“Social Economizing” Sustainability: A cross-project analysis & synthesis of research findings

This is the project proposal for BALTA Project B8, which involves the establishment of a one year BALTA supported post-doctoral researcher position. The focus of the position will be to facilitate analysis and synthesis of cross-BALTA research linked to the research interests of BALTA's Social Economy Research Cluter (SERC) 2 on sustainability and rural revitalization.BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA) ; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC

Expectations and Realities of Engaged Scholarship: Evaluating a Social Economy Collaborative Research Partnership

This paper examines and evaluates the dynamics of engaged scholarship within a complex community-university research partnership. The British Columbia–Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA) brings together academics and practitioners with the goal of advancing understanding of the social economy and contributing to the development of a social economy research network in western Canada. Engagement in BALTA refers to both internal (academic and practitioner research partnerships) and external (research process) project components. Our findings indicate that the structure of the project, dictated in large part by funder requirements and the professional cultures of research participants, greatly influenced the nature and quality of engagement. This paper examines the BALTA initiative and the reflexive and adaptive process it has undergone as it responds to various challenges and seeks to realize the ideals and potential of engaged scholarship

Credit Unions and the Social Economy: Being Competitive and Building Capacity

The credit union sector occupies a significant place in both Alberta and British Columbia and credit unions are a prominent element of the social economy in the two provinces. This report examines the results of research into the role that credit unions are playing in supporting social economy organizations, including case studies of four representative credit unions.BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA) ; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC

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

Spontaneous Iliopsoas Hematoma following Microvascular Free Tissue Transfer.

Spontaneous hematoma within the iliopsoas muscle (SIH) is a rare complication most commonly seen in coagulopathic patients. Often, patients undergoing microvascular free tissue transfer are anticoagulated for anastomotic patency. Here we describe two cases of postoperative SIH following contralateral anterolateral thigh (ALT) free tissue transfer for reconstruction of oncologic head and neck defects. Both patients described hip pain after mobilization and had a corresponding acute blood loss anemia. Diagnosis of SIH was confirmed by CT and both patients were managed conservatively. Given that anticoagulation is a common practice following head and neck free tissue transfer, surgeons should be aware of this potential complication

Labour Mobility in Northern BC: Final Report

More than three decades of restructuring has transformed the nature of work and community relationships in resource producing regions. Rapid industrial activity is expected to increase the influx of mobile workers to address labour shortages, particularly during project construction periods. With a very competitive labour landscape provincially, nationally, and globally, labour shortages are anticipated for many phases of resource-based infrastructure and development projects. Labour mobility can have important implications for workers, work environments, and can reshape family and community relationships. It is important for stakeholders to understand these impacts in order to inform strategic investments in infrastructure and supports for workers and their families throughout all phases of large-scale industrial projects

Restructuring of Rural Governance in a Rapidly Growing Resource Town: The Case of Kitimat, BC, Canada

A new era of industrial development is unfolding in resource-dependent regions. In Canada, the local government context in these regions, however, is very different now than when industrial resource development expanded in the 1950s and 1960s. Drawing upon our case study in Kitimat, British Columbia, we highlight transformations associated with neoliberal policies that have affected rural governance. Neoliberal public policy shifts include wider changes where the state has become less involved in program and infrastructure investments in resource-dependent communities. Even as this political economy continues to evolve, past neoliberal policy responses continue to restrict local supports, while also failing to provide a comprehensive strategy to guide rapidly changing communities. In Kitimat, this has prompted a variety of responses emblematic of a shift from government to governance. The town has become more entrepreneurial and innovative to strengthen and diversify their economy. The abandonment of top-down policy levers has prompted community groups to pursue a greater voice in decision-making by opening up public participation in new planning and development processes. While new rural governance arrangements have provided positive and proactive contributions to emerging pressures, concerns persist about the long-term viability of these structures without a renewed vision, and accompanying policy, from senior governments to support rural communities and regions