Many rural regions do not have a sufficient labour force providing the skills that rural businesses need. Many job vacancies go unfilled or are filled by less than ideal candidates. This research looks at strategies to attract and retain the workers that Ontario rural communities need to generate economic development and vitality. By engaging local actors, the researcher will analyze the various dimensions influencing attraction and retention of an appropriate labour force such as affordable and attainable housing, transportation, access to health services, education/training services.
This project will investigate the impacts of historical land use on Langley Bog to better understand how these unique ecosystems are affected by cranberry farming and fill roads. Bogs require a high water table and high acidity to maintain conditions suitable for bog-specific vegetation to grow. To determine whether the site is moving away from bog habitat, water levels, water quality, and vegetation will be monitored for four months across twelve different locations using a series of ground wells.
In southern Canada, wolverines share their natural habitat with humans. Forestry, for example, alters local ecosystems and leaves behind road networks that give access to people, also including recreationalists. Finally, many valley bottoms contain human infrastructure. This research project examines if wolverine numbers are impacted more by human or natural factors, determines if population connectivity is interrupted by human infrastructure and asks if those patterns are different for reproductive females.
Food systems organizations work brings together planners, community organizers, public health professionals, food producers, distributors and other food champions to transform food systems through direct action in communities, and collective action across organizations and regions. Many regions across Ontario have identified a fundamental challenge: moving from collaboration to action within their region.
This research will look at existing and possible innovations that would make municipal bylaw enforcement and adjudication in Saskatchewan more accessible, effective and efficient and would reduce the involvement of the formal court system. This may build on the example of regional co-operation offered by the Municipal Bylaw Court in Kindersley, and it may include ways to adjudicate bylaw prosecutions outside of the court system. Any proposed solutions will be suitable for the Saskatchewan context, and any necessary changes to Saskatchewan legislation will be specifically identified.
The Nshwaasnangong Child Care and Family Centre in partnership with Western University and CityStudio London provide an internship opportunity for a Western University graduate student to research, what the tensions and debates are when establishing an early learning and child care framework from an Indigenous perspective.
Since 1979, Canadians have used the Private Sponsorship of Refugee (PSR) program to sponsor and resettle refugees in their communities. One of the roles community-based refugee resettlement volunteers play is helping newcomers find work or set up a small business. Research indicates that community-sponsored refugees make a faster and more resilient economic transition, but we don’t know why.
Substance use significantly impacts the health and health care of many people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), especially those dealing with additional medical, psychosocial, and economic complications. The need for comprehensive care for this population is particularly important given the current opioid overdose crisis in Canada. In response, harm reduction (HR) services (e.g., supervised injection, naloxone training, etc.) have been implemented to reduce drug-related deaths and harms. However, such services are typically not provided within hospitals/outpatient programs.
In 2018, the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT) identified that there were high levels of emotional exhaustion and among medical radiation technologists. Research has shown that such burnout can lead to significant personal implications, reduced quality of patient care, and can have financial implications for organizations due to absenteeism and low job satisfaction.4–7 There are significant gaps in the literature surrounding the mental health of MRTs and a lack of resources to support them.
Medication abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol has the potential to advance women’s access to safe and geographically accessible abortion care. Improved access to medication abortion protects women’s right to health and supports women's autonomy and agency. However, the over-regulation of mifepristone in much of the Global North has muted the promise of this pill-based regimen of abortion care.
