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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 15 of 15
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Does The Province Have Enough Financial And Statistical Data Available To Execute A Needs-Based Grant Allocation To Target Municipal Infrastructure Investment Instead Of Utilizing An Application Process To Allocate Funds?, Brenda Garrett
MPA Major Research Papers
Municipalities across the Province are grappling with infrastructure deficits. Small, northern, and rural municipality’s tax assessment base limits its ability to garner sufficient revenue to support operations as well as renew and replace infrastructure. Federal and Provincial governments must step in and assist. As a result, the province introduced the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) as a permanent program to fund critical infrastructure projects for core assets—roads, bridges, water and wastewater. This paper analyzes provincially mandated municipal Financial Information Returns (FIRs) in conjunction with OCIF statistics to assess whether the Province can efficiently and effectively re-distribute revenue using existing financial …
The Effectiveness Of Using A Public-Private-Partnership Model For Urban Rail Transit: The Vancouver Case, Jie Bian
MPA Major Research Papers
In recent years, public-private partnerships, which are commonly referred to as PPPs or P3s, have become increasingly popular in Canada. Within the context of public transit, PPPs involve the private sector designing, building, financing, and operating the facilities. This paper analyzes the potential benefits of P3s based on an in-depth case study of public transportation investment in Greater Vancouver. It compares a DBFO (design-build-finance-operate) project and two non-DBFO projects in Metro Vancouver using the three variables of efficiency, fulfillment of original purposes, and procedural transparency. Ultimately, there were very few apparent merits of PPPs in the Vancouver case and the …
Housing First In Canada: A New Approach To Homelessness And Best Practices For Municipal Implementation, Shelly Steffler
Housing First In Canada: A New Approach To Homelessness And Best Practices For Municipal Implementation, Shelly Steffler
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper assesses the Housing First approach to homelessness, which provides people living on the street with permanent homes before offering them optional support, as opposed to the traditional approach to housing, where people need to meet certain conditions, such as sobriety, before being assisted to obtain housing. It uses case studies from Medicine Hat, Alberta and Toronto to explore the implementation of Housing First in two Canadian cities. The paper concludes by providing best practices and offering cautions for municipalities considering this approach. The case studies indicate that data collection, stakeholder engagement, a systems approach, and support from all …
The Perfect Storm: Emergency Management Regulations And Small Municipalities In Ontario, Jennifer Alexander
The Perfect Storm: Emergency Management Regulations And Small Municipalities In Ontario, Jennifer Alexander
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines emergency management legislation in Ontario with a specific focus on identifying the barriers that small municipalities experience with implementing provincial emergency management regulations. Through a qualitative research approach, this study examines three small municipalities in southwestern Ontario – Bluewater, Goderich, and Middlesex Centre – which have a similar population size and geographic location. Interviews with key municipal stakeholders were conducted and their responses are analyzed within this report. The findings demonstrate that small municipalities are struggling to maintain emergency readiness due to a lack of financial capacity to invest in resources and proactive emergency measures.
Inter-Municipal Transit Governance: An Investigation Of Challenges And Opportunities In The Alberta Capital Region, Paul Szabo
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the possibilities for inter-municipal coordination of public transit services and regional transit in the Alberta Capital Region. Specific regional governance options for public transit in Greater Edmonton are evaluated through case studies of regional public transit delivery in Canada and these options are assessed using information acquired from interviews with members of key regional transit committees. The findings reveal that regional problems necessitate regional solutions and public transit is an inherently metropolitan and regional service requiring cooperation among municipalities and the involvement of the provincial government.
The Revitalization Of Social Housing: An Analysis Of Mixed-Income Housing In The City Of Toronto, Zoie Browne
The Revitalization Of Social Housing: An Analysis Of Mixed-Income Housing In The City Of Toronto, Zoie Browne
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines whether community-based organizations (CBOs) offer a viable strategy for addressing social and community development issues within mixed-income housing in Toronto. It analyzes how and under what conditions mixed income housing developments produce a vibrant base of CBOs that reflect the social diversity of residents and it explores the extent to which mixed income developments build a sense of community with reference to the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood. Interview data is used to provide empirical evidence regarding both the physical and social principles relating to community development in the area. The findings reveal that the success of a model …
The Regional Variation Of Ontario Works: From The Perspective Of Provincial-Municipal Relationship, Ju Xue
The Regional Variation Of Ontario Works: From The Perspective Of Provincial-Municipal Relationship, Ju Xue
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the regional variations of Ontario Works in the province using empirical studies of 12 municipalities: Durham, Halton, Hamilton, London, Muskoka, Niagara, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, Waterloo, Windsor, and York. The findings reveal that the variation of Ontario Works in different municipalities is limited and the services provided to clients are similar across the entire province. Furthermore, in understanding why the provincial government still requires the involvement of municipalities in the program, despite it being consistent across Ontario, it concludes that the introduction of Ontario Works was accompanied by the province’s decentralization process and the fiscal retrenchment of provincial …
Homelessness In Winnipeg, Manitoba: An Analysis Of Local Government Inaction, Rhiannon Hayes
Homelessness In Winnipeg, Manitoba: An Analysis Of Local Government Inaction, Rhiannon Hayes
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the topic of homelessness with a specific focus on Winnipeg, Manitoba to determine why it has remained inactive in addressing this social issue. It uses a qualitative approach in the form of interviews with different employees for the City of Winnipeg and members of non-governmental organizations to understand why the city has had such a limited response. This paper also compares Winnipeg to Edmonton, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia to analyze the experiences of other Canadian cities that are attempting to tackle homelessness. The findings reveal that Winnipeg does not actively address homelessness due to the failure …
Recidivism In Ontario Works In The Region Of Waterloo, Catherine Bossenberry
Recidivism In Ontario Works In The Region Of Waterloo, Catherine Bossenberry
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the reasons why Ontario Works (OW) clients return to social assistance, with a specific focus on the Region of Waterloo. It uses an analysis of case file data from the Province of Ontario’s social assistance database to provide a comprehensive understanding of the OW caseload for the regional municipality. The findings reveal that the reasons why clients return to OW in the Region of Waterloo are complicated and there are many factors – such as gender, age, education, family composition, and housing – that determine whether a client will return to social assistance.
Escaping From The Straightjacket That Baffled Houdini: An Analysis Of The Myths And Realities Of Empowering Toronto Through A City Charter, Luis Silva
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the idea that municipalities in Canada – with a specific focus on Toronto – can be legally empowered by a legislative charter to defend their autonomy from the actions of the provincial government. Case studies that analyze the political and legal relationships that selected charter cities – Saint John, Montreal, Halifax, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Lloydminster – have with their respective province were conducted. The findings reveal that while provinces may politically treat some municipalities differently than others, no legal differentiation exists between charter cities and other municipalities with regards to protecting local self-government.
Intergovernmental Relations: An Analysis To Test The Effectiveness Of The Position Of An Intergovernmental Relations Officer At The Local Level, Michael Di Lullo
Intergovernmental Relations: An Analysis To Test The Effectiveness Of The Position Of An Intergovernmental Relations Officer At The Local Level, Michael Di Lullo
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines whether an intergovernmental relations officer is an effective position for local government based on surveys administered to chief administrators in 33 mid-sized Ontario municipalities. The findings reveal that having the position in local government is advantageous and effective for a municipality because it can generate greater opportunities with regards to revenue sourcing from the provincial and federal government.
Devolution Or Downloading: The Financial And Service Effects Of Local Services Realignment On Ontario Ambulance Services, John Prno
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the devolution of ambulance services in Ontario from provincial to municipal control to determine whether it has resulted in a more efficient, accountable, less costly, and simplified process. Data from a sample of municipalities in the province is analyzed in an attempt to determine differences in cost and service levels between municipalities that choose to contract ambulance services and those that decide to deliver ambulance services themselves. The findings reveal that although ambulance services in Ontario have been historically under-resourced and have experienced increased service levels, the cost of providing the service has almost doubled since devolution …
Intermunicipal Servicing Agreements: Four Case Studies In Huron County, Jennifer Hosack
Intermunicipal Servicing Agreements: Four Case Studies In Huron County, Jennifer Hosack
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines how local servicing problems – with a specific focus on sewage and water services – can be dealt with effectively based on four case studies of municipalities in Huron County. An analysis of municipal and provincial documents and interviews with key stakeholders were conducted. The findings reveal that local servicing problems can be successfully addressed with servicing agreements, which involve adjacent municipalities working cooperatively with one another in order to obtain the level of servicing that they each desire.
Human Services: The Future Role Of Local Government In Ontario, Stephen Cairns
Human Services: The Future Role Of Local Government In Ontario, Stephen Cairns
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the role of local government in the planning, delivery, and management of human services based on a discussion of provincial programs in Ontario. The findings reveal that local government’s role in human services is being eroded due to provincial initiatives and provincial-municipal agreements that assume greater control by the Ontario government in local activities.
The Municipal Role In Child Care – Ontario, Karen Chan
The Municipal Role In Child Care – Ontario, Karen Chan
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the municipal role in child care based on interviews, surveys, workshops, conferences, and focus groups with officials from Ontario municipalities. The findings reveal that the planning and development of human services is shared between the provincial and municipal levels of government but provincial legislation regarding child care must include the appropriate allocation of responsibility to the municipal level in order to ensure that the service is institutionalized.