Geography Commons^™

A Little Essay On Big: Towards A History Of Canada's Size, Alan Maceachern

History Publications

No abstract provided.

London And Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership – Research Needs And Potential Partnerships, Huda Hussein

Migration and Ethnic Relations Colloquium Series

No abstract provided.

Use Of An Integrated System Dynamics Model For Analyzing Behaviour Of The Social-Economic-Climatic System In Policy Development, Christopher J. Popovich, Slobodan P. Simonovic, Gordon A. Mcbean

Water Resources Research Report

Climate change remains one of the most critical issues that humans and the natural world face today. Yet while a strong body of scientific research has identified the risks if mitigation and adaptation measures are not taken, there still remains a policy lag. This leads researchers to pose several questions: is there an identified need by the policy domain for more or different science? Is the science that is conducted made policyrelevant? If not, are there tools to better link science to policy? This report will explain the process of science-policy communication related to the development of an integrated system …

The Multifunctional Transition In Australia’S Tropical Savannas: The Emergence Of Consumption, Protection And Indigenous Values, John Holmes

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

As elsewhere in affluent, western nations, the direction, complexity and pace of rural change in Australia can be conceptualised as a multifunctional transition in which a variable mix of consumption and protection values has emerged, con- testing the former dominance of production values, and leading to greater com- plexity and heterogeneity in rural occupance at all scales. This transition has been explored in accessible, high-amenity landscapes driven by enhanced consumption values. Less attention has been directed to remote, marginal lands where a flimsy mode of productivist occupance can, in part, be displaced by alternative modes with the transitions being facilitated …

Rescaling The Past Through Mosaic Historical Cartography, Donald Lafreniere, Douglas Rivet

Geography & Environment Publications

Researchers of our past have long used historical maps to place events and to uncover the physical form of an area. A series of maps may be employed to understand a region beyond the extent of a single map. However, rarely are these maps included in publications of research findings. At best, a modern cartographic reproduction will be created to depict the research area. Our maps, created for a historical atlas of Sandwich, Ontario, Canada, are noteworthy for their use of original historical maps in a mosaic to recreate the past. Our objective was to overcome the international boundary between …

Linking Health Inequality And Environmental Justice: Articulating A Precautionary Framework For Research And Action, Sarah Wakefield, Jamie Baxter

Geography & Environment Publications

This article draws together three issues—the environment, health, and (in)justice—with the overall purpose of articulating an agenda for policy and research that works towards improved justice and sustainability in the environmental health arena. Considerable research in the United States and elsewhere has shown that both environmental exposures and poor health are more prevalent in populations that are marginalized by race and social class (typically measured as income). The logical next step has been to attempt to establish concrete cause-effect links between health effects and environmental exposures in order to mobilize government action to reduce these disparities. However, we caution against …

Reaching For Environmental Health Justice: Canadian Experiences For A Comprehensive Research, Policy And Advocacy Agenda In Health Promotion, Jeffrey R. Masuda, Blake Poland, Jamie Baxter

Geography & Environment Publications

Spatial disparities in environmental quality and practices are contributing to rising health inequalities worldwide. To date, the field of health promotion has not contributed as significantly as it might to a systematic analysis of the physical environment as a determinant of health nor to a critique of inequitable environmental governance practices responsible for social injustice-particularly in the Canadian context. In this paper, we explore ways in which health promotion and environmental justice perspectives can be combined into an integrated movement for environmental health justice in health promotion. Drawing on Canadian experiences, we describe the historical contributions and limitations of each …

Residential Segregation In The Industrializing City: A Closer Look, Jason A. Gilliland, Sherry H. Olsen

Geography & Environment Publications

This article maps and measures several dimensions of residential segregation in Montreal in 1881, thereby adding to our understanding of the social structure of the industrial city. Taking advantage of an unusual historical database—a historical geographic information system (H-GIS)—we locate 17,000 individual households with precision, and evaluate the "dissimilarity" of neighborhoods along several social dimensions and at various levels of spatial aggregation. The empirical findings suggest that Montreal was highly segregated along lines of ethnic identity as well as socioeconomic status; segregation values increased inversely with size of the spatial unit, but precision of unit boundaries have negligible effect. Coupling …

Locating Xenophobia: Debate, Discourse, And Everyday Experience In Cape Town, South Africa, Belinda Dodson

Geography & Environment Publications

In May 2008, South Africa experienced an outbreak of violence

against foreign Africans living in the country. Political

leaders expressed shock and surprise, but there has in reality

been long-standing and well-documented hostility toward

African immigrants in South Africa. Several competing explanations

have been put forward, with debate gaining urgency

and polarization since the xenophobic attacks of 2008. After

a selective review of the relevant literature to sketch the

contours of that debate, this paper presents findings from

research conducted with African immigrants living in Cape

Town. Their experiences provide further evidence that antiimmigrant

attitudes and behaviors on the part …

Doing Collaborative Community Based Research: On The Ground In Kingston, Audrey Kobayashi

Migration and Ethnic Relations Colloquium Series

No abstract provided.

‘Buried Beneath The Waves’: Using Gis To Examine The Physical And Social Impact Of A Historical Flood, Mathew Novak, Jason Gilliland

Geography & Environment Publications

Natural disasters such as floods can periodically disturb and destroy the built and social fabric of communities. Despite their importance, specific ramifications of natural disasters can be overlooked in local histories due to a paucity of data. In this article we bring together several disparate sources of data within a historical geographic information system (HGIS) to study certain physical and social details of the flood which devastated the Town of London West, Canada on 11 July 1883. The integration of historical and contemporary data sources allow for the construction of a three-dimensional model of where the flood likely occurred. With …

The Determinants Of First Nation And Inuit Health: A Critical Population Health Approach, Chantelle A.M. Richmond, Nancy A. Ross

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Environmental dispossession disproportionately affects the health of Canada’s Aboriginal population, yet little is known about how its effects are sustained over time. We use a critical population health approach to explore the determinants of health in rural and remote First Nation and Inuit communities, and to conceptualize the pathways by which environmental dispossession affects these health determinants. We draw from narrative analysis of interviews with 26 Community Health Representa- tives (CHRs) from First Nation and Inuit communities across Canada. CHRs identified six health determinants: balance, life control, education, material resources, social resources, and environmental/ cultural connections. CHRs articulated the role …

Migrant Domestic Workers In Asia: The Case Of Singapore, Kayoko Ueno

Migration and Ethnic Relations Colloquium Series

No abstract provided.

Physical Activity Levels Of Older Community-Dwelling Adults Are Influenced By Summer Weather Variables, Caitlin A. Brandon, Dawn P. Gill, Mark Speechley, Jason Gilliland, Gareth R. Jones

Geography & Environment Publications

Adequate daily physical activity (PA) is important for maintaining functional capacity and independence in older adults. However, most older adults in Canada do not engage in enough PA to sustain fitness and functional independence. Environmental influences, such as warmer daytime temperatures, may influence PA participation; however, few studies have examined the effect of summertime temperatures on PA levels in older adults. This investigation measured the influence of summertime weather variables on PA in 48 community-dwelling older adults who were randomly recruited from a local seniors’ community centre. Each participant wore an accelerometer for a single 7-consecutive-day period (between 30 May …

To Be An Immigrant: Generation, Location And Negotiation, Kay Deaux

Migration and Ethnic Relations Colloquium Series

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of The Physical Environment And Sociodemographic Characteristics On Children's Mode Of Travel To And From School, Kristian Larsen, Jason Gilliland, Peter Hess, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin, Meizi He

Geography & Environment Publications

Objectives: We examined whether certain characteristics of the social and physical environment influence a child's mode of travel between home and school.

Methods: Students aged 11 to 13 years from 21 schools throughout London, Ontario, answered questions from a travel behavior survey. A geographic information system linked survey responses for 614 students who lived within 1 mile of school to data on social and physical characteristics of environments around the home and school. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the influence of environmental factors on mode of travel (motorized vs "active") to and from school.

Results: Over 62% of …

From Migrant Surveys To Migrants’ Stories: Reflections On Research On And In Southern Africa, Belinda Dodson

Migration and Ethnic Relations Colloquium Series

No abstract provided.

Mapping The Evolution Of 'Food Deserts' In A Canadian City: Supermarket Accessibility In London, Ontario, 1961–2005, Kristian Larsen, Jason Gilliland

Geography & Environment Publications

Background: A growing body of research suggests that the suburbanization of food retailers in North America and the United Kingdom in recent decades has contributed to the emergence of urban 'food deserts', or disadvantaged areas of cities with relatively poor access to healthy and affordable food. This paper explores the evolution of food deserts in a mid-sized Canadian city (London, Ontario) by using a geographic information system (GIS) to map the precise locations of supermarkets in 1961 and 2005; multiple techniques of network analysis were used to assess changing levels of supermarket access in relation to neighbourhood location, socioeconomic characteristics, …

Can You Hear Us Now? Voices From The Margin: Using Indigenous Methodologies In Geographic Research, Renee Pualani Louis

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Indigenous methodologies are an alternative way of thinking about research processes. Although these methodologies vary according to the ways in which different Indigenous communities express their own unique knowledge systems, they do have common traits. This article argues that research on Indigenous issues should be carried out in a manner which is respectful and ethically sound from an Indigenous perspective. This naturally challenges Western research paradigms, yet it also affords opportunities to contribute to the body of knowledge about Indigenous peoples. It is further argued that providing a mechanism for Indigenous peoples to participate in and direct these research agendas …

An Indigenous Perspective On National Parks And SáMi Reindeer Management In Norway, Jan ÅGe Riseth

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Protection of nature for biodiversity, and for the material livelihoods of Indigenous peoples, have much in common. Indigenous relations to nature are, however, based on unity between use and protection, implying that human use is necessary for effective protection. Often protected areas include the homelands of Indigen- ous peoples, whose needs and rights are still being ignored to a large extent. This paper explores the effects of a plan for a significant increase of large nature protection areas in Norway, still under implementation. Most of the new protec- tion areas are in the heartland of the Indigenous Sámi, whose core …

Splashpads, Swings, And Shade: Parents' Preferences For Neighbourhood Parks, Patricia Tucker, Jason Gilliland, Jennifer D. Irwin

Geography & Environment Publications

Background

Physical activity is a modifiable behavior that can help curtail the increasing worldwide problem of childhood obesity. Appropriate recreational opportunities, including neighborhood parks, are particularly important for promoting physical activity among children. Because children's use of parks is mainly under the influence of their parents, understanding parents' preferences is essential for creating the most inviting and usable park space to facilitate children's physical activity.

Methods

Eighty-two intercept interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous sample of parents / guardians watching their children at neighborhood parks in London, Ontario. Parents / guardians were asked questions about how often they frequent the …

Environmental Equity Is Child's Play: Mapping Public Provision Of Recreation Opportunities In Urban Neighbourhoods, Jason Gilliland, Martin Holmes, Jennifer D. Irwin, Patricia Tucker

Geography & Environment Publications

This paper examines the spatial distribution of recreational opportunities for children and youth in a mid-sized Canadian city (London, Ontario), in relation to the socioeconomic status of neighbourhoods and estimated local need for publicly provided recreation spaces. Public recreation facilities (N = 537) throughout the city were identified, mapped and analysed in a geographic information system. To explore potential socio-environmental inequities, neighbourhoods (N = 22) were characterized by socioeconomic and environmental variables, an index of neighbourhood social distress, a neighbourhood play space needs index, and measures of the prevalence and density of recreational opportunities. The results of the …

Indigenous Research: Whose Priority? Journeys And Possibilities Of Cross-Cultural Research In Geography, Paul Hodge, John Lester

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Decolonising research in geography is part of a broader ‘reflexive’ process which continues to question the positivist status of ‘researcher as observer’. This paper contributes to this reflexive turn, drawing on the particular experiences of a cross- cultural Honours thesis. The paper is pursued through a parallel journey involving a non-Indigenous researcher (and author of the cross-cultural Honours thesis) engaging Indigenous research1 with interpretative insight from an Indigenous adviser or ‘on-looker’. The methodological difficulties revealed by the parallel journey are emphasised to highlight both the complexities and reflexive possi- bilities of cross-cultural research but also to consider potential institutional and …

The Study Of Urban Form In Canada, Jason Gilliland, Pierre Gauthier

Geography & Environment Publications

This paper examines contributions to the study of urban form in Canada by French and English researchers working in a variety of disciplines, especially architecture, planning, geography, and history. Instead of discussing contributions purely along traditional linguistic or disciplinary lines, the authors use a novel classification scheme to identify and categorize significant works according to their particular epistemological perspective, before describing noteworthy contributions of various academic disciplines by key authors and research themes. The most significant contributions to the study of urban form in Canada have come from two largely isolated camps: first, architects/planners, mostly from Québec, who examine form …

Mapping Urban Morphology: A Classification Scheme For Interpreting Contributions To The Study Of Urban Form, Pierre Gauthier, Jason Gilliland

Geography & Environment Publications

Urban morphology is a thriving field of enquiry involving researchers from a wide diversity of disciplinary, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. While this diversity has helped advance our understanding of the complexity of urban form, confusion and controversy has also arisen over the various theoretical formulations forwarded by researchers from different philosophical and epistemological backgrounds. With the aim of improving intelligibility in the field, this paper proposes a straightforward scheme to identify, classify and interpret, or ‘map’, individual contributions to the study of urban form according to their respective theoretical or epistemological perspectives. Drawing upon epistemological discussions familiar to the readers …

Opportunities For Video Lottery Terminal Gambling In Montréal: An Environmental Analysis, Jason A. Gilliland, Nancy A. Ross

Geography & Environment Publications

Background: In the province of Québec, video lottery terminal (VLT) gambling has proliferated under government control since 1 993. The aims of this study were to describe the spatial distribution of video lottery terminals (VLTs) in the municipalities of Montréal and Laval and to identify neighbourhood socio-economic conditions associated with their distribution.

Method: Locations of all establishments holding VLT licences in Montréal and Laval (n=834) were geocoded by their street address. Boroughs (n=49) were characterized by socio-economic indicators (unemployment, educational attainment, lone parenthood), a neighbourhood distress index, and measures of VLT prevalence, VLT adoption and VLT density.

Results: VLT prevalence, …

Country: Being And Belonging On Aboriginal Lands, Melissa Lucashenko

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

"...To Produce The Highest Type Of Manhood And Womanhood": The Ontario Housing Act, 1919, And A New Suburban Ideal, Jason Gilliland, Matt Sendbuehler

Geography & Environment Publications

While most scholars generally focus on the failings of the post-WWI Federal-Provincial housing scheme in Canada, we contend that it had far-reaching implications for three major facets of urbanism: housing policy, town planning, and residential architecture. We do so primarily through an examination of the impacts of the Ontario Housing Act, 1919, in the context of contemporary visions of ideal residential environments.

In the 1920s, a major reconceptualization of planning and architecture generated a new ideology of house, home and city which intended to remake existing cities and to create new, efficient and healthy settlements. The ideal city featured increasingly …

Claims On Housing Space In Nineteenth-Century Montreal, Jason Gilliland, Sherry H. Olsen

Geography & Environment Publications

Space per person is a fundamental measure of equity in an urban society. From small samples of the Montreal population over the years 1861-1901, we infer substantial improvement in the average dwelling space available per person, but an extreme and persistent inequity in the distribution among households. The housing market remained polarised in terms of class and cultural identity. As crowding diminished, urban density increased, and the problem of working-class housing became, increasingly, one of collective rather than individual space. Families, through networks of kinship and neighbouring, found new ways to exert some control over vital urban micro-spaces. In a …

How Do Gravel-Bed Rivers Braid?, Peter Ashmore

Geography & Environment Publications

Sedimentary processes and bed forms leading to the onset of braiding were observed in small-scale hydraulic models of gravel-bed streams. The laboratory streams had a variety of combinations of (constant) discharge and slope but identical bed-material particle-size distributions. From initially straight channels, braiding occurred by four different processes: deposition and accumulation of a central bar, chute cutoff of point bars, conversion of single transverse unit bars to mid-channel braid bars, and dissection of multiple bars. In these experiments the chute cutoff mechanism was the most common, but the predominant braiding mechanism depends upon sediment mobility (excess bed shear stress) and …