The Ontario Métis : characteristics and identity

Report: iv, 83 p., maps, digital fileQuestions about the nature of Métis identity have received considerable scrutiny in recent years (Foster, 1985; Hatt, 1971; Peterson and Brown, 1985). Events at Red River and Batoche have come to public attention in new ways, and this Prairie segment of Metis history has become increasingly well known. At the same time, it is evident that there are considerable populations in all parts of Canada which consider-themselves Metis, many of which do not have Red River ancestry (Table 1.0). This report explores the issue of Métis identity by analyzing the opinions and attitudes of an Ontario population which identifies itself as Métis, but appears to have few historic links with the Métis at Red River. The data derive from a 1985 questionnaire survey by the Ontario Métis and Non-Status Indian Association (OMNSIA). The survey attempted to identify the concerns, attitudes and opinions of OMNSIA members on issues of relevance to Metis and Non-Status Indians in Ontario (see Appendix A). While there are a number of problems with the survey, it nevertheless represents a unique and valuable resource for research ori Metis identity

Disrupting and building a \u27Sense of community\u27: a case study of the Northern Medical Program.

Since the early 1980s, stresses associated with health care restructuring have led to concerns about long-term access to physicians in northern BC communities. The Northern Medical Program at UNBC was established to enhance the supply of physicians who want to live and work in northern BC. Previous research suggests that a strong sense of community among care providers can improve the efficiency and provision of health care services. However, it is unclear how changes associated with the implementation of the NMP have impacted the sense of community, through relationships and networks, of those physicians currently practicing in northern BC. Using key informant interviews with physicians in Prince George, BC, this paper explores how the NMP has impacted the sense of community amongst physicians by building or disrupting relationships and networks. While results suggest that relationships and networks have been disrupted in the short-term, the NMP has provided another venue for building relationships and networks to support the long-term viability of health care

New mobile realities in mature staples-dependent resource regions: Local governments and work camps

In resource-dependent regions, work camps have reshaped workforce recruitment and retention strategies and relationships with communities as they are increasingly deployed within municipal boundaries. This has prompted important, but controversial, questions about local government policies and regulations guiding workforce accommodations to support rapid growth in resource regions. Even as mobile workforces become more prevalent, however, few researchers have examined the development, operations, and decommissioning of these work camps. Drawing upon the experiences of local governments in Australia, Canada, Scotland, and the United States, this research examines how mobile workforces are shaping the opportunities and challenges of planning and local government operations through work camps integrated in mature staples-dependent resource regions. Our findings reveal that while some industries have taken the initiative to implement new protocols and operating procedures to improve the quality and safety of work camp environments, local governments have underdeveloped policy tools and capacities to guide the development, operations, and decommissioning of work camps. Failure to purposefully address work camps as a land-use issue, however, is significant for mature staples-dependent towns that ultimately fail to capture taxation revenues while incurring the accelerating costs for infrastructure and services associated with large mobile workforces