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Recent Publications
Drs. Ann Dale and Lenore Newman have published a chapter on
governance for integrated resource management in a new book edited by
Hanna and Slocombe. The book, Integrated Resource and Environmental
Management and Concepts and Practice, is available from
Oxford University
Press
Ann Dale and Jennie Sparkes, Human Dimensions Research
Co-ordinator, Parks Canada have recently published an article, Protecting
Ecosystems: Social Capital and Network Structure, in Community Development Journal,
published by Oxford University
Press, doi: 10.1093/cdj/bsm007
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Online Research Tool
We have now finalized an on-line research collaboration
tool, that will facilitate a number of trans-disciplinary research
functions - virtual on-line meetings, forums and critically, a project
management system.
Our research team, now composed of Dr.
Dale, post-doctoral scholar Chris Ling, and collaborator,
Dr. Lenore Newman, will be testing the efficacy of this tool
throughout the upcoming twelve months.
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CRC Research Team present in Saskatoon
The CRC research team recently presented a panel at the Environmental
Studies Association of Canada conference at this year's congress of
humanities in Saskatoon.
Dr. Lenore Newman, Dr. Chris Ling and Dr.
Levi Waldron discussed the results of the project "Sustainable
Infrastructure: Implications for Canada" funded by Infrastructure
Canada and SSHRC. Dr. Newman presented the case study on deep water
cooling as an example of the niche implementation of energy technologies,
Dr. Waldron discussed the various sustainable transportation options
explored during the project, and Dr. Ling presented on the sustainable
infrastructure templates developed during the project.
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Editorial Board Appointment and Trudeau Conference Panelist
We are pleased
to announce that Dr. Dale has been appointed to the editorial
board of the peer-reviewed journal, Environments, published by the University of
Waterloo. As well, she has agreed to be on the closing panel for the
next Trudeau Conference on the environment, to be held in Calgary,
November 15-17, 2007. Dr. Dale will be featured during the
closing session talking about Vision, together with her fellow
panelists Peter Brown, President of the Montreal Institute for the
Environment and McGill University, and Heather Douglas, President,
Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
This work follows from the Trudeau meetings held at
Royal Roads University, January 26-28, 2007, and the videos from these
meetings are available on the Sustainable
Communities website.
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 Welcome to Community Research Connections
Issue #2
We hope you found our premier
issue relevant to your research and interest and we
encourage your feedback and suggestions on how we can improve our
outreach and disseminations.
I am pleased to report that we are
just concluding our year-long research project on Sustainable
infrastructure: Implications for Canada's Future (www.sustainableinfrastructure.crcresearch.org), funded by Infrastructure Canada and SSHRC. Our final
report, along with five action blueprints will be available on the
website as of June 30, 2007.
Over the summer, I plan to write a
conceptual paper defining agency in relationship to social
capital and sustainable community development, a three-year research
project I am leading with Drs. Jenny Onyx, University of Technology at
Sydney and Kevin Hanna, Wilfred Laurier University, funded by
SSHRC. Previous research has revealed that while networks can
build social capital, agency at both the individual and collective levels
is needed to mobilize this social capital for sustainable community
development (Dale and Onyx 2005). In a recent conversation with my dear
colleague, John Robinson, however, he argued that in addition to
defining agency, the more interesting question was, where is it
located? Which then leads one to think about is it scalable, and
replicable?
My best wishes to everyone, and I
would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to Dr.
John ApSimon, who is leaving the CRC Secretariat, for his leadership,
integrity and commitment to scholarship in Canada.
Ann Dale
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 Web
Resources Growing
Our website research presence
continues to build. We now have 20 case studies on sustainable infrastructure in Canada.
You may be interested 2 case studies
describing two very innovative ecologically and economically viable
social infrastructure cases-United We Can and QUEST. There are also 9 published under the CRC, some of which
represent my Royal Roads graduate student research, which is being
immediately published as a case study upon thesis completion. In April,
the case studies tool alone was viewed over 3,700 times.
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News about your COMMUNITY
How do you feel about your community?
Do you meet people in the street? Is it safe? Are the services you need
available to you?
Canadians in over 500 communities
from Abbotsford to Yellowknife, and from Tofino to St John's have participated in our online Community Liveability Survey
and are helping us build a picture of life in communities across
Canada.
Responses so far suggest a country of
active and concerned citizens, engaged in volunteering and social
networks. 61% feel connected to their local community, 51% have
taken part in a local community project in the last three years and one
in four people have even taken the lead in organizing a community
response to an event in their neighbourhood.
People in general feel that the
provision of services in their
communities is adequate, with 71% trusting the services and
infrastructure to provide a safe and secure neighbourhood. While
nearly half of respondents are in some way fearful of crime,
people generally see their communities as safe and welcoming
places, but there is a perception amongst many that not all
are as welcome as others, with many people identifying groups
disadvantaged in some way - most commonly young people and others
excluded from mainstream society for various reasons.
These responses only tell part of the
story and many more voices need to be heard to understand what makes
Canadian communities work. So please add your perspective and complete
the survey
at http://www.crcresearch.org/survey.htm . Your responses could well help shape the world
you leave to your children and grandchildren.
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SONDAGE SUR LA VIE EN COLLECTIVITÉ
Si vous demeurez au Canada et avez un peu de temps
libre, nous aimerions lire vos réponses au Sondage sur la
vie en collectivité. Vous pouvez le compléter en ligne à
l'adresse suivante: http://www.crcresearch.org/sondage.htm
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Discussion Paper Series Launch
We are pleased
to announce the launch of the first paper in this series: Direct Marketing in Canada
by Yuill Herbert, Board Member, Canada Research Chair in Sustainable
Community Development.
The purpose of this series to bring a
diversity of research and voices, including community activists to my Canada Research Chair work. We hope that you find this series relevant and
timely, and hope that it offers a new kind of research dissemination
that compliments traditional academic journal publishing.
This case study considers different direct
marketing strategies employed by thirteen different farms from across
Canada. Direct marketing strategies considered include cooperative
marketing, market stands, agri-tourism, farmer's markets, community
supported agriculture, restaurant sales, and e-commerce. These case studies
are evaluated qualitatively through the lens of sustainable
development.
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 Planning
Tool shared with Canada's
Municipal Associations
Throughout the past few weeks, municipal
associations across Canada have received copies of
our recently released INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING
TOOL to share with their constituents.
The tool is unique in that it provides a framework for
any community, large or small, to be able to develop their own
sustainability plan, independent of outside consultation, in a
community process designed to ensure implementation. To receive
your copy, please contact Dr. Ann Dale at ann.dale@royalroads.ca
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Many examples but no PERFECT community in
Canada!
While there are no perfect examples of
sustainable communities in Canada, individual components can
be found in projects across the country. Case studies were
selected on the basis of three key attributes including integrated
planning, transformation and innovation, and transferability. In
addition, each was considered for scalability, adaptability, and
resilience. Additionally, the overall set was selected for a diversity
of geographical region, economy, and project and community sizes. These
were distributed under five sector based subheadings and are available
online: ENERGY, GOVERNANCE, LAND USE PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION and WASTE.
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