This thesis examines the changing role of British Columbia's municipal governments in affordable housing policy. In recent years, the federal government of Canada has withdrawn from active involvement in affordable housing provision, and has passed responsibility back to the provinces. The government of British Columbia has, in turn, amended its Municipal Act through Bills 20 (1992), 57 (1993) and 31 (1994), to grant municipal governments increased planning powers in the field of affordable housing. This thesis examines the responses of municipal governments to these changes and specifically investigates whether the decentralization of responsibility has to led to policy innovation. This research question is addressed in three ways. First, through a review of the theoretical literature and legislation, a discussion is presented concerning the issue of decentralization and the ways it has been enacted in the case of housing policy in British Columbia. Secondly, the results of a postal survey of 52 municipalities in British Columbia are presented, reflecting the range of local responses to the provincial housing legislation. Thirdly, case studies, derived from key informant interviews and document analysis in three municipalities (Burnaby, Sidney and Prince George) are presented. These provide more detailed illustrations of housing strategies in different geographical contexts. The research suggests that housing is a dynamic area of public policy in British Columbia, with a distinct pattern of innovation. In particular, some 'entrepreneurial' municipalities exhibited a shorter response time in reacting to the provincial legislation, and have adopted more innovative approaches to housing policy; these in turn, serve as examples to other jurisdictions. The wide range of innovative housing strategies adopted by local governments across the province, which are highlighted in this thesis, suggest that decentralization has ensured the potential for a greater fit between the preferences and needs of a particular locale. To the extent that it provides municipalities with the powers and resources they need, the decentralization policy allows communities to capitalize on their existing strengths and to more readily meet their housing needs. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The goals of this thesis are to identify the objectives for creating a Sustainable Community Network (SCN) within B.C., to acknowledge the various tools available to facilitate the network, and to develop illustrative models to guide those contemplating the establishment of a network. Three primary research methods were utilized in this project: literature reviews, group discussion in a focus workshop, and individual interviews. The literature reviewed focused on the fields of collaboration, networks in both technical and social capacities, and coalitions. Four objectives are identified as motives to create a SCN: to provide exchange mechanisms, to organise the "unformalized" field, to create a community of interest, and to be a vehicle for power, influence and empowerment. The emphasis at the beginning should be on building personal relationships over creating an electronic network. Other specific products and services are identified as beneficial for the stakeholders: newsletters, conferences, inventories, facilitation, and a clearinghouse for information. Alternatives for administering the network include a network manager, an administrative body, a governing body, and an intermediary broker. This research helps define networks within the field of planning. They may act as a support system, streamline efforts through collaboration or by reducing duplication of effort, act as a forum for monitoring and assessment activities, and be a source for on-going public participation. Three conceptual models are developed representing a range of possibilities for creating the network. The models are labeled the "Fundamental Network" at the basic level, the "Coalition Network", and the "Collaborative Network" at the most complex level. The need for a SCN is reconfirmed. The network should proceed from a "human scale" and develop the capabilities of the electronic network as computer literacy and technological capacity become generally available. Finally, it is recommended that the network should proceed slowly, building on community objectives and incorporating the diverse activities possible through collaboration as experience is gained. Further research is needed to clarify the potential for networks in planning and management, to better understand the evolving place for computer technology, and to monitor the effectiveness of the networks as they are implemented. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

This study examines how the systems of production of the commodity exporting industries of pre-1885 British Columbia contributed to the social formation of the region. Such industries provided the economic base for post-contact development and non-Native settlement of the region, mediated by the cultural values of immigrant and indigenous populations. The intent here is to synthesize a more inclusive model to clarify how these economic and cultural factors intersected to produce a distinct regional society. Beginning with Ian McKay’s suggestion to interpret the history of Canada as a process of naturalizing the liberal order, this study moves the analysis away from microstudies of individual industries or social groups in order to emphasize the way in which a broader vision became naturalized. This approach avoids some of the simple dichotomies of class and race that have informed much of the historiography of BC, in favour of a more nuanced analysis that emphasizes the negotiated process that leads to social consensus. Beginning with the merchant capitalist relations of the fur trade, and accelerating with the 1858 gold rush, BC became understood as a place that provided opportunities for economic and social mobility through participation in commodity exporting ventures. A consensus emerged that emphasized the producer ethic [the economic and cultural value of independent producers], and the creation of a meritocratic socio-political environment to support opportunities for achieved, rather than ascribed, social position. This attracted Euro-North American immigrants hoping to escape social restrictions or proletarianization by achieving independent producer status. Such a goal meant that these immigrants resisted waged labour, creating a chronic shortage that impeded industrial development. This was filled with Chinese immigrants or Aboriginal participants, attracted by the prospect of converting earnings into increased status in their originating societies. Combining the demand for labour with racial ideology, certain jobs were racialized, and BC industries were typified by split labour markets, with an upper echelon comprised of occupationally-mobile Euro-North American workers, and a lower echelon defined by race as well as skill, with little opportunity for mobility. In turn, this contributed to naturalizing ideology concerning race, class, and social position. The emphasis on the producer ethic contributed to an artificial division between “producers” and “agents,” with the former celebrated, while the latter, arguably more important to the systems of production by providing links to export markets, are portrayed less favourably. A commodity exporting, producer-centric variant of the liberal order was naturalized in nineteenth century BC, providing the logic for social and political development, and explaining how certain groups were valued, and either integrated into or excluded from hegemonic society. The degree to which individuals or groups conformed to the naturalized values of the emerging society largely determined their social position in the nineteenth century, and their subsequent treatment in the historiography. / Graduate

Social capital refers to the relationships between people that are productive: it can provide people with access to resources, ease transactions, and facilitate social and economic development at the community level. It has been conceptualized as both associations between people and attitudes of trust and cooperation that enable ties to be productive. Within communities, these attitudes underlie social cohesion, which can be defined as social integration and a propensity to cooperate and contribute to the community. Moreover, it is interaction and social engagement that develops social capital by creating and maintaining relationships and fostering social cohesion. This thesis presents an analysis of the development of social capital in coastal British Columbia by considering how the social participation of community members generates socially cohesive attitudes. Moreover, I empirically consider how this relationship varies for different people in different places and across two different types of participation. Formal participation refers to engagement in structured and organized group activities, such as rotary clubs or sports teams, while informal activities are casual irregular and often spontaneous, such as visiting with friends. Using a series of multiple linear regressions on survey data from rural coastal communities in British Columbia, I test how the relationship between these two types of participation and social cohesion varies according to people’s socio-demographic characteristics or the communities in which they live. Not only does this research consider who develops social capital in this way, but also whether the relationship between participation and social cohesion differ along these social lines. The results show that processes of social capital development reflect the characteristics and social environments of community members in coastal British Columbia. The variability shows that social capital development is embedded within particular contexts in ways can lead to inequalities in social capital. / Arts, Faculty of / Sociology, Department of / Graduate

In major emergencies or disaster situations it can be anticipated that the normal emergency services will be severely strained, or exceeded, and assistance which is routinely provided by municipal or provincial agencies may not be available. In such abnormal circumstances, there is a need for an expandable emergency response capability, designed to supplement the established agencies. This may involve a number of different agencies, both governmental and private, in a coordinated effort to respond to the increased demands of the situation. This thesis focuses on the component of emergency response known in Canada as 'Emergency Social Services' (ESS) which is based primarily on the involvement of community-based agencies and individual volunteers. ESS is frequently referred to as the 'volunteer component', or the informal sector, as distinct from the formal, day-to-day, emergency response agencies: the police, fire, ambulance, and social services. However, as discussed in Chapter 2, the term 'Emergency Social Services' is not part of the accepted lexicon of the professional literature, and the distinction between ESS and other emergency response agencies, is not the norm in other parts of North America. Chapter 3 reviews the volunteerism literature and concludes that volunteer-based organizations require professional management to be successful, and that without such formal management and support the ESS model is most likely to fall short of its objectives, or may fail completely. In Chapter 4 the evolution of the governing legislation is examined to determine the origins of the isolation of Emergency Social Services from the mainstream of emergency planning, as distinct from a more integrated approach. Chapter 5 describes the ESS model, as presently espoused by the Ministry of Social Services, and analyzes the role of the ESS Director, arguing that this model relies heavily on the personal qualities of the individual ESS Director. Chapter 6 is a case study based on the flooding at Parksville on Vancouver Island. This particular event was selected because it was known to be a case where things had gone wrong and, therefore, merited further investigation. The case study demonstrates that, although Parksville was better prepared than many other municipalities in British Columbia, there were jurisdictional, administrative and perceptual problems which exacerbated the situation. Most particularly, the role of the ESS component, which was well represented by a local service organization, was minimal, and its potential contribution to the multiple needs of the evacuees (e.g., counselling and other personal services) was discounted by the local authorities. Chapter 7 examines some of the major issues identified in the thesis and the case study to determine what lessons can be learned from the event, including the following: perceptual differences between the formal and informal sectors; the need to amend the obsolete legislation; problems related to the respective roles of the Ministry and ESS; the need for professional management for ESS; the ambivalent relationship between the Ministry and the Provincial Emergency Program; and the need for, and the trend towards, a more integrated, holistic, approach to emergency planning. Chapter 8 reviews the thesis, lists the major conclusions, and makes recommendations for changes including: amending the emergency legislation to require municipalities to plan for emergencies which occur within their geographic jurisdiction; transferring formal responsibility for Emergency Social Services from the Ministry of Social Services to the municipalities; and providing professional management and support for Emergency Social Services as an integral part of the emergency preparedness capability of municipalities throughout British Columbia. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The purpose of the study is to determine how the teacher discipline system in British Columbia changed as a result of Bill 20, the Teaching Profession Act and Revised School Act of 1987. The nature of the discipline system both before and after Bill 20 was described and the significance of changes to the education community indicated. Before 1987, teacher discipline was governed by a statutory model, pursuant to provisions of the School Act The current system, a collective bargaining model, is governed by the Industrial Relations Act, 75 collective agreements, and arbitral jurisprudence. The study reviews differences in those two systems both generally, and specifically. An analysis of legislative frameworks governing teacher discipline across Canada, as well as a brief overview of the American system, allows the conclusion that the B.C. teacher discipline system is one of a kind in North America and not likely modeled after any other on the continent. To compare the two teacher discipline systems and also to describe them in relation to theoretical concepts, the following were analyzed: (1) legal frameworks governing employer-employee relationships in general, theoretical concepts used to describe employee discipline systems, and studies of employee discipline, especially in the unionized environment and in the case of teachers, (2) decisions of all boards of reference and review commisions prior to 1988, (3) all reported B.C. teacher grievances, specifically discipline-related grievances, and arbitration awards between 1988 and 1991, (4) collective agreement provisions in effect in 1991 related to matters of teacher discipline, (5) critical arbitral jurisprudence on employee (and teacher) discipline, and (6) B.C. teacher discipline cases before 1988 which fell outside the regulated system but resulted in court decisions. The study concluded that the previous teacher discipline system in B.C. was an inferior system, unfair and patronizing at best, but biased against teachers, and open to political manipulation at worst. Only limited teacher discipline decisions prior to changes in legislation were appealed, and even then, often to inexperienced and non-objective bodies. The current system promises to provide more regulated, predictable, and fair treatment, although more knowledge, skills, training and personnel are required to manage the system. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

This study addressed the controversy among academics in conventional universities over the credibility of distance education for degree credit. Faculty scepticism has slowed the development and expansion of distance education despite increased demands for it. Distance education is an educational method in which the teacher and learners are separated in time and space for the majority, if not all, of the teaching-learning process; two-way communication occurs primarily via print, postal service, and telecommunications (Keegan, 1990). There is little empirical evidence about the reasons for the antagonism between the supporters and opponents of distance education. The purpose of this research was to explain why some faculty support distance education while others do not. Support was defined as how faculty would speak about and vote for proposals to offer distance education courses for degree credit. The conceptual framework drew on studies of faculty attitudes towards university expansion and distance education, and literature on academic culture and change. An interpretive perspective and qualitative methods dominated the two-phase study. First, a mailed survey (n=487) investigated the extent of faculty familiarity with and support for distance education. Then faculty (n=50) were interviewed from three categories of support for distance education identified by the survey: supportive, divided support, and opposed. The interviews explored how faculty understood the compatibility and feasibility of distance education. Compatibility was defined as the congruence of distance education with faculty beliefs and values about the accessibility and quality of university education. Feasibility was the perceived ability to successfully implement distance education. In general, faculty were not very familiar with or supportive of distance education, except for undergraduate courses. There was very little support for a graduate program by distance education. There were significant differences in faculty support by discipline and gender. The reasons for variations in faculty support for distance education are best explained by the concept of compatibility. Faculty supported distance education if it was congruent with their beliefs and values about university education in general. Faculty thought about distance education as promoting social justice, as an educational method, or as the distribution of information. Faculty who were supportive held the beliefs and values Trow (1973) associated with mass education while those who were opposed tended to believe in an elite approach to university education. There was a substantial divided group who were in a conflict about the priority that should be given to the major values involved, the accessibility and quality of university education. The study contributes to the development of theory about different conceptions of university and distance education and provides insight into the study of disciplinary cultures. It presents a revised conceptual framework for further research on the topic. The results have implications for educational planning and for the development of distance education. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

The significance of school districts as an object of study lies in the direct manner in which the provision of public education serves the needs of society and is, in fact, a societal undertaking. Public schooling is a major instrument for the expression of the public will in a democratic society, and the school system both models and maintains the essential attributes of that society. As a result, school districts, the basic structural unit in the organization and operation of public schools in Canada, create records which reflect the educational values and concerns of this society at the most fundamental level. Because the effective administration of education requires that records be kept, sometimes by law, it is essential to analyze the functions of school boards as a means of understanding the records they produce and their significance. The aim of this study is to identify and synthesize those facts, laws, historical developments, functions, and competencies common to the local administration of education in British Columbia with the express purpose of establishing a framework in and through which the archival control of their records may be examined. This analysis is undertaken in accordance with the archival methodology of functional analysis. The need to examine and understand the legal foundation upon which school districts and their controlling boards rests is critical because so many of their activities are largely determined by law. Accordingly, the thesis begins with an analysis of the legal framework of school district activity and shows that as political and legal entities school districts are considered to be provincial agents, albeit acting in a local capacity, with the status of quasi-municipal corporations. From this point of departure, an analysis of the relevant statute law, common law, and administrative law is then undertaken in order to determine the historical evolution of British Columbia school boards, their mandate and their functions. This examination reveals that each school board shares three primary or governing functions (legislative, judicial, and executive) and two management functions (education administration and business administration). The thesis concludes by offering an evaluation of the implications of this study for archival practice through an examination of several issues related to the archival management of school board records as well as the reasons for their permanent preservation by an archival agency. / Arts, Faculty of / Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), School of / Graduate

In my Directed Studies I looked at how architecture can make the experience of time more immediate. This can be done by the use of light that marks the passage of time and the variability of the outside world; the unfolding of and movement through a building's spaces; the juxtaposition of permanent and changing elements; and in the choice of materials and how they wear over time. To explore these ideas, I choose as my project a Gallery of Urban Design for Vancouver. The Gallery would give students and professionals as well as the interested public the chance to learn about the complexity and richness of cities. The site is a vacant 100' x 120' lot on the SW corner of Robson and Homer, across Robson St. from the new Public Library. This area is consolidating as an arts and entertainment district, and a smaller-scale cultural venue would complement larger institutions like the Library, Ford Theatre, BC Place, etc. The site is at a strategic corner of this district, with strong connections to the rest of downtown. Right now, this district is an odd mix of empty lots and large object buildings that dominate most or all of a city block, most of which turn their backs on the sidewalk. The result is a barren and uninviting streetscape. What's missing is a finer grain to knit together these large monuments, the kind of grain seen in nearby Yaletown and on Robson St. The site of the Gallery, across from the Library, has the chance to extend Robson St.'s rhythm, and also to enclose and define Library Square. The Gallery itself is the heart of the project. There are four gallery spaces devoted to different themes: the City's Origins, the City Rises, the City in Crisis, and the City Renewed. In each there is a permanent exhibit on Vancouver around which changing exhibits about other cities are organised. The areas for permanent exhibits are marked by a change in the flooring, from polished concrete to wood. For visitors, the gallery spaces, each a variation on the same palette of materials and light, unfold piece by piece as they move through them, always with glimpses ahead of what's to come and views back to where they've been. The dimension of time is involved in understanding this sequence, and emphasised in the in-between spaces that thicken the transitions. The simple materials serve as a reference for the changing qualities of light that are used to mark a centre and to draw the visitor forward, to imply stability and movement, in a rhythm of light and dark that ends with the dramatic light and city views of the last gallery. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

This thesis is an amalgamation of and a contribution to the knowledge of the Ephemeroptera of British Columbia, an order which has been largely neglected in Canada, and particularly in this province. The three families Heptageniidae, Ephemeridae, and Baetidae are replaced by the five superfamilies Heptagenioidea, Leptophlebioidea, Caenoidea, Ephemeroidea, and Prosopistomatoidea proposed by Edmunds and Traver (1954). 146 species in 23 genera have been recorded in British Columbia. Of these, 62 as yet unidentified species are designated by number. A checklist of all recorded species, and keys and descriptions of taxonomically important criteria of the species and higher ranks are included herein. A preliminary investigation of the ecology of the nymphs collected by the author in the Alouette River and by Dr. G.G.E. Scudder in the lakes of the Chilcotin, Cariboo, and Nicola Valley regions revealed no "preference" of the nymphs for the middle or edges of the river or for particle size of the substrate. An accurate determination of the latter, however, is not obtainable with the type of collecting equipment employed during this study. Some "preference" was shown by a number of species for specific rates of current flow. No correlation between the species of nymphs and the pH or the salinity of the environment was determined. Suggestions are put forward for the extension of our knowledge of the taxonomy, ecology, and biology of the Ephemeroptera. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate