Women and Casual Work in the Nova Scotian Fish Processing Industry

The general concern of this article is with the role of women in the organization of the demand and supply of labour in the context of the Nova Scotian fish processing industry. The distribution of jobs by gender, wage rate differentiation, job mobility distinctions, and labour market segmentation according to job tenure, are analyzed in this light. Particular empirical reference is to a fishing community, which I shall call East Sandy Cove, in south west Nova Scotia where I spent two and one-half months conducting field research

Issue 17: Private Sponsorship in Canada: The Resettlement of Syrian Refugees in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region

The number of refugees in need of resettlement in the world is estimated to surpass 1.44 million people in 2020, with Syrians currently representing 40% of refugees in need of resettlement. In late 2015, the Canadian government made a commitment to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees and, since then, there has been abundant research analysing the large-scale resettlement process, its successes, limitations, and lessons for future policymaking and host communities. This Policy Points contributes to these analyses by unpacking the particular lessons from the Kitchener-Waterloo region, and highlighting the resettlement experiences of privately sponsored Syrian refugees in this area. It draws on policy, program, and scholarly documents, and on a selection of 55 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with mainly privately sponsored (and some government-assisted) Syrian refugees on their experiences of resettlement in southern Ontario, Canada. In this Policy Points, we emphasize that strong leadership by governments and civil society groups and organizations is crucial in the private sponsorship of Syrians, and that more policy attention and research are needed to improve the private sponsorship program in the K-W region

Contract Governance and the Canadian Public Sector

This essay examines the changing character of public sector work in the Canadian federal public service context. It is based on an empirical examination of various forms of contractual relations currently operative within the Canadian state and on a comparative approach of other western liberal state reform initiatives. We argue that contract governance is an ongoing process involving distinct interrelations between the public and private sectors. In this context, we identify various forms of contract governance and flexibility schemes that have been enfolded and refolded into the conventional structures of governance, and unfolded into a liminal space between the state and civil society through the establishment of nonstandard work and the creation of alternative service delivery programmes

Influence of mixing methods on the NOx reduction capability and electrical properties of photocatalytic cementitious systems

Nitrogen oxides (NOx), regarded as toxic air pollutants, are a group of highly reactive and hazardous gases encompassing compounds ranging from nitrous to nitric acid. Especially in crowded cities, the release of these gases from the industrial organizations and vehicles has reached serious levels. To eliminate the adverse effects of these gases, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used worldwide as a photocatalyst due to its high efficiency in oxidization of NOx. Incorporating TiO2 into cement-based composites gives them photocatalytic capability: uniform and stable dispersion of TiO2 throughout the matrix is an undisputable requirement for improved photocatalytic efficiency. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of different mixing techniques and surfactant materials on the dispersion of high dosage nano-TiO2 particles (5% of total weight of binder materials) throughout cement-based materials, with the goal of producing cost-effective cementitious systems, more feasible mixing methods, and ensuring proper dispersion of nano-TiO2. Five different mixing methods were proposed to achieve uniform distribution of the nano-TiO2. They were each implemented using different mixing procedures, equipment and surfactants. The performance of each mixing method was evaluated based on photocatalytic performance, electrical impedance (EI), compressive strength and microstructural analysis. Test results showed evidence of the significantly positive effect of polyacrylic acid (PAA) on the dispersion of nano-TiO2. In general, the highest dispersion occurred with ultrasonication and binary utilization of polycarboxylate ether-based plasticizer (PCE) and PAA. The EI test was a highly effective evaluation method for homogeneous distribution of conductive nano particles throughout the matrix. Results also showed a significant relationship between electrical performance and nitric oxide (NO) degradation of composites, and electrical properties of composites are able to provide a reliable estimate of the photocatalytic efficiency of them. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

Role of inclusion size distribution of titanium dioxide on the nitrogen oxides reduction capability and microstructural characteristics of cementitious systems

This paper explores the effect of the inclusion size of titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles on a variety of performance properties of cementitious systems via experimental studies. In addition to comprehensive microstructural analysis including pore size distribution and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) analyses, particular consideration was given to the effect of particle size distribution (PSD) of TiO2 particles on mechanical and photocatalytic properties and hydration kinetics of cementitious systems. Nano-sized, submicron-sized and micron-sized anatase-phase TiO2 powders were utilized as photocatalysts at a dosage of 5% by total weight of powder material. In addition to the single use of TiO2 particles with three different size ranges (nano, submicron and micron), they were also used in combination by adjusting their PSDs with three different PSD moduli (q): 0.1, 0.5, and 0.9. Test results show that techniques for achieving optimal microstructural characteristics of cementitious systems also help design and improve their performance in favor of multifunctionality. As a result of PSD optimization of TiO2 particles with three different size ranges, which was significantly influential on the microstructure of the cementitious systems, superior photocatalytic degradation results were obtained from mixtures containing lower amounts of nano-sized TiO2 particles. Cementitious composites with denser microstructure showed lower performance in terms of being able to maintain photocatalytic degradation capability for a prolonged period, whereas the opposite was the case for compressive strength. © 2021 Elsevier Lt

Mobilizing research on Africa's development corridors

Across Africa, development corridors – networks of roads, railways, pipelines and ports that facilitate the movement of commodities between landlocked production areas, processing zones and global markets – are being built at an unprecedented pace. In mainstream development discourse, these mega-infrastructure projects have been framed as an effective way of creating conditions that are attractive to investors while simultaneously driving inclusive economic growth and development. Yet, recent geographic research on new development corridors has revealed certain tensions and inconsistencies in this win–win narrative, drawing attention to cases where the spatial reorganization of land that has accompanied corridor development has introduced new patterns of spatial exclusion and immobility. This article shows how approaching the study of development corridors using the new mobility paradigm – paying attention to uneven and conflicting mobilities along new corridor routes – stands to generate important empirical and theoretical insights about peoples' lived experiences with corridors, as well as about the trajectories of power enacted through corridor development. Ultimately, it is argued that applying the new mobilities paradigm in future research on development corridors may help researchers to better understand emergent forms of spatial exclusion and immobility created by new corridors

The emergence of international food safety standards and guidelines: understanding the current landscape through a historical approach

Following the Second World War, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) teamed up to construct an International Codex Alimentarius (or 'food code') which emerged in 1963. The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) was charged with the task of developing microbial hygiene standards, although it found itself embroiled in debate with the WHO over the nature these standards should take. The WHO was increasingly relying upon the input of biometricians and especially the International Commission on Microbial Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) which had developed statistical sampling plans for determining the microbial counts in the final end products. The CCFH, however, was initially more focused on a qualitative approach which looked at the entire food production system and developed codes of practice as well as more descriptive end-product specifications which the WHO argued were 'not scientifically correct'. Drawing upon historical archival material (correspondence and reports) from the WHO and FAO, this article examines this debate over microbial hygiene standards and suggests that there are many lessons from history which could shed light upon current debates and efforts in international food safety management systems and approaches