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This paper investigates challenges to property rights and equal treatment in Alberta's summer villages post-1995, when regional planning commissions were disbanded. It focuses on how regulatory measures like minimum dwelling size requirements can restrict property owners' ability to use and develop their land, disproportionately affecting those with fewer resources. A case study demonstrates these potential rights intrusions, worsened by the lack of regional planning. The study examines exclusionary zoning, inconsistent decision-making, and lack of planning professionalism, underlining significant implications for rights in municipal planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion that Housing First (HF) is a human-rights based approach to housing some of society's most vulnerable citizens is often alluded to in the literature, but seldom interrogated. In this paper, we examine whether HF in Alberta, Canada is practiced in a way that realizes the right to housing for chronically homeless people. We do so using four human rights principles identified by Fukuda-Parr: non-discrimination, participation, adequate progress and remedy. Based on interviews with staff of 14 HF programs in three cities, we identify constraints to a human rights-based approach, including time-limited support, which necessitates a strong emphasis on housing sustainability. We also identify positive practices, such as client participation in decision-making and tenant rights education. The paper also provides a model for systematically assessing whether HF programs respect, protect and fulfil the right to housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results and interpretations of published Canadian field studies on the reproductive status of fish in waters receiving pulp and paper mill effluent discharges were reviewed. Most of the information was obtained from indicator measurements such as gonad size, fecundity, and serum steroid levels in wild fish sampled at reference and effluent-exposed sites. Difficulties in selecting appropriate sampling sites, natural variability, and the ecological relevance of the indicator measurements were identified as major complicating factors for the interpretation of the field data. Consequently, it was not possible to conclude to what extent, if any, widespread effects on fish reproduction are being caused by pulp and paper mill effluents or that specific manufacturing processes are causing such effects. Further research on the normal variability and predictive capability of reproductive indicators, for example, using an integrated approach (i.e., laboratory testing, mesocosm studies, and field work), is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of previous studies on reliability-based highway design focussed on assessing the risk associated with only one mode of non-compliance (i.e. insufficient sight distance on horizontal curves using 2 D sight distance calculations). Only a handful number of studies established a link between risk levels and collisions. This paper calibrates safety-based design charts for horizontal curves considering a system reliability analysis (i.e., multi-mode) where the non-compliance could result from limited sight distance and vehicle skidding. The paper first utilised LiDAR data to collect curve attributes and assess the Available Sight Distance in a 3 D environment on 244 horizontal curves in Alberta, Canada. Monte Carlo Simulation was then used to calculate the associated risk levels, and full-Bayes multivariate Poisson lognormal regression was utilised to develop statistically significant safety performance functions that relate risk levels to collisions. Safety-based design charts were calibrated to relate curve attributes to risk levels and collisions. The calibrated charts showed the importance of using multi-mode reliability analysis. An example of using the calibrated charts in estimating the expected safety benefits of geometric improvements was introduced. The developed charts can offer designers a tool to estimate the safety consequences of design alternatives and aid the decision-making process of rehabilitation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate the feasibility and acceptability of a serious mobile-game intervention on older adults' engagement, affect, and cognitive function. Methods: In this single-subject design, twenty older adults, six of whom living with dementia, participated in a 16-session mobile-game intervention. Before and after the intervention, participants had sessions involving traditional paper-based cognitive activities. Engagement and affect were measured in each session. Cognitive measures were administered before and after the intervention. Acceptability was explored through interviews. Results: After the intervention, there was a statistically significant increase in engagement in 37% of participants, and in affect in 21% of participants. Participants preferred the mobile games to the paper-based activities. Cognitive measures showed improvement in four participants with dementia. Conclusions: Although not conclusive, participants experienced higher levels of engagement and positive affect while playing the mobile games compared to paper-based activities. The results indicate feasibility and acceptability of the mobile game intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing aging population in Canada has multi-faceted psycho-social needs. Social workers are well-positioned to address these needs, despite many challenges. This paper reports findings from the World Café at the Gerontology Symposium in Alberta, Canada, held in 2018. The goal was to learn from social work practitioners, researchers, and educators (N = 49) about current and future needs of gerontological social work in Alberta. There were two research questions: 1) What strategies do social workers need on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels to help better serve the growing older adult population in Alberta? (R1) 2) How can social workers promote the value and contribution of gerontological social work within the interprofessional community? (R2) The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Ten R1-related themes emerged: personal traits of a social worker; professional skills; bio-psycho-social needs of older adults; community connections; access to benefits; gerontological social work education; integrated healthcare; aging policy; ageism; and advocacy to strengthen the voice of older adults. The three R2-related themes include strengthening the status of the social work profession; building trust through demonstrated skills; and interprofessional education and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-sensor vehicle systems have been implemented in large-scale field programs to detect, attribute, and estimate emissions rates of methane (CH4) and other compounds from oil and gas wells and facilities. Most vehicle systems use passive sensing; they must be positioned downwind of sources to detect emissions. A major deployment challenge is predicting the best measurement locations and driving routes to sample infrastructure. Here, we present and validate a methodology that incorporates high-resolution weather forecast and geospatial data to predict measurement locations and optimize driving routes. The methodology estimates the downwind road intersection point (DRIP) of theoretical CH4 plumes emitted from each well or facility. DRIPs serve as waypoints for Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm to determine the optimal driving route. We present a case study to demonstrate the methodology for planning and executing a vehicle-based concentration mapping survey of 50 oil and gas wells near Pecos, Texas. Validation was performed by comparing DRIPs with 174 CH4 plumes measured by vehicle surveys of oil and gas wells and facilities in Alberta, Canada. Results indicate median Manhattan distances of 145.8 m between DRIPs and plume midpoints and 160.3 m between DRIPs and peak plume enhancements. A total of 46 (26%) of the plume segments overlapped DRIPs. Locational errors of DRIPs are related to misattributions of emissions sources and discrepancies between modeled and instantaneous wind direction measured when the vehicle intersects plumes. Although the development of the methodology was motivated by CH4 emissions from oil and gas facilities, it should be applicable to other types of point source air emissions from known facilities. Implications: This paper presents and validates a method that addresses the challenge of measuring industrial emissions from public roads. The method can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of targeted vehicle-based emissions surveys where the locations of potential sources are known. We believe the method has broad application in addition to the upstream oil and gas context it was designed for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its historic prominence in group work, there is little empirical research to support our understanding of the professional use of self in group work. This paper reports the results of a SPARC endorsed study, which focused on group workers' experience and struggle with their professional uses of self in groups in responding to diversity. Using focus groups, a semi-structured interview format, and Straussian grounded theory data analysis, two key themes emerged – grappling with professional uses of self and disengagement from professional uses of self. When grappling with professional uses of self, group workers employed intentional self-disclosure, opened space, and supported norms for the expression of diversity, humility, genuineness, and reflexivity. Disengagement occurred in response to fear and often resulted in an overemphasis on group tasks. Our results suggest that the effective professional use of self in the here and now of group dynamics creates a sense of safety for both the group workers and the group members when responding to diversity. The implications of this study highlight the need for a method that supports critical self-reflection in real-time in group and builds capacity for responsibly responding to diversity in groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an award for the most outstanding student paper at the annual conference of the Plains Anthropological Society in Edmonton, Alberta. Solicitation of entries for the competition; Criteria for the student paper competition; Contact information.

This paper presents the qualitative findings from a recent doctoral study that examined the leadership practices of 17 middle school administrators from three school districts in the Canadian province of Alberta (Rheaume, 2018). The data gathered through six focus group interviews are framed within the three dimensions of Brown et al.'s (2002) Developmentally Responsive Middle Level Leadership (DRMLL) model, illustrating ways that middle school leaders are responsive to the development of: (a) young adolescent students by understanding their developmental characteristics and establishing engaging, equitable learning environments that empower them to thrive; (b) faculty by establishing a shared vision and a collaborative culture focused on continuous improvement; and (c) the middle school itself by implementing the organizational structures of the middle school concept that promote meaningful relationships and learner success. Although the findings of this study aligned with the DRMLL model, they also led to suggestions for expanding it to better reflect current leadership practices and the newly revised middle school concept (Bishop & Harrison, 2021). Even so, DRMLL has stood the test of time for nearly two decades and continues to serve as an excellent foundation for middle level leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is affected by many fungal diseases that can cause severe yield and quality losses. Disease prediction models generally employ weather data to estimate potential for infection to determine timing for fungicide applications, but these models fail to account for the presence and quantity of pathogen inoculum. This study adapted highly specific qPCR primers to identify and quantify, in real-time, inoculum present in air for the six most important wheat pathogens in Canada. Fungal spores were collected using either Burkard spore collectors and quantified using qPCR or microscope slides covered with adhesive tape and identified and quantified using microscopy. Samples were collected from seven different sites in southern Alberta throughout the 2015–2017 growing seasons. The results demonstrated that qPCR can reliably identify and quantify spores from Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, P. triticina, P. graminis f. sp. tritici, Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, and Fusarium graminearum. The limits of detection of DNA for primer pairs in singleplex tests ranged from 0.0001 ng for P. graminis to 0.001 ng for P. tritici-repentis, which corresponded to approximately 3 spores for P. tritici-repentis and F. graminearum and 1 spore for the other pathogens. Conversely, microscopy permitted identification of rusts to the genus but not to the species level and was ineffective in quantification of the remainder of the wheat pathogens. This study will contribute to the development of a fast and reliable forecasting system that will enable identification and quantification of airborne pathogens in real-time before initial disease symptoms appear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the papers presented at the ninth International Conference on Nanochannels, Microchannels, and Minichannels (ICNMM) which was held at the University of Alberta at Edmonton, Alberta on June 19-22, 2011. The author says that the papers highlights the presentations by pioneering researchers D. B. Tuckerman and R. F. W. Pease on invented microchannels. He adds that the papers also focuses on interfacial transport, mixing inside colliding droplets, and wettability.

The expansion of electric vehicle technologies and renewable energy storage will increasingly depend on lithium-ion batteries. Current lithium extraction operations are far from the environmentally and socially compliant operations desired by the 'clean-tech' industry. However, an innovative and more compliant lithium extraction process has emerged. Several companies are actively working on scrubbing lithium from lithium-enriched brines by purifying wastewater from oil and gas operations or through standalone extraction facilities. This paper examines the legal considerations and risks associated with the development of a novel lithium brine extraction industry in Western Canada, primarily focused on Alberta as a traditional oil and gas jurisdiction. Our analysis of Alberta's subsurface regimes identifies and discusses ambiguities that the Alberta government may need to address for this emerging subsurface industry. Similarly, we identify unique contractual considerations for counsel to contemplate when advising parties involved in this new industry. We conclude that the current legal landscape in Alberta, from both a regulatory and a contractual perspective, needs further clarification in order to attract a large-scale and viable industry. Nevertheless, we emphasise that Western Canada is ripe with opportunity to commercialise on a new lithium extraction industry and take note of the increased governmental interest in the development of this emerging industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining an up-to-date repository of horizontal curve attributes is extremely important due to the role curves play in the safe operation of highways. Such attributes are typically collected using traditional surveying techniques which have been shown to be time-consuming, traffic disruptive, and potentially unsafe methods. This burden is further aggravated when the data collection is required on a large highway network across North America. To overcome this burden, this paper proposes a framework for network-level detection and extraction of horizontal curve elements from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data in a fully automated manner. The proposed technique was validated and then tested on LiDAR data collected on 242 km of highways in Alberta, Canada. The algorithm was successful in detecting all curves on the test highways and estimated their attributes with accuracies ranging from 96% to 100% demonstrating the robustness of the extraction method and the feasibility of performing the extraction on such a large scale. The proposed method is an alternative approach that could help transportation agencies maintain an updated inventory of horizontal alignment information on a large-scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a motor disorder affecting coordination and performance in daily tasks. Studies regarding design and implementation of knowledge translation strategies effecting DCD practice changes in pediatric rehabilitation settings is limited and DCD remains under-recognized and under-diagnosed with an under-utilization of evidence-based practice. This knowledge-to-practice gap was identified in central Alberta, Canada when a lower caseload of clients with DCD and a lower rate of DCD referrals to a neurodevelopmental assessment clinic was observed, given its 5-6% prevalence in children. This paper describes and discusses the development and implementation of a replicable process of knowledge translation for integrating DCD evidence into frontline practice. Methods: Structures such as the Knowledge to Action framework were retrofitted and used to describe activities that occurred during the knowledge translation process. Main activities consisted of: information dissemination; education; addition of DCD to a neurodevelopmental assessment clinic; and development of a Community of Practice. Outcome evaluation methods included surveys, interviews, referral tracking, and database creation. Results: Knowledge translation strategy implementation resulted in increased knowledge among clinicians and community stakeholders, process standardization, increased referrals querying DCD, established knowledge brokers, and practice change. Conclusion: Pre-determined and systematic implementation strategy design is essential for embedding evidence into frontline practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moran's I statistic [Moran, (1950), 'Notes on Continuous Stochastic Phenomena', Biometrika, 37, 17-23] has been widely used to evaluate spatial autocorrelation. This paper is concerned with Moran's I-induced testing procedure in residual analysis. We begin with exploring the Moran's I statistic in both its original and extended forms analytically and numerically. We demonstrate that the magnitude of the statistic in general depends not only on the underlying correlation but also on certain heterogeneity in the individual observations. One should exercise caution when interpreting the outcome on correlation by the Moran's I-induced procedure. On the other hand, the effect on the Moran's I due to heterogeneity in the observations enables a regression model checking procedure with the residuals. This novel application of Moran's I is justified by simulation and illustrated by an analysis of wildfire records from Alberta, Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data set of the Peace Athabasca Delta, Alberta, was used to evaluate approaches to flooded vegetation mapping. A primary objective was to identify how to add a flooded vegetation layer to the Emergency Geomatics Service (EGS) SAR-derived flood products. Field data were used to identify non-flooded and flooded vegetation. A combination of statistical analyses and box plot visual inspection was used to evaluate the magnitude-only images, the polarimetric and compact polarimetric parameters/decompositions, and the coherence products for mapping flooded vegetation. This paper provides some background on the use of SAR for flood mapping, describes the data and processing methods, and presents the results of this comparison. To some degree all polarizations and techniques were effective for mapping flooded vegetation due to the increased backscatter intensity and the phase shift from the double bounce scattering. In particular, all polarization combinations, the HH/HV ratio, Shannon entropy, and the m-chi double bounce produce good separation. The water/vegetation interface remains coherent when flooded, also allowing flooded vegetation to be identified with seasonal coherence. These results demonstrate that the use of multi-mode RADARSAT Constellation Mission data for providing a flooded vegetation layer to EGS flood maps is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use a postcolonial lens to analyze the impacts of Aboriginal youth’s participation in Alberta’s Future Leaders Program’s youth leadership retreat. While the retreat appeared to have positive lasting impacts on many of the participants, it seemed to have the greatest impact on those who already displayed Eurocentric leadership skills; it had little effect on those who did not display these skills prior to retreat participation and it focused on North American, Eurocentric approaches to leadership. By becoming more culturally relevant, we argue that the retreat could have broader impacts on a greater number of Aboriginal youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a critical framework applied to findings from a critical discourse analysis of curriculum and lesson plans in Alberta to examine the assumption that Canada is an ideal place for global citizenship education. The analysis draws on a framework that presents a critique of modernity to recognize a conflation within calls for new approaches to educating citizens for the twenty-first century. A main finding is that although the Alberta curriculum reflects important potential for promoting a critical approach, a conflation of different versions of liberalism often results in a false sense of multiple perspectives and a foreclosure of potential. The paper argues for a critical approach to global citizenship education that engages with the tensions inherent to issues of diversity rather than stepping over or reducing them to theoretically and conceptually vague ideas of universalism and consensus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on promoting fairness and equity in student assessment practices. The researchers used questionnaires and interviews and the study encompassed a total of 3312 individuals representing a range of stakeholders. The paper is presented in two parts: fairness and discrimination, and challenging policy and practice. Five key principles emerged. Educators must strive to address the personal impact of assessment practices on individual students and their families. Assessment must be differentiated to accommodate the ability, social, cultural and linguistic background of students. All members of school communities must challenge the complacency associated with accepting indefensible assessment practices. The frequency, intensity and intrusiveness of assessments must not be overwhelming for students and their families. Finally, assessment must not be used to counter inappropriate student behaviour or reward desired behaviour. Implications for practice are presented. Additionally, the authors describe changes to policy and practice that occurred as a result of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this study was to examine the acceptance of Global Positioning System (GPS) used to help people with dementia, who are at risk for wandering in their communities. We used a mixed methods research approach that included use logs, pre and post paper-based questionnaires, and focus groups. Forty-five client-caregiver pairs (dyads) were included to use one of the GPS devices for an average of 5.8 months over a 1-year period. GPS acceptance was high; dyads were likely to continue using the GPS. According to the participants, the GPS provided caregivers peace of mind and reduced anxiety in dyads when clients got lost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the strategies and delivery of education for students with special educational needs in the province of Alberta, Canada, and in the country of Finland, in the European Union. The rationale for comparing these two jurisdictions is grounded by the idea that both of these areas have high general standards of living, a well-developed public education system, and top results in international school achievement tests. The data consists of available educational policy papers, previous research papers, and educational statistics. This article first describes the special education system development and the current situation, followed by the funding system and discussion about the implications and outcomes of different policies. The historical analysis shows that while many similarities exist between Alberta and Finland, there are also some culturally-bound elements present that have strongly affected the progress and the decision-making process related to the organization of the education for students with special needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Power Purchase Arrangements (PPAs) were one of the significant mechanisms of Alberta's deregulation of the electricity generation sector. This paper argues that the PPAs represent an attempt to mirror by contractual means some of the purpose and effects of the pre-restructuring regulatory scheme. After introducing the background of electric industry regulation in Alberta, this paper discusses the motivations for deregulation. It then reviews electricity deregulation in an international context, looking at the United States and the European Union, to provide a global context for the discussion of Alberta's deregulation experience. Then, after a description of the progression of Alberta's deregulation, the paper explains the method by which Alberta effected the PPAs and offers a perspective on how they are in tended to be `regulation by any other name', in particular looking at the force majeure and change in law clauses and understanding the effects of the dispute resolution provision. Finally, the success of this attempt to echo the regulatory scheme is analysed, and its impact on industry players and the public is reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on case-study research from a rural, resource-based community in Alberta, Canada, this paper explores the social and economic context of substance abuse. Specifically, the linkages between social structure, community fragmentation, and family dysfunction offer a way of understanding differential resistance and susceptibility to substance abuse. Five thematic areas were linked to susceptibility in this study: (1) an economy based on multiple divergent sectors, which gives rise to income disparity and social inequality; (2) a highly transient population, which results in social distancing and lack of social support; (3) shift work, which prevents opportunities for consistent and productive family and community relationships; (4) high incomes, which lead to material competition and financial stress; and (5) a culture of entitlement, which produces certain expectations and perceived privileges among some workers and their families. Our findings are consistent with previous research on the link between substance abuse and shift work, work environments, and the social conditions in boomtowns. But this paper also identifies novel themes, such as high incomes and a culture of entitlement, and introduces the notion of slow disasters and cumulative risk histories to help explain susceptibility to substance abuse within this rural community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing recognition of the positive role that integrated assessments (IAs) can play in improving decision-making processes for public and private sector projects. Because IAs can help secure both the regulatory and the 'social' license to operate, an increasing number of companies, including Royal Dutch Shell, now require their undertaking for major projects. There are, however, limited published case studies to test IA theory and execution, and to provide practical lessons for others. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the undertaking of an IA for a heavy oil pilot project proposed by Shell in northern Alberta and to identify critical success factors. The paper explores key innovations in: (1) the organizational approach to the IA; (2) the scoping and impact evaluation processes; and (3) external communication of results and internal integration of the findings. The paper also provides lessons for industry, regulators, consultants and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sharpley identifies the need to help the public adopt a new paradigm of sustainable development through learning and understanding. The example of a guided hike in Banff National Park, Canada, that communicates to visitors ideas about sustainable development - and sustainable tourism - is examined in this paper to gain some sense of the world of the hike. The paper is based on a hermeneutical theatrical model derived from the philosophical hermeneutics of Gadamer, which includes play, festival, mimesis, gaze and beauty Through the use of the model, the paper examines the present day performance of the hike, including the narratives of hikers and those involved in presenting the hike. The examination also includes relevant legislation, history and the setting. The result explores the nature and process of understanding a sustainable development paradigm on a guided hike in a natural protected area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how Edmonton Police Service has built on the foundation of community-based policing and problem solving in an effort to achieve greater levels of efficiency and effectiveness. These proposed operational strategies are closely aligned with the conceptual framework of proactive policing. Here, proactive policing, in its original formulation, ‘refers to the strategic deployment of resources in order to target criminally active individuals’ (Stockdale et al., 1999, p. 5). The paper also examines the implications proactive policing has for police management and how Edmonton has responded to an organizational environment that requires management of demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodland Caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou habitat mapping in northern Alberta, Canada is incomplete and imprecise, as habitat relationships are not fully understood, and land cover mapping is neither consistent nor complete. Spectral information obtained through remote sensing observations makes possible the evaluation of Woodland Caribou habitat use over large areas. With the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) collars fitted on the animals, correlations between satellite observations and Woodland Caribou locations were studied. This study examines Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper imagery of the Wabasca region of northern Alberta in relation to a dataset containing nearly 100 000 locations acquired from GPS radio-collars and approximately 5000 locations acquired from Very High Frequency (VHF) radio-collars. The intent was to determine if spectral signatures measured by remote sensing satellites could be related to habitat use or avoidance by caribou, and to use this knowledge to predict caribou habitat selection in areas where there are no collared animals. The analysis presented in this paper provides a new perspective for the analysis of large and complex habitat selection datasets and opens new opportunities for the implementation of better and more comprehensive conservation policies in boreal environments. The methodology and habitat associations presented in this paper are being used in northern Alberta to advance caribou conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational choice theory suggests that parents are utility maximizers who make decisions from clear value preferences, that they are able to demand effective action from local schools and teachers, and that they can be relied upon to pursue the best interests of their children. This paper presents a different perspective and argues that parents invest a mixture of rationalities when selecting schools. Based on the results of a survey of 1,500 parents of students in 11 private, eight public and 10 alter- native elementary schools in Alberta, Canada, this paper explores the logic, values, and concerns that inform parental decision making in the selection of an elementary school for their children and discusses implication for policy and educational reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the development of a 'suitability for practice' policy in a large Canadian school of social work. Pertinent gatekeeping issues are reviewed and the results of a survey on suitability polices in Canadian social work schools are presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of the University of Calgary's Faculty of Social Work Suitability Policy. This policy integrates current research on gatekeeping, the results of the Canadian schools survey and input from primary stakeholders: the students, faculty members, the professional association and the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy makers in a variety of sites are embracing initiatives that attempt to tighten the links between school and work. A reinvented human capital discourse argues that more highly skilled workers are required to meet the demands of the 'knowledge economy'. This paper explores the new vocationalism as it is promoted within the Framework for Enhancing Business Involvement, a policy report produced in 1996 in Alberta, Canada. Using a critical policy approach, this paper focuses on the process of developing this document with attention to the policy context, influences on the process, ideological assumptions and the impact of the document since its release. Analysis suggests that questions of representation in policy processes, accountability for outcomes and the role of public interests in multi-stakeholder consultation are critical in this era of new public management practices. Further, despite the impression of unity and consensus suggested by policy documents, there are tensions in vocational education and policy that must be addressed if they are also to promote equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For First Nations tuberculosis (TB) patients in the Prairie Provinces, the past matters. In this paper, we draw on the analysis of historical statements made by 20 First Nations interviewees with infectious TB to explore the function of talking about the past in relation to a current diagnosis of TB and the implications of historicity on contemporary TB prevention, programming and care. Despite interviewees not being asked directly about past contexts of TB treatment, they talked about historical topics such as the removal of First Nations TB patients from communities for treatment in distant sanatoria, painful and invasive surgical procedures once used to treat TB, and the attitudes that persist due to the ongoing failure to eliminate TB from First Nations communities. In these narratives, past experiences of TB treatment are intimately connected to present-day experiences and context. What happened 'years ago' profoundly affects the health and well-being of people diagnosed with TB today. Attempts to eliminate TB among First Nations peoples in Canada must also address its historical legacy. Understanding the contemporary effects of past TB treatment and mistreatment among First Nations peoples in the Prairie Provinces can also be seen as part of a larger project of truth and reconciliation in Canada, which involves both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors reflect on their experience of engaging faculty members as members of reflective panels following the screening of films used as part of a longitudinal narrative reflective practice module in the pre-clinical, Patient-Centred Care course in first and second year at the University of Alberta. Having experienced both highly reflective and more didactic panelist approaches over the course of several years’ experience, the authors wonder about what medical students may be ‘reading between the lines’ when they experience curricula that is not always consistent with stated curriculum aims and intentions. The authors suggest the value of closely considering both the texts and contexts that comprise medical education, particularly in relation to how these may shape medical student socialization into the profession of medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This hermeneutic paper interprets a recent series of reforms to inclusive education policy undertaken by the ministry of education in the province of Alberta, Canada. A 2007 Alberta Education review of the 16,000 student files in the province that school boards had claimed met the criteria for severe disability codification status – the level of disability that results in the most funding – showed almost half of the files did not meet the codification criteria. Alberta Education then claimed it was moving away from a disability and coding system through what it then called ‘Action on Inclusion’. In what is now being called ‘Diversity’, Alberta Education seems to have withdrawn from its proposed actions on inclusion though it still claims to be committed to inclusive education. Alberta Education seems to be presenting itself as having made significant steps towards an inclusionary school system when it has not yet reformed what it had once claimed was the major obstacle to inclusion: special education. We explicate this position by sharing our six-year-long tracking of Alberta Education's moves around inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study details the results of a review of the academic and public sector literature on measuring inclusive education in large systems. It highlights some outcomes drawn from the international literature on inclusion that might be indicative of the presence and quality of inclusive education in an effort to develop a set of outcomes for Alberta, Canada. The international relevance of this study may be found in the process used, the themes identified, and the resources located. While the purpose of this review is to identify outcomes relevant to the Alberta context, much the same can be done for other international contexts using the findings of this paper as a basis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper we examine and compare communication processes aimed at building social networks and increasing citizen engagement in two communities participating in a municipal sustainability planning (MSP) pilot programme in Alberta, Canada, initiated by the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA). Data were gathered through qualitative semi-structured interviews and documentary review. In soliciting citizen engagement, each community utilised a variety of communication methods, based on available resources and on-going evaluation of community responses. In both cases, citizens developed a shared vision of a preferred future for their community, aided by a reconfiguration of their internal and external social networks. In addition to drawing upon and strengthening bonding relationships within the community, bridging relationships with external actors and agencies promoted knowledge mobilisation that aided in planning and transitioning towards sustainability. Both communities faced challenges as well, which the authors discuss in relation to the sustainability of MSP planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent call for heritage professionals to consider the 'spirit of place' is an attempt to reconcile the overlapping layers of tangible and intangible heritage within significant sites. However, the desire for wholeness can also displace the fragments and fragmented histories of place. This paper examines the history of heritage development in southern Alberta through two sites, namely Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park / Aisinai'pi National Historic Site (UNESCO World Heritage nomination currently being developed). Located only 200 km apart, these two places offer very different perspectives on the 'spirit of place' and present very different histories of the production of 'heritage' through archaeological excavation, preservation practices and Aboriginal consultation. These stories from the Canadian prairies raise questions about the processes of 'place-making', 'place-taking' and how we mobilize and conceptualize the practice of place in public history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, moves toward 'inclusion' have prompted change in the formation of education policies, schooling structures and pedagogical practice. Yet, exclusion through the categorisation and segregation of students with diverse abilities has grown, particularly for students with challenging behaviour. This paper considers what has happened to inclusive education by focusing on three educational jurisdictions known to be experiencing different rates of growth in the identification of special educational needs: New South Wales (Australia), Alberta (Canada) and Finland (Europe). In our analysis, we consider the effects of competing policy forces that appear to thwart the development of inclusive schools in two of our case study regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hobbema, Alberta, Canada is a community comprised of four First Nations. As with many of Canada's Aboriginal communities, Hobbema's population is young. High rates of socio-economic disadvantage, violence, family dysfunction, and substance abuse are linked to colonization, residential school policies, and discrimination. Crime rates, including gang-related crime in the area, are disproportionately high. In 2005 two police officers created the Hobbema Community Cadet Corps, a program which offers youth a pro-social alternative to criminal activity and gang involvement. The program provides youth with the opportunity to learn the value of group identity, discipline, and camaraderie. It also provides opportunities for recreational activities and travel otherwise unavailable to many in this impoverished area. This paper provides a description of the HCCCP, an overview of its activities and structure, and situates it within the crime prevention through social development framework which emphasizes the importance of building protective factors and reducing risk factors surrounding youth. Finally, a preliminary evaluation which highlights some of the challenges faced by program instructors is offered. The authors caution against relying solely on individualizing imperatives in attempts to deal with social structural issues of the types faced by citizens in Hobbema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many survivors of child sexual abuse who engage in psychotherapy also experience physical health problems. This article summarizes the findings of a multiphased qualitative study about survivors' experiences in healthcare settings. The study informed the development of the Handbook on Sensitive Practice for Health Care Practitioners: Lessons from Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (Schachter, Stalker, Teram, Lasiuk, & Danilkewich, 2009), which is intended to help healthcare providers from all disciplines understand the effect of child sexual abuse on some survivors' abilities to access and benefit from health care. This paper discusses what psychotherapists can learn from the healthcare experiences of the male survivors who participated in this project. It also offers practical suggestions for supporting male clients who experience difficulty seeking treatment for physical health concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesbians are said to feel excluded by sexual health messages that presume heterosexuality, a finding linked to lower levels of Papanicolaou (Pap) testing. This paper discusses a small, focused qualitative study based in Calgary, Canada that illuminated mid-life lesbians' experiences and perceptions of Pap testing and health. Participants indicated that they felt compelled and invited to access Pap testing by an inclusive discourse - that of 'mid-life', a period associated with an increased need for body surveillance. They also reflected upon aging as an experience of liberation, increased confidence and a time when they could 'catch up' on health and sexuality issues denied them in their younger days. On the other hand, there was significant uncertainty about Pap testing, human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer and what kind of sexual healthcare is necessary for lesbians, which was reinforced by physician messages suggesting a reduced need for Pap testing when lesbian sexual identity was disclosed. In approaching mid-life lesbian healthcare, we suggest that greater analytical attention should be paid to the ways in which lesbian women are included, as much as excluded, in dominant sexual health scripts particularly by health providers who need to attend to women's diverse experiences and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many have explored fantasy-based and themed cities, relatively few consider these developments within small communities. This paper investigates the implications for fantasy-themed tourism development in one small community on the Canadian Prairies. Vulcan, Alberta was a product of the agricultural industry but economic hardships have threatened the community, leading to ongoing attempts to 'cash in' on the community's name in connection with the Star Trek television series. Three main features of this case of worldmaking are presented: (1) why and how this image/identity has been brought into the community; (2) how it has been contested and negotiated by visitors and locals; and (3) how this case helps develop our critical understanding of the implications of themed environments. In addition, a critical, interpretivist research methodology is presented as offering valuable insights into the making and re-making of communities through tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to investigate landscape level changes that have occurred in Waterton Lakes National Park (WLNP), Canada between the years 1914 and 2005 using digital image processing techniques usually associated with satellite image analysis. Multitemporal colour composites, image classification, and principal components analysis were used to process registered images of the montane ecotone from photographic pairs of Bellevue Hill, Horseshoe Basin and Lakeview Ridge. The resulting digital images offered insight into the spatial nature of the vegetation changes that have occurred over the last 90 years at these sites. Changes observed included increased forest cover through vertical migration and the infill of conifers and aspen both on the slopes and the valley bottoms of WLNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the emergence of Alberta beef as a defining feature of Albertan identity. Contrary to dominant public discourse, cattle production and beef consumption are not natural, inevitable nor politically neutral features of Alberta's history and culture. Rather, they have been established as such by tourist marketing, industrialization and market globalization. The emergence of BSE in Alberta's cattle herd in 2003 served to galvanize the link between beef and regional identity, and also to foster a link between contradictory discourses of provincialism and nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several oil sands mines and refineries are currently recovering oil from the Athabasca River region near Fort McMurray, Alberta. Planning and construction of additional oil sands mines are in various stages of completion. Due to environmental concerns for aquatic life in areas downstream from current and future oil sands activities, surveys were conducted between 1998 and 2000 to determine whether the quality of water and sediments in tributaries of the Athabasca River are affected by flowing through reaches with exposure to natural oil sand deposits. This paper presents the results for metals in bed and suspended sediments collected from the Mackay, Steepbank, and Ells rivers during those surveys. The suspended sediments had a clay content (n = 7) ranging from 36.2% to 65.0%, while bed sediments, which consisted of a predominant sand fraction, had percent clay (n = 39) ranging from 0.0% to 38.1%. A Mann-Kendall non-parametric analysis to assess the longitudinal trend of the metals in the bed sediments found no significant (α = 0.05) downstream trend in the Mackay or Steepbank rivers; however, the Ells River displayed a generally decreasing tend from upstream to downstream. The results provide no indication that metal concentrations in the bed sediments and/or suspended sediments of the Mackay, Steepbank, and Ells rivers increase significantly as the three tributaries flow through reaches that have natural oil sand exposures (McMurray Formation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of repeat photography as a powerful method to produce knowledge about place. I use examples from research in Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada, to describe the process of making a repeat photograph, from locating images in archives, to the embodied act of locating a historic vantage point, to the production of a new photograph. This act brings art and anthropology into a shared space to recreate photographs, an act that goes beyond looking at historical images in archives to move our thinking onward about how we relate to images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1880, the Tsuu T'ina Nation (then the Sarcee band) staged a small, armed protest known as the 'Sarcee War', in Calgary, Alberta, to demand food and a separate reserve from the Siksika, with whom they had been assigned land. This paper argues that this protest reveals the material and political roots of Aboriginal citizenship: a fragmented and differentiated political body, unified through contingent agreements. The Tsuu T'ina actions, the choice of location and their specific demands reveal an assertion of rights that differ from the 'standard' idea of Canadian citizenship (then and now) and articulate a complex process of 'othering' and belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although community-based research (CBR) is gaining popularity, especially within the field of HIV/AIDS research, there is a paucity of practical models or frameworks designed to guide researchers and community members. Within the present paper the author presents a ten-stage model of conducting CBR that emerged from two HIV/AIDS CBR studies that were conducted in Alberta, Canada. The main strengths and challenges to conducting HIV/AIDS CBR are also explored. Living a life with HIV has changed dramatically over the past few decades. There have been notable improvements in medical technology and treatment, resulting in increased quality and duration of life (Volberding, 1998; Wong-Staal, 1997) as well as improvements in psychosocial interventions leading to improved mental health services (Grinstead & Van Der Straten, 2000; Hoffman, 1996; Sarwer & Crawford, 1994; Schaffner, 1994). Perhaps most significant has been the astonishing community rallying and social support networks that have occurred among individuals living with HIV and AIDS (Roy & Cain, 2001). People living with HIV and AIDS have demonstrated their resilience and positive outlooks through developing a multitude of community connections and projects. These organizational groups have engaged in HIV peer counselling at community-based organizations, fund raising programs, board involvement in community agency organizations and HIV/AIDS national committees, as well as volunteer work in many settings. There has also been a recent focus on CBR, which includes having individuals living with HIV and AIDS, people vulnerable to HIV infection or other stakeholders in HIV/AIDS issues become partners in research projects with academic or trained researchers (Health Canada, 2002). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents and discusses an investigation into the improved performance grading of asphalt binders that were used in the Canadian Strategic Highway Research Program (C-SHRP) pavement trial in Lamont, Alberta. Binders were assessed for their tendency to reversibly age at low-temperatures. While the correlation between cracking severity and regular AASHTO M320 and MP1a grades was weak ( r 2 =0.73 and 0.49, respectively), the predictive ability of the BBR method increased significantly when binders were tested after 1, 3 and 8 days of conditioning ( r 2 =0.94–0.97). Brittle and ductile fracture energies were measured in single-edge-notched bending (SENB) and double-edge-notched tension (DENT), respectively. In the brittle state, the SENB test revealed little difference between the binders. However, in the ductile state, the DENT test revealed significant differences between materials, with binders that showed the least amount of cracking having the highest works of fracture at 0°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the barriers encountered in undertaking an oral history project with survivors of a total institution for ‘mental defectives’ in the province of Alberta, Canada. Powerful social actors were able to bar access to survivors through legal guardianship orders, and to make access to the institution and its grounds and to publicly archived materials quite prohibitive to the researcher. In addition to overt efforts on the part of powerful social actors to block the project, concerns about the potential to discredit survivor narratives led to changes in the research design. Specifically, research and literature about the ‘acquiescence’ of intellectuals with intellectual impairments led the researcher to broaden the sources for this history as a preemptive strategy. Despite these barriers, survivors of the institution provided a rich and powerful testimony to the brutality of institutionalization, and provide us with an emancipatory history from the perspectives of those most oppressed by disability policies and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]