Sense of Place in Tourism and Leisure: the Case of Touring Skiers in Quebec

The concept of sense of place has become central in understanding various modern phenomena in leisure. Tourism promoters in outdoor recreation now emphasize opportunities to bond with nature, with ‘wild’ landscapes or with the authentic value of a destination. However, studying this tourism and recreation issue from the standpoint of ‘place’, which draws upon notions of attendance, identification and social and individual meaning, is lacking in modern studies. This paper, based on a quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey administered to touring skiers in Quebec (n=829), thus aims to present the links between various practice settings and the perceived meaning and identification that skiers attach to their practice sites

Reconversion des héritages olympiques et rénovation de l'espace urbain : le stade olympique comme vecteur de développement

Les Jeux Olympiques d'été (J.O.) sont devenus depuis leur professionnalisation (années 70) le second événement sportif le plus médiatisé après la Coupe du Monde de soccer et le plus coûteux au monde conduisant ainsi une augmentation considérable de ses impacts sur les milieux urbains les accueillant. Ces répercussions urbaines se traduisent notamment par la nécessité de planifier la gestion des équipements olympiques nécessaires pour l'organisation de cette manifestation. En effet, cet événement sportif majeur est désormais un projet urbain extrêmement complexe et dispendieux pour les villes hôtes, utilisé entre autres à des fins de réaménagement, de régénération voire de repositionnement urbains, où les acteurs présents, qu'ils soient publics ou privés, se doivent de répondre aux attentes organisationnelles des Jeux tout en envisageant la reconversion de ces équipements. La gestion des héritages olympiques devient donc un domaine de planification primordial pour ces métropoles olympiques et ce dès la mise en candidature de ces projets. De ces logiques structurelles, on observe que la problématique de reconversion du Stade olympique est récurrente puisque cette infrastructure, la plus importante du Parc Olympique, nécessite non seulement des financements colossaux pour sa construction, mais également des investissements majeurs pour sa gestion. Malgré certaines mesures de planification stratégique, mises en place et justifiées par les responsables de ces projets pour encadrer et légitimer ces mégaprojets, il est intéressant de remarquer qu'un très faible pourcentage de ces stades sont véritablement utilisés après les J.O. et ne deviennent pas des « éléphants blancs » pour ces villes hôtes. Cette réflexion doctorale, appuyée par des cas olympiques d'étude précis (Montréal 1976, Barcelone 1992 et Sydney 2000), nous permet de poser l'hypothèse que l'élaboration dans la phase pré-olympique, pour la planification de l'aménagement du Stade olympique, de stratégies urbanistiques, financières et gestionnaires flexibles, adaptées à la trame urbaine métropolitaine et renouvelées dans le contexte post-olympique facilite la reconversion de cet équipement. Ce travail d'analyse a été conçu d'un point de vue théorique sous l'angle des concepts de projet urbain, de grand projet urbain et de régénération urbaine et a été mené au niveau méthodologique via une démarche qualitative en vertu d'un design de recherche flexible et d'une approche inductive et interprétative pour laquelle les techniques de collecte de données de l'analyse de contenu, de l'analyse de données secondaires, d'entrevues semi-dirigées et l'observation non-participante ont été utilisées. Ces stratégies conceptuelles et méthodologiques nous ont permis de présenter, au terme de ce travail doctoral, un modèle analytique global recensant les stratégies urbanistiques, récréotouristiques, financières et gestionnaires pré et post olympiques, et ce dans le but de mieux comprendre pourquoi et comment certains Stades olympiques réussissent mieux leurs reconversions que d'autres. À la lumière des analyses effectuées, nous concluons que le processus de planification et d'aménagement du Stade olympique doit être intégré dans le plan d'urbanisme maître de la ville hôte et du territoire d'insertion. Parallèlement, nous estimons que sa structure architecturale et sa capacité d'accueil sont tenues d'être aménagées en fonction des stades déjà existants au niveau métropolitain. Enfin, les nouveaux principes de gouvernance d'un équipement sportif majeur sont susceptibles d'être appliqués de manière à faciliter la reconversion de cet édifice. \ud ______________________________________________________________________________ \ud MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Jeux Olympiques d'été, Stade olympique, reconversion des héritages olympiques, Montréal, Barcelone, Sydney

Predictors of Quality of Life (Qol): Comparing Baby Boomers, Older Adults, and Younger Adults Using Data From the 2010 National Health Interview Survey

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that predict quality of life (QOL) for aging adults and to examine and compare Baby Boomers', Older Adults' and Younger Adults' responses to the 2010 National Health Interview Survey/QOL Functioning and Disability. Significant findings included several significant values based on the multivariate regression to estimate a model to predict QOL. In particular, being male, four ethnicities other than white, being older than Boomer, age in 10 years, the Functional Difficulty Index, the Functional Limitation Index scores, chronic heart disease, asthma, and arthritis all had significant p values. Adults with chronic heart disease, asthma, or arthritis scored lower on the QOL index, but cancer, stroke, or diabetes were not associated with the QOL index. Two hypotheses had strong support. Lower scores on both the Functional Difficulty Index and the Functional Limitation Index yielded lower QOL scores. Further research recommendations include establishing reliability and validity of the QOL index; running additional regressions for demographics (ethnicity, marital status, etc.) to predict possible combinations of variables predicting QOL or barriers to QOL; and investigating the viability of incorporating the QOL index into an electronic medical record (EMR) dashboard parameter to serve as a screening mechanism for those aging adults most at risk for chronicities or co-morbidities that place them at risk for losing their ability to age in place in the home of their choosing

Recreational Needs and Practices of Youth Living in Rural Areas in Quebec: Views and Concerns of Stakeholders and Parents

Public recreation in rural areas is often a key factor in fighting the devitalization of small municipalities. Additionally, recreational activities support youth in their identity and social development, for instance through generated social interactions. Based on a qualitative case study conducted in Quebec, this research seeks to identify the needs and sought-after forms of recreational activities for youth living in rural areas according to local stakeholders and parents, and, simultaneously, to estimate land management, governance, and social actions that will improve the recreational offer already in place. Results show that the interviewed stakeholders are aware of the merits of leisure for youth and acknowledge the need to take action to enhance recreational services and to make practice areas more accessible. In addition, they all believe that encouraging youth to get involved in their communities to make their living environments even more dynamic and attractive is essential

Basaltic calderas: Collapse dynamics, edifice deformation, and variations of magma withdrawal

International audienceThe incremental caldera collapses of Fernandina (1968), Miyakejima (2000), and Piton de la Fournaise (2007) are analyzed in order to understand the collapse dynamics in basaltic setting and the associated edifice deformation. For each caldera, the collapse dynamics is assessed through the evolution of the (1) time interval T between two successive collapse increments, (2) amount of vertical displacement during each collapse increment, and (3) magma outflow rate during the whole collapse caldera process. We show from the evolution of T that Piton de la Fournaise and Fernandina were characterized by a similar collapse dynamics, despite large differences in the caldera geometry and the duration of the whole collapse caldera process. This evolution significantly differs from that of Miyakejima where T strongly fluctuated throughout the whole collapse process. Quantification of the piston vertical displacements enables us to determine the magma outflow rates between each collapse increment. Displacement data (tiltmeter and/or GPS) for Piton de la Fournaise and Miyakejima are used to constrain the edifice overall deformation and the edifice deformation rates. These data reveal that both volcanoes experienced edifice inflation once the piston collapsed into the magma chamber. Such a deformation, which lasts during the first collapse increments only, is interpreted as the result of larger volume of piston intruded in the magma chamber than magma withdrawn before each collapse increment. Once the effect of the collapsing rock column vanishes, edifice deflates. We also determine for each caldera the critical amount of magma evacuated before collapse initiation and compare it to analog models. The significant differences between models and nature are explained by the occurrence of preexisting weak zones in nature, i.e., the ring faults, that are not taken into account in analog models. Finally, we show that T at Piton de la Fournaise and Fernandina was equally controlled by the frictional resistance along the ring faults and the magma outflow rate. In addition to these two parameters, the collapse dynamics of Miyakejima was also influenced by variations of the magma bulk modulus, which changed after the influx of deep gas-rich magma into the collapse-related magma chamber. Altogether, our results show that the dynamics of caldera collapse in basaltic volcanoes proceeds in two phases: Phase 1, starting with the first collapse, is characterized by the largest collapse amplitude, an incremental edifice inflation, and a step-by-step increase of the rate of magma outflow. Phase 2 shows a rapid decrease of the magma discharge rate to a low level concomitant with the continuous edifice deflation. If deep magma is injected into the magma chamber, as at Miyakejima, an additional phase occurs (phase 3)

Development and management of outdoor recreation: The case of Quebec

Outdoor recreation is at the heart of several policies and measures with their goal being to reinforce the level of individuals’ physical activity as well as the development of communities. This is even truer in Quebec where the provincial government recently published (2017) an important note regarding the importance of outdoor recreation in the development of Quebec society. In this perspective, this study, using a quantitative approach through a survey, aims to analyze how outdoor recreation is managed and supported by the Regional County Municipalities (RCM), key actors in the territorial and social development in Quebec, and, to identify the terms and conditions for the practice of these outdoor activities in the RCMs. This study shows that there is no gap between supply and demand. However, the results reveal the importance of supporting and subsidizing promoters and outdoor organizations in Quebec while breaking into segments the pool of practitioners in order to put in place targeted communication and promotion strategies while also promoting the use of new technological information

The 2007 eruptions and caldera collapse of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano (La Réunion Island) from tilt analysis at a single very broadband seismic station

International audienceSeismic records from La Réunion Island very broadband Geoscope station are investigated to constrain the link between the 2007 eruptive sequence and the related caldera collapse of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. Tilt estimated from seismic records reveals that the three 2007 eruptions belong to a single inflation-deflation cycle. Tilt trend indicates that the small-volume summit eruption of 18 February occurred during a phase of continuous inflation that started in January 2007. Inflation decelerated 24 days before a second short-lived, small-volume eruption on 30 March, almost simultaneous with a sudden, large-scale deflation of the volcano. Deflation rate, which had stabilized at relatively low level, increased anew on 1 April while no magma was erupted, followed on 2 April by a major distal eruption and on 5 April by a summit caldera collapse. Long-term tilt variation suggests that the 2007 eruptive succession was triggered by a deep magma input

Régénération urbaine et développement territorial par le sport : Le cas du Parc olympique de Montréal

Les Jeux Olympiques sont désormais largement utilisés à des fins de développement territorial. À ce titre, les infrastructures sportives construites à l’occasion de ces méga-événements s’insèrent pour certaines dans de vastes projets de régénération urbaine. C’est ce que cherchera à mettre en lumière cet article à travers une étude de cas sur le Parc olympique de Montréal. Par le biais de plusieurs analyses documentaires et de différentes entrevues, cette étude vise à distinguer les enjeux urbains et de gouvernance relatifs au développement sportif de ce site. Les résultats obtenus font émerger deux visions opposées au sujet du redéveloppement du Parc olympique de Montréal mais celles-ci s’accordent sur le fait que les deux principaux défis à surmonter relèvent de la justification et de l’origine des ressources financières et des modalités de gouvernance et de gestion à adopter et à appliquer.Olympic games are often a catalyst for urban development. The sport infrastructures and equipments constructed for these mega-events are sometimes integrated in wider urban regeneration strategies. This article will illustrate this phenomenon with the case study of Montreal and its Olympic site. Through a number of analysis, documents and interviews with sport agencies, local stakeholders and others, our study indicates the urban challenges and the governance issues related to the future of the Olympic Park. Results are showing two very different visions of redevelopment but with a consensus on two specific issues : the justification and the nature of major financial resources and the governance mix or « management model » needed for the upgrading of the site