Public Policy - Theses, Dissertations, and other Required Graduate Degree Essays

Four years into the provincial overdose crisis, rural B.C. municipalities increasingly report overdose rates that meet, and often exceed, that of urban centres. In rural communities, where populations are dispersed and healthcare services limited, the overdose prevention strategies that have succeeded in urban centres may not apply. This report examines the geographical variations of British Columbia’s overdose crisis through an analysis of overdose rates across urban and rural municipalities. Socioeconomic factors are assessed for a subset of rural communities that, year-over-year, report the highest overdose rates in the province. This section of the report is supplemented by interviews with public health, addiction, harm reduction, and drug policy experts on the challenges to delivering overdose prevention services in rural settings. Findings from the research component of this report are used to develop a framework of analysis and recommendations for intervention. Due to the demographic complexities and urgent nature of the overdose crisis, this report recommends a short and long term strategy for increasing access to addiction treatment in rural settings. First, by streamlining the requirements for becoming a methadone prescriber, and second, through targeted opioid substitution programs designed for rural settings.

Over the past decade, the Canadian mobile telecommunications service market has grown at an exceptional rate, ultimately overtaking landlines as the dominant form of telecommunication. Mobile telecommunications has therefore become an essential service in the lives of most Canadians. However Canadian consumers continue to face some of the highest mobile service prices in the developed world. This study seeks to identify the principal causes of continued high mobile telecommunications prices in Canada, and to suggest potential policy solutions to lower service costs for consumers. This study involves a combination of expert interviews, secondary research, and case study analysis of the Australian, U.S. and Saskatchewan mobile markets. This study identifies high levels of market concentration as a principal cause, and recommends that mandated MVNO access be implemented to address high prices in the Canadian mobile service market.

With the rapid growth of automation and technological advancement, the skills and competencies required across British Columbia’s economic development regions are evolving. As the province shifts towards a more digital, knowledge-based economy, it is important to consider the development of BC’s labour force. While there are a number of initiatives targeting the next generation of workers, few supports sufficiently address the needs of mid-career workers in medium-skill occupations, who are more likely to experience challenges in adapting to changing job requirements. The purpose of this study is to determine the role the provincial government can play in building labour market resilience among this group. Using a case-study analysis as the primary research methodology, this study evaluates public employment supports in Ontario, Québec and Australia to identify policy options that may aid in streamlining job-transitions in BC.

The province of BC has experienced a rapid increase in wildfires, causing forest ecosystems to lose resiliency and requiring human intervention to restore affected landscapes. One area that is particularly prone to the destructive effects of wildfires in BC is the wildland-urban interface (WUI), which is the transition zone between wildland and human development. In the WUI, many communities are exposed to excessive wildfire risks and are underprepared for the threat of increasing wildfires. To understand the approach to wildfire prevention taken in WUI communities in BC, this paper uses a survey research methodology that collects opinions and perspectives on the barriers to taking preventative action. Following this, three policy options are identified that address the improvement of wildfire prevention and mitigation initiatives at the community level. Policy options are then analyzed using a set of evaluation criteria that propose a policy package as the recommended course of action.

Indigenous tourism has been identified as a vehicle for addressing the many socio-economic disparities faced by Indigenous communities. This is supported by literature that have examined how tourism can have an economic impact. While previous studies on Indigenous tourism have largely focused on building capacity and sustainable development, little has been explored on its role in Canada’s reconciliation narrative. This narrative includes 1) government policies that support Indigenous tourism; 2) social, economic, political impacts that Indigenous tourism has on Indigenous communities; and 3) social impacts that Indigenous tourism has on tourists, both international and domestic. Through exposure to Indigenous tourism experiences, interactions with Indigenous cultures may challenge and change tourists’ preconceived ideas, perceptions, attitudes or expectations of Indigenous peoples. Currently, Indigenous tourism is largely supported by international tourists rather than domestic tourists. This capstone seeks to understand the domestic demand for Indigenous tourism in the Province of British Columbia (BC) because there is a lag in this particular market. Based on findings from descriptive statistics and case studies analyses, three policy options are introduced and evaluated for their efficacy in increasing domestic participation in Indigenous tourism. This is an important opportunity for government policies to encourage and support reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians by developing the domestic market.

Schools are the primary government institution that prepares youth for adulthood in BC. Whether youth move on to postsecondary education or employment after secondary school, it is expected that the school system prepare youth for the next stage of their lives. This study finds that a significant population of British Columbian youth struggle to find steady employment or complete a postsecondary education program after leaving secondary school. The secondary school system poorly prepares students for non-academic postsecondary education and employment. This study describes BC’s population that struggles to transition from secondary school into education or employment, and explores the social and educational factors that lead to strong employment outcomes in adulthood. The secondary school-based vocational educational system and youth employment outcomes of British Columbia are compared with those of Australia, Germany, and Switzerland. Four policy options are considered to expand connections between secondary schools, employers, and postsecondary institutions. It is recommended that British Columbia expand its current suite of vocational education programs through a grant to school districts, and that it expands the occupational fields with training certified by the Industry Training Authority. These options are determined to best connect youth to existing support structures and expand the types of occupational training youth may participate in while in secondary school.

With the forthcoming Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution estimated to cause millions in job losses throughout all sectors of the economy it is important to consider the broader societal impact that worker displacement and worker transition will have. Several studies have investigated the projected experience of low-skilled workers and the impact automation is predicted to have on their employment prospects, however, very few have focused on the effects on high-skilled workers. This paper attempts to fill this gap by evaluating policies for mitigating the expected negative impact of automation and AI-based technologies on Canada’s high-skilled workforce. Three policy options are presented which focus on retraining, portable benefits schemes, and maintaining the status quo. As AI is an ever-changing field of technology with capabilities not yet fully achieved this paper and the policy options presented within attempt to create proactive policies that will effectively address the negative labour market outcomes regardless of technological advances.

The Healthy Immigrant Effect (HIE) is the term given to the phenomena of immigrants arriving to Canada with stronger health than their Canadian-born counterparts. However, immigrant health experiences a steep decline over time since migration to reach the Canadian-born population’s health levels or lower. This paper examines the HIE from a policy perspective in the Canadian context by centering on the barriers and facilitators of migrant health. Data was used from the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey to observe variations among immigrants and the Canadian-born population in both self-perceived health status and the variables related to health service utilization using logistic and linear regression models. A comprehensive policy model is recommended to make immigrant health a priority for both federal and provincial governments, including a migrant sensitive health strategy complemented by mandatory cultural sensitivity training for providers and administrators, and the inclusion of migrant-specific variables in the national health census.

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat in Canada with profound implications for public health and wellbeing. Widespread misuse of antibiotics has led to increasing numbers of drug-resistant “superbugs” capable of causing serious and potentially untreatable infections. Addressing antibiotic misuse is crucial in order to curb antimicrobial resistance, but there is a lack of coordinated policy action across the country. Furthermore, research on the predictors of antibiotic misuse in Canada is sparse, which hinders policy makers’ ability to develop targeted interventions. This study analyzes national survey data to shed light on the extent of antibiotic misuse in Canada, including uncovering socio-demographic predictors of public misuse. The findings are used to inform proposed policy recommendations that aim to reduce antibiotic misuse in order to better position Canada to tackle antimicrobial resistance in the years ahead.

Since the early 2000s, tenants of seniors’ social housing in BC have increasingly shared their buildings with younger persons who have severe mental illnesses and/or addiction issues. While this demographic shift does not neatly correspond with a specific policy change, academics, media sources, and the experts and stakeholders interviewed for this report all have suggested that it results from the prioritization of the hard-to-house by the provincial government. For many seniors, this new environment has produced a host of negative outcomes: increased levels of fear; greater social isolation; more disruptive and unpredictable living conditions; and exposure to criminal activity, threats, violence, and other disturbing or dangerous behaviors. This paper examines the emergence of this policy problem and explores possible policy solutions. It does this through a literature review, six case studies from American jurisdictions, and thirteen interviews with experts and stakeholders. Ultimately, the paper recommends two interventions: funding and creating training materials for resident service coordinators, and an environmental scan of the approaches currently being made by the more than 550 non-profit housing organizations which provide nearly 90% of British Columbia’s social housing units.