This research examines the emergence of cycling-supportive land-use and transportation policies in Ontario and Hamilton, Ontario between 1990 and 2016. The focus of this thesis is on two questions that have been unexplored in previous research: (1) what cycling-supportive policies emerged in Provincial and Municipal government during this time?; and (2) what role, if any, did the Provincial position on cycling play in the development of Hamilton, Ontario cycling policies? A primary and secondary document review was undertaken to identify patterns between historical Provincial and Municipal policies. Three types of results are presented: (1) an examination of amendments to the Ontario Planning Act, emphasizing its effect on the role of policy in Ontario, the structure of the Ontario planning system, and on Municipal conformity; (2) a detailed review of emergent cycling-supportive policies and trends in Ontario and Hamilton, Ontario between 1990 and 2016; and (3) an analysis of evidence showing the influence of Provincial cycling-supportive policies on Hamilton plan policies. This research concludes that (1) novel cycling-supportive policies have emerged at both the Municipal and Provincial levels during the research period, and (2) evidence exists that Provincial land-use and transportation policies have influenced Hamilton’s cycling policy over the research period. / February 2017

Despite broader trends toward the deinstitutionalization of people with intellectual disabilities and evidence that they have a higher quality of life in the community, many in Nova Scotia remain segregated in institutional settings. In response, this thesis examines the reasons why people with intellectual disabilities are institutionalized in the province, and the barriers that exist to embracing policies of deinstitutionalization. Through participant observation, document analysis, and qualitative interview research, several themes emerged regarding the social, economic, and political factors, as well as the conflicting beliefs among implicated community members, contributing to the continued existence of institutions. Drawing on an institutional ethnography approach, this thesis examines how these factors and beliefs are related to neo-liberal philosophies and broader ideological beliefs about disability.