The existing waste management systems in the world today, however, almost exclusively emphasize treatment and disposal. This thesis assesses the hazardous waste …

Housing Policy And Housing Satisfaction In The People’S Republic Of China: A Behavioural Approach Applied In The City Of Xian, Jidong Zhang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Based on the behavioural approach, this thesis examines housing satisfaction in Xian, The People’s Republic of China, and its implications for housing policy. A conceptual framework of housing satisfaction along three dimensions, housing environment system, social structure, and housing policy, is presented and discussed. From this framework a set of hypotheses are stated and subsequently tested. The strongest factor found to affect housing satisfaction is people’s living space and housing condition is another important factor. Through examining housing policy and housing satisfaction, the centrally controlled Chinese housing policies are shown to need modification and changes in housing supply should be …

Scarcity-Induced Conflict: The Lebanese-Israeli Conflict Over Water, Hussein A. Amery

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis sets out to determine possible links between the depleting water resources in Israel and the country’s hegemony over the water-rich area of south Lebanon. The early Zionist and later Israeli leaders have coveted the Litani river of Lebanon, to which Israel has had access since 1978. Israel’s replenishable water stock is being fully utilized. This fact is the basis of the theoretical motif of the thesis, namely the state conflict induced by resource scarcity. Thus conflict theory is discussed and a model of conflict process is derived.

Also discussed are 1) the reasons for the high water consumption …

An Analysis Of The Spatial And Economic Variations Of Ethnic Groups, Ontario, Jayati Ghosh

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study is concerned with six ethnic groups in the province of Ontario: the British, considered the “core group”, and the French, Italian, Indo-Chinese, Indo-Pakistani and Caribbean, the “peripheral groups.”

The principal interest of the research has been to study the ethnic mosaic in two ways, both in a core-periphery context. It was hypothesised that there has been persistence of socio-economic stratification between the British core and the peripheral groups. This thesis analyzes variation in the occupation-income between and within the ethnic immigrant groups.

The secondary objective is to examine these groups spatially, that is, in terms of a southern …

An Assessment Of Hybrid Poplar Biomass Plantations For Ontario, Peter Caleb Sturrup

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The search for an alternative to oil dominated political and economic thinking during the 1970’s and continues in this decade. In Ontario, one such alternative is methanol, which could possibly be supplied in large quantities from hybrid poplar biomass plantations. While the nature of these plantations has been debated at greath length, the exact quantity and location of land that could be available for plantations in Ontario has not been identified.

Using the Land Evaluation Model (LEM 2) developed at the University of Guelph an inventory of the land resources and the resulting land use patterns is determined. Throughout the …

The Changing Residential Structure Of Toronto’S Core, Ann C. Weiss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Traditionally, the residential areas of Toronto’s core have housed low-income, working class families and represented a reception area for immigrant groups. Much of this attraction centered around manufacturing and the associated availability of unskilled jobs. The economic base of the city has undergone extensive change in the past two decades. Growth has occurred in the service/commercial sector. In addition, a number of demographic trends have affected housing. Land use activities within Toronto’s core, including residential, have experienced a tremendous amount of change. Due to the city’s prominence, it is important to analyze: 1) changes in the demand for housing; 2) …

Current, Erosional And Depositional Patterns At A River Confluence And Bend In The Nottawasaga River, Angus, Ontario, Gregory Robert Brooks

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

At a bend and confluence of the Nottawasaga River, sixty-four measurements of flow velocities were recorded at points along vertical profiles regularly spaced across a series of cross-sections. From the summarization of the data into a ‘three dimensional’ diagram, the current velocity patterns in the river reach were evident.

As observed at low discharge levels, the low speeds and directional uniformity of the flow in the Nottawasaga River entering the study reach suggests that the observed asymmetrical channel the study reach suggests that the observed asymmetrical channel was a remnant of higher discharge levels. On the other hand, in the …

Towards The Measurement Of Regional Inequities Through Patterns Of Ideally Generated Socio-Economic Indicators, Richard C. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Regional disparities are commonly described in terms of only one criterion when in fact they can be characterized by a number of social and economic variables. The objective of this study is to define regional data according to specific socio-economic indicators, and measure the disparities associated with them in comparison to those from ideally generated groupings. Socio-economic data from the Federal Republic of Germany was obtained from the West German Federal Institute for Regional Analysis and Planning. The variables will be grouped by factor analysis to create the indicators, and variation will be measured using analysis of variance. The ideal …

The Role Of Federal Programs And Policies In The Conversion Of Wetlands In Southern Ontario, Terrie Gwladys Radke

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The intent of this thesis was to assess the direct and indirect participation of the federal government in processes which have resulted in the loss of wetlands in Southern Ontario. This study focuses on the present and past Federal programs that had or do have the potential to impact wetlands, their history, funding, and administration, and the federal legislation present for wetland preservation. The research methodology was divided into three phases. The first phase consisted of literature reviews pertaining to the management and conversion of wetland areas and reports concerned with federally funded projects and the generation of extensive interviews …

The Pilgrimage To Elvis Presley's Graceland: A Study Of The Meanings Of Place, James W. Davidson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Sites become places when people bestow meaning, such as sanctity, upon them. Throughout human history, sacred places have continually emerged within cultural groups. Sacred places commonly focus on heroic figures. A pilgrimage is the visible expression of the sanctity of a place. This thesis examines the motives, meanings and experiences which are associated with the journey to Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion and grave in Memphis, Tennessee.

Data came from questioning 209 people visiting Presley’s home in the summer of 1984, from fan clubs around the world, and from personal interviews with key figures in Memphis. In my analysis of the …