Canadian Geographer-Geographe Canadien最新文献

The publication of Quebec's National Policy on Architecture and Regional Planning (PNAAT) challenges geography in several respects. It is the result of an 18-month development process and is built around the sustainable development paradigm. This storytelling is part of a generalized trend in planning. In Quebec, several public policies adopted since 2000 show a strong narrative. Consequently, it is necessary to address the nature of this narrative: is it the consolidation of the existing theoretical frame or a partial or total reframing of the paradigm developed in previous policies? In addition, what potential role will be played by the storytelling resulting from the PNAAT in terms of mobilizing stakeholders? These questions will lead us to compare various Quebec public policies, in terms of terminology as well as orientations and objectives. Our results illustrate the fact that the narrative of the PNAAT is in line with the territorial policies previously proposed. In addition, the call for sustainability and the fight against climate change has an obvious mobilizing power.

This paper reflects on the potential and limits of repatriating state-sanctioned historical materials and repurposing them as “counter-archives” for Indigenous communities. This proposal aligns itself with the epistemic shift in archival studies which promotes a processual approach to archiving (archive-as-subject) rather than an extractive one (archive-as-source). Instead of taking colonial archives at face value or dismissing them entirely for their erasures, scholars and artists are finding new ways to approach, produce, and share them. This research expands the scope of counter-cartography and historical geography by identifying different data sources that can be mapped. Mandated by a Mohawk Land Defender, I have compiled ecclesiastical archives, cadasters, and land registries from the Seminary of St. Sulpice into a “counter-archive,” then turned them into a geospatial database for use in GIS. Historically these ecclesiastical records were used by the Seminary to claim Indigenous territories, erase Indigenous presence, and attract settlers to the Seigneurie du Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes, an area spanning 540 km² west of Montreal. The repurposed counter-archives can be used as tools for critical public discourse around Indigenous land rights. Given genuine Federal will for reconciliation, this methodology mapping land dispossession from archival cadasters and land registries could expand to other locations across Canada.

Transportation research has shown that socio-demographic factors impact people's mobility patterns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these effects have changed in accordance with changing mobility needs adapting to the pandemic, including restrictions on in-person gatherings, closure of in-person businesses, and working from home. We investigate two gaps in current knowledge in this area of transportation research: to what extent the associations between socio-demographic factors and mobility metrics have changed, and how these associations vary across geographic space. We used aggregate deidentified cell tower location data to measure two mobility metrics—movement time and radius of gyration—and socio-demographic data from the 2016 Canadian Census to model these associations across Ontario, Canada in 2020 using a linear model and a geographically weighted regression model. We find that certain associations between socio-demographics and mobility have changed from what we previously observed before the pandemic, and we can see the variation of these associations across space. These findings will improve our understanding of how socio-demographic factors affect mobility patterns in different communities and demonstrate the importance of measuring these associations at a more fine-grained level using models that consider spatial variation to best reflect the nature of these associations.

Many empirical studies on large municipalities, ranging from thousands to millions of inhabitants, have helped shape the knowledge of sustainability management in developed countries. However, issues and approaches specific to micro-municipalities with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants have been relatively less covered. In this context, this study presents an empirical content analysis of sustainability-related instruments used in the 487 smallest municipalities of Quebec. A total of 1,962 instrumental documents were identified, and their characteristics (e.g., accountability-based vs. informative-based approach) and scope (e.g., land-use planning and pollution reduction) were assessed. The results are threefold. First, informative-based instruments (e.g., flyers and project presentations) are generally preferred to those with accountability mechanisms (e.g., policies and plans). Second, 90% of the municipalities address sustainability issues, but in pieces and parsimoniously rather than comprehensively; hence, initiatives vary significantly from one municipality to another. Third, because of their mandatory nature, initiatives such as sorted waste collection and pro-environmental zoning are common among municipalities. In contrast, non-mandatory services such as transportation planning have only a few adopters. These findings have policy implications for urban sustainability management in micro-municipal organizations.

Each winter, purpose-built outdoor skating rinks are constructed in backyards and community parks across much of Canada and the northern United States. Past research projects that warmer winters will make it increasingly difficult to build outdoor rinks without artificial refrigeration. Here we build upon previous studies by mapping areas of North America where present average January temperatures are generally suitable each year for building outdoor rinks, and how this area will change by the 2050s and 2080s. Using projections from downscaled general circulation models, we show how under current emissions pathways, average January temperatures will become too mild by the 2050s to build outdoor rinks across much of eastern North America in most winters, and this area will expand by the 2080s to include most of the western United States. Under high emissions scenarios (RCP 8.5), unsuitably mild January temperatures expand to include densely populated areas of Canada's Prairie provinces by the 2080s. In short, many North Americans who build outdoor rinks every winter will, by mid-century, be living in areas where temperatures are only cold enough to do so occasionally, creating a range of social, cultural, and health implications for people living in those regions.

Alternative food systems (AFS), which are known for their reduced food supply chain and have positive benefits for health, the environment, and local communities, offer an alternative to the conventional (industrialized) system of quality food. However, several studies question the accessibility to these food systems, especially when food insecurity remains a significant issue for many communities in North America. This article examines the accessibility of AFS among lower-income populations by taking into account the urban context, including the food environment and proximity to production areas. Using the case of a borough of Montreal and the medium-sized city of Victoriaville (Quebec), we carried out a mixed methodology combining mapping and observation of the food environment and semi-structured interviews. We show that the price of AFS (economic dimension of its access) is moderated by factors specific to each territory such as temporality, relationships to food and agriculture, and proximity to producers. The Montreal borough and the medium-sized city also stand out for their way of (re)connecting to agricultural producers. These results could help optimize public policies that focus on access to quality food and thus make AFS more accessible.