Local Government Response to Housing Unaffordability in Three Major Canadian Cities: A Study of Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto

In major cities globally, including those in Canada, many residents struggle to find affordable housing. Canadian municipalities have a growing role in responding to this issue. The objective of this paper is to investigate the municipal-level response to issues of housing affordability in three major Canadian cities: Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. Specifically, each city has committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing as one of its primary methods of responding to this issue. This paper provides an analysis and comparison of the goals set by each of the three case study municipalities and the real increases in affordable housing stock reported in the 2010s, with the finding that Vancouver has generally set the highest goals and made the largest increases to the stock of affordable housing. A discussion of major successful affordable housing initiatives in each municipality follows, namely Vancouver’s partnerships with other agencies to produce supportive housing, and use of modular housing as supportive and social housing; Calgary’s Resolve campaign to produce affordable housing, and Housing Incentive Program to incentivize the creation of new affordable rental housing; and Toronto’s partnerships with other agencies to produce supportive housing, and revitalization of Toronto Community Housing Corporation-owned social housing units. I find that it is partnerships with other actors, and especially the provincial government, that leads to the success of these initiatives in increasing the stock of affordable housing

Power transfer through strongly coupled resonances

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-42).Using self-resonant coils in a strongly coupled regime, we experimentally demonstrate efficient non-radiative power transfer over distances of up to eight times the radius of the coils. We use this system to transfer 60W with approximately 45% efficiency over distances in excess of two meters. We present a quantitative model describing the power transfer which matches the experimental results to within 5%, and perform a finite element analysis of the objects used. We finally discuss the robustness of the mechanism proposed and consider safety and interference concerns.by André Kurs.S.M

Administering a Ranked-Choice Voting Election: Lessons from London, Ontario

To elect its mayor and council in October of 2018, the City of London, Ontario used ranked-choice voting instead of the traditional first-past-the-post system; the first Canadian city in decades to use an alternative electoral system. London’s experience as the first Ontario municipality to implement ranked-choice voting allows it to offer its experience as a lesson to other municipalities that may be considering making changes to their voting systems. From the Ontario government’s review of the Municipal Elections Act in 2016 through to the implementation of a ranked-ballot election in 2018, this report details the experience of City of London staff and consultants. Preparations for the election included procuring and testing equipment, hiring and training staff, and educating the public about the ranked-ballot system. A description of voting day procedures focuses on issues specific to ranked-choice voting at the polling stations and tabulation centre. The process of determining the election results is described, including the post-election audit of procedures, and the final costs of the election. The report concludes with a discussion of lessons other municipalities can take from London’s experience: first, that administering a ranked-choice election is more expensive than a first-past-the-post election, at least the first time. Second, that preparing for and running the election requires organizational changes and additional human resources. Third, that the procurement and testing of equipment and software is a significant endeavour, and finally, that an associated awareness-raising and outreach strategy is essential for informing voters and managing public expectations.https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/urbancentre-reports/1003/thumbnail.jp

Estonians in the Crimea

The article gives an overview af Estonian peasants settling in the Crimea in the midl91hcentury.Havingfor several centuries been under the contra! af the Golden Hordeand the Crimean Khanate, the Crimean Peninsula was annexed by Russia in 1783.The imperial colonization policy that succeeded the deportation af the Crimean Tatarsta Turkey encouraged the peasants af the Estonian and Livonian gubernias ta emigrateta the Crimea. The drivingforces behind the emigration were not only economicbut also religious. For the members af a sect led by the Prophet Maltsvet the Crimeahad become the Promised Land.Thefirst Estonian settlements in the Crimea werefoundedin 1861-1864. Their namesZamruk, Kara-Kiyat, Konchi-Shavva, etc., indicate that the Estonians settled in thedeserted villages af Crimean Tatars. After a long journey and in an unfamiliar setting,it was di.fficult ta adapt ta and start a new life, but by the l 880s, the settlers hadalready established themselves. Sharing the community af interests, they built schoolsand churches together. When the Estonian writer Eduard Vildecame ta see the CrimeanEstonians in 1904, he could only give high praise for their ejforts.Ey the beginning af World War I, the Estonians in the Crimea had achieved a livingstandardwhich was the highestwhen compared ta other Estonians in Russia. In 1921,the number af Estonians in the Crimea was 2,367, whereas in 1995 there were onlyabout 500 Estonians living mainly at Beregovoe (Zamruk), Krasnodarka (KonchiShavva)and Novo-Estonia. Since the l 990s, Estonian cultural activities have againbecome possible in the Crimea. In Simferopol and Krasnodarka Estonian societieshave been established and any support from native Estonia would be welcome. Fromautumn 2002, a native language teacher from Estonia started ta work at theKrasnodarka secondary school

Seksuaalse ahistamise kriminaliseerimise vajalikkusest Eesti õigussüsteemis

http://www.ester.ee/record=b5141422*es

Mid-range adiabatic wireless energy transfer via a mediator coil

A technique for efficient mid-range wireless energy transfer between two coils via a mediator coil is proposed. By varying the coil frequencies three resonances are created: emitter-mediator (EM), mediator-receiver (MR) and emitter-receiver (ER). If the frequency sweeps are adiabatic and such that the ER resonance precedes the MR resonance, the energy flows sequentially along the chain emitter-mediator-receiver. If the MR resonance precedes the ER resonance, then the energy flows directly from the emitter to the receiver via the ER resonance; then the losses from the mediator are suppressed. This technique is robust to noise, resonant constraints and external interferences