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Preliminary seismic risk mapping of Nanaimo, British Columbia, for a modeled 9.3 Mw Cascadia megathrust earthquake
No full textVancouver Island, located at the seismically active convergence of the Pacific, Juan de Fuca, and North American tectonic plates, faces significant earthquake risk. As urban expansion accelerates in the city of Nanaimo, projected to grow by over 40,000 residents by 2046, there is an urgent need to assess the vulnerability of existing and future developments to seismic hazards. This research assessed the spatial distribution of seismic risk across Nanaimo using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) combined with scenario-based modeling in OpenQuake. A 9.34Mw Cascadia megathrust earthquake scenario was employed to estimate structural damage, economic losses, and human nighttime casualty rates. Results indicated that while majority of structures were expected to sustain slight to moderate damage, specific census tracts in the south-central portion of the city exhibited extensive vulnerability, including higher rates of structural collapse. Additionally, emergency response facilities were analyzed for accessibility and vulnerability post-disaster. The findings highlighted the potential isolation of critical services due to roadway disruptions and localized structural damage. This study demonstrated the value of integrating open-source seismic risk modeling with spatial analysis to provide insight into earthquake impacts at the community level
Integrating Indigenous voices: enhancing cultural competency through children's literature
No full textThis project-based thesis examines how Indigenous children's literature, primarily through my picture book Celebrating Potlatches, can enhance cultural understanding among students in grades 1 through 5, ages 6 to 11, in British Columbia. This project aligns closely with BC's English Language Arts and Social Studies curriculum. As outlined by the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care, students are expected to "explore stories and other texts to help us understand ourselves and make connections to others and the world" (BC Ministry of Education and Child Care, n.d., para. 16). This integration of storytelling and First Peoples' perspectives provides a framework for developing empathy and respect for Indigenous cultures. Celebrating Potlatches is crucial, as this picture book was created using authentic Indigenous voices and traditions to bridge cultural gaps through storytelling. My research highlights the historical discrimination faced by Indigenous students within the Canadian education system and underscores the urgent need for educators to develop greater cultural competency. By integrating Indigenous children's books like Celebrating Potlatches, educators can address these issues and provide a platform for sharing Indigenous history and values. The book emphasizes the significance of Potlatch traditional ceremonies practiced by Northwest Coast Nations as a form of cultural medicine that strengthens community bonds and preserves identity. This educational approach challenges stereotypes and deepens understanding of Indigenous traditions, fostering inclusive and respectful learning environments. Incorporating Indigenous stories into education is crucial for enhancing cultural competency and advancing Reconciliation efforts in Canadian schools
A Systems Approach to Ocean Plastics Governance in Ghana
No full text2026There is conclusive evidence that unmanaged and mismanaged plastic waste continues to accumulate in the environment throughout the world, including in the ocean. While it is often feasible to clean up plastic waste polluting the terrestrial environment, removing it from the ocean remains a technical, financial, and practical challenge, making it intractable for many developing countries, particularly in Africa. In the case of Ghana, the annual projection of between 92,000 Mt and 260,000 Mt of mismanaged plastic waste leaking into the ocean for 2020 is expected to rise to more than 350,000 Mt by 2025.This present study employed a qualitative methodology, underpinned by a systems thinking approach, to examine ocean plastics from a governance perspective in Ghana. The findings reveal that ocean plastic pollution is an emerging problem in Ghana with limited national attention. It also reveals low visibility for the problem of ocean plastics in national policies, legislation, and actions. This study recommends the establishment of a Centralized Interagency Council (CIC). CIC will oversee and elevate ocean plastics as a national priority through a governance framework rooted in systems thinking and aimed at supporting an integrated and sustainable ocean plastic interventions in Ghana.
Keywords:
Environmental sustainability, Ghana, Governance, Ocean plastics, Plastic waste management, Systems thinkin
Implementing and Evaluating a New Mental Health and Substance Use Service Model at Island Health: Insights into Organizational Learning and Developmental Evaluation
No full text2025This action research study followed the simultaneous implementation and evaluation of a new mental health and substance use (MHSU) service model at the Western Communities Service Hub (WC Hub), a Colwood, BC-based program and facility, established by Island Health. Open in 2023, the WC Hub brings the integrated, team-based service model to southern Vancouver Island in seeking to expedite access, improve continuity of care and offer comprehensive close-to-home MHSU services for its clients, based in the fast-growing west shore of Greater Victoria, BC. Components of the service model are closely aligned with BC’s provincial Specialty Community Service Programs (SCSP) framework (BC Ministry of Health, Primary and Community Care Policy Branch, 2018; BC Office of the Premier, 2018) and the national Framework for Mental Health Strategy (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2009, 2012), that emphasize improved access, flexible care delivery methods, single care plan, contact and responsible person, and patient-centered approaches.This research examined the program and its evaluation, both in developmental stages, happening alongside and in-response to each other, and tracked adaptive organizational learning (OL) (Bohmer & Edmondson, 2001) that a healthcare provider, such as Island Health, undergoes to implement and monitor a novel service model. It also queried whether developmental evaluation (DE) (Patton, 2016; Patton et al., 2015) provided a facilitating environment for that OL to occur throughout the inaugural year of the implementation.
The study used the evaluation data in a secondary capacity, reinterpreting stakeholder interviews, surveys, and document analysis, for findings highlighting OL across all stages during the development, launch and monitoring of the WC Hub. Through reflection, the study assessed the larger impacts of the OL to the strategic workings of a healthcare body; and complex intra-organizational evaluative processes and their contributions towards innovating. Additionally, early SCSP implementation impacts were examined in the context of the WC Hub.
The research contributes to literature on developmental evaluation in specialty health care and offers insights for organizations seeking to implement and evaluate complex service models
Understanding the impacts of tourism in British Columbian resort municipalities
No full textThis thesis examines the impacts of increasing tourism in British Columbia’s Resort Municipalities and approaches employed to address resulting impacts. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines a resident perceptions survey (n = 1,088) and municipal staff interviews (n = 14) to assess economic, environmental, housing, infrastructure, services, amenities, sociocultural, financing, policy, and governance dimensions. Quantitative analysis identified significant relationships between tourism and perceived community impacts while qualitative thematic analysis provided deeper insight into local context, tensions, and policy responses. Findings highlight that while tourism offers substantial benefits, it has pronounced impacts on housing, infrastructure, environmental, and sociocultural dimensions within resort municipalities.Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Community Planning in the Department of Community Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences, Vancouver Island University
You Are Not Alone: Understanding Representation in Popular Media and Viewer Meaning Through Degrassi and its Fan Communities
No full text2025This thesis argues that Degrassi was a television production with values of authentic representation and to make its viewers feel less alone. The program pushed cultural boundaries to create meaning for its audience that connects with viewers many years after the program has finished airing. Representations matter for both the represented and the viewer, and this work shows how media can shape audiences and culture. This work employed a mixed-methods approach, with data collected from social media sites, the show’s text, and interviews with key informants, including Degrassi’s co-creator and executive producer Linda Schuyler. This provided rich data about the history of Degrassi and its messaging with its viewers using emerging technology, elements that created meaning for viewers, and what the Degrassi community had to say about the show’s representations.
With this thesis, I found that Degrassi producers embraced emerging technology at significant times in the show’s production to engage with viewers to distribute the show’s message. I found that viewers saw meaning in the show’s vision and values, its actors, characters, and stories, and its Canadian essence. When considering the representations on Degrassi, there was a consistent pattern that showed that its portrayals made viewers feel less alone, provided opportunities for empathy towards unfamiliar groups, and created avenues for people to see others like them on screen. These representations were said to be ahead of their time and opened up opportunities for similar works within the cultural climate
Building Manager Communication Competencies in Canadian MBA Programs
No full text2025Organizations today face many persistent challenges, including stubbornly low employee engagement, declining public trust, and growing risk of internal and external activism. Strong managerial communication competencies are vital to addressing these risks, as they are closely tied to building trust, engagement, and resiliency. Globally employers prioritize these communication competencies over other soft skills and technical competencies, yet they have long expressed concern that graduate management education is not adequately meeting this need. To better understand this persistent gap, the research question was “How can Canadian MBA programs, equip managers with advanced communication competencies that will enable them to build trust, engagement and drive change in a complex business context?” The two objectives for this study were to: (1) identify which communication competencies are most important for MBA graduates, students, faculty, program staff and employers; and, (2) identify changes to MBA structure that can support these priorities.The research uses a sequential exploratory qualitative approach to identify key communication competencies sought by Canadian organizations and compare them with the course content from Canada’s MBA programs. A total of 49 interviews were conducted with Canadian executives, recent MBA graduates, current MBA students, and faculty and staff from Canadian MBA programs.
This research finds there is a misalignment between how employers define a communicative manager and the competencies MBA programs develop in their core and elective courses. Finally, this research proposes a way to help MBA programs better include these key competencies in their curricula, thereby improving outcomes for the post-secondary institutions that deliver these programs and to the organizations that hire their graduates
Strengthening Regional Tourism in Colwood, BC: An Examination of Effective Strategies for Leisure Attractions.
No full text2025This thesis focused on how to strengthen regional tourism in Colwood, B.C., through effective strategies for leisure attractions. The objectives of the study were to determine how community stakeholders and local businesses have been involved in the development of the Royal Bay-Latoria South Parks Plan, and to examine how effectively the plan has been implemented to attract tourists and identify the tangible outcomes achieved. The study applied a concurrent triangulation design. The study participants comprise stakeholders and expert informants:Llocal and International one-time tourists at Hatley Castle, local and International tourists at the Esquimalt Lagoon, visitors to the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre, park users, residents, and community leaders. The study adopted purposive sampling to choose 7 participants for the qualitative research and selected 50 participants for the survey. The study used descriptive statistics to analyze data collected from the survey and conducted a thematic analysis of the data obtained from interviews. Findings indicated that broader community stakeholders were somewhat involved, albeit still at a moderate level, in the Royal Bay-Latoria South Parks Plan, whereas local business enterprises were only considered moderately involved. While the availability of consultation tools, including public hearings, committee procedures, and online platforms, was a defining feature of stakeholder involvement in Colwood's Royal Bay-Latoria South Parks Plan, the actual level of engagement remained uneven and limited. The study also revealed mixed perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the Parks Plan in attracting tourists to Colwood. The study recommended that Colwood could improve stakeholder involvement by going beyond formal consultation to encourage genuine collaboration and ensure that stakeholder input is clearly included in the decision-making process. It should also improve its outreach and communication methods to make sure stakeholders are aware of current tourism plans and developments in a consistent and easily accessible manner
Eco-literate young people: Creative community-engaged intergenerational research for cultural and social sustainability
No full textThis chapter was originally published as: Wager, A. (2025). Eco-literate young people: Creative community-engaged intergenerational research for cultural and social sustainability. In T. Doughty, J. Deszcz-Tryhubcza, & J. Granton (Eds.), Children’s literatures, cultures, and pedagogies in the Anthropocene: Multidisciplinary entaglements (pp. 181-193). Bloomsbury Academic. DOI: 10.5040/9781350510005Amanda Wager discusses a participatory research project with young people taking an arts-based approach to land-based, intergenerational, and cross-cultural education for eco-literacy. At the core of her chapter is the Youth Language Warriors project hosted at the Tsawalk Learning Centre, an Indigenous community-based learning program. Among the participants of the project were youth researchers, artists, Indigenous elders, facilitators, a community support worker, a teacher, and of course the land itself
Refugee Resettlement and Social Inclusion in Greater Vancouver: An Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis of Local Immigration Partnership Strategies
No full text2025Using an intersectionality-based policy analysis, this research examined Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) strategic plans specific to the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada, to assess how well these documents accounted for the intersectional identities of refugees. This paper accordingly explored the intersectional identities of refugees–race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion–and how these identities affect the challenges of resettlement, how those challenges compare to those of other immigrant classes, and after an assessment of the way that LIP strategic plans account for these factors, proposes possible areas for strategy improvements. The analysis focused on LIPs in the Greater Vancouver Area, with a primary focus on the Surrey LIP. The reason for this focus is that Surrey, BC has a significant refugee population, and its LIP had the most robust strategy documents. This analysis revealed that LIP strategic plans had positive and thoughtful action points that would ease resettlement challenges, however, they did not consistently consider the intersectional identities of refugees. The analysis concluded that LIPs would benefit from engaging in intersectionality-based policy analysis in the process of writing their next round of strategic plans and action plans. This process would strengthen strategic plans so that LIPs can better support refugees in their communities as these groups carry out their key role in coordinating community services, ultimately easing the unique challenges that refugees of all identities face during resettlement