Yakima County GIS Data 2007

UW access only. Questions about spatial data can be directed to uwlib-gis [at] uw [dot] edu, include the URI address below and any information you have.

Yakima County GIS Data 2010

UW access only. Questions about spatial data can be directed to uwlib-gis [at] uw [dot] edu, include the URI address below and any information you have.

Yakima County Assessor Data 2010

UW access only. Questions about spatial data can be directed to uwlib-gis [at] uw [dot] edu, include the URI address below and any information you have.

University of Washington GIS Data 2013

UW access only. Questions about spatial data can be directed to uwlib-gis [at] uw [dot] edu, include the URI address below and any information you have.

Detailed analysis of data from heat pumps installed via the Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme

The RHPP policy provided subsidies for private householders, Registered social landlords and communities to install renewable heat measures in residential properties. Eligible measures included air and ground-source heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal. Around 18,000 heat pumps were installed via this scheme. DECC funded a detailed monitoring campaign, which covered 700 heat pumps (around 4% of the total). The aim of this monitoring campaign was to assess the efficiencies of the heat pumps and to estimate the carbon and bill savings and amount of renewable heat generated. Data was collected from 31/10/2013 to 31/03/2015. This report represents the analysis of this data and represents the most complete and reliable data in-situ residential heat pump performance in the UK to date.

John Smith, M.P fonds, 1930, 1949-1950, 1954, 1957-1962, n.d.

John Smith (1894-1977), son of Daniel Smith and Annie Douglas was a native of Scotland, immigrating to Canada in 1913. He first worked as a coach builder, then as a carpenter, finally developing his own contracting business. During WWI he served overseas with the 10th Battery, RCA as a sergeant. In 1924 Smith married Jean Wood, and together they had a daughter Irene (Hugh Langley). Smith first entered politics in 1940 serving as an alderman for the next 11 years. In 1954 he was elected mayor of the city of St. Catharines, and was twice returned to office by acclamation, serving until 1957 when he successfully ran as the Progressive Conservative candidate representing Lincoln County in the federal election. He won the election by a 10 000 vote majority. He served his constituents in Ottawa until he was defeated in the 1962 election. After leaving politics Mr. Smith was active in his community. He spearheaded the establishment of the St. Catharines Museum, and then was appointed its first director in 1966, serving in that capacity until 1972. He was an active member of the board of governors of the St. Catharines General Hospital and a life member and former president of the Lincoln County Humane Society. In 1971 he was voted Citizen of the Year for the city of St. Catharines. John Smith died on February 8, 1977 and was buried at Victoria Lawn Cemetery. Source: The St. Catharines Standard, February 9, 1977, page 1

Office of the City Clerk, St. Catharines Records, 1928-1974, n.d.

The site of present-day St. Catharines was settled by 3000 United Empire Loyalists at the end of the 18th century. From 1790, the settlement (then known as "The Twelve") grew as an agricultural community. St. Catharines was once referred to Shipman's Corners after Paul Shipman, owner of a tavern that was an important stagecoach transfer point. In 1815, leading businessman William Hamilton Merritt abandoned his wharf at Queenston and set up another at Shipman's Corners. He became involved in the construction and operation of several lumber and gristmills along Twelve Mile Creek. Shipman's Corners soon became the principal milling site of the eastern Niagara Peninsula. At about the same time, Merritt began to develop the salt springs that were discovered along the river which subsequently gave the village a reputation as a health resort. By this time St. Catharines was the official name of the village; the origin of the name remains obscure, but is thought to be named after Catharine Askin Robertson Hamilton, wife of the Hon. Robert Hamilton, a prominent businessman. Merritt devised a canal scheme from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario that would provide a more reliable water supply for the mills while at the same time function as a canal. He formed the Welland Canal Company, and construction took place from 1824 to 1829. The canal and the mills made St. Catharines the most important industrial centre in Niagara. By 1845, St. Catharines was incorporated as a town, with the town limits extending in 1854. Administrative and political functions were added to St. Catharines in 1862 when it became the county seat of Lincoln. In 1871, construction began on the third Welland Canal, which attracted additional population to the town. As a consequence of continual growth, the town limits were again extended. St. Catharines attained city status in 1876 with its larger population and area. Manufacturing became increasingly important in St. Catharines in the early 1900s with the abundance of hydro-electric power, and its location on important land and water routes. The large increase in population after the 1900s was mainly due to the continued industrialization and urbanization of the northern part of the city and the related expansion of business activity. The fourth Welland Canal was opened in 1932 as the third canal could no longer accommodate the larger ships. The post war years and the automobile brought great change to the urban form of St. Catharines. St. Catharines began to spread its boundaries in all directions with land being added five times during the 1950s. The Town of Merritton, Village of Port Dalhousie and Grantham Township were all incorporated as part of St. Catharines in 1961. In 1970 the Province of Ontario implemented a regional approach to deal with such issues as planning, pollution, transportation and services. As a result, Louth Township on the west side of the city was amalgamated, extending the city's boundary to Fifteen Mile Creek. With its current population of 131,989, St. Catharines has become the dominant centre of the Niagara region. Source: City of St. Catharines website http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/governin/HistoryOfTheCity.asp (January 27, 2011)

Daily Physical Activity as an Intervention Strategy for Anxious Elementary Students

The focus of this project was twofold: a comprehensive examination of provincially mandated, school-based physical activity programming beyond physical education, as well as an exploration of the potential relationship between school-based physical activity and student anxiety. The data were collected using a descriptive research methodology consisting of a qualitative document analysis of provincial government publications pertaining to school-based physical activity programming and the literature on the relationship between physical activity and student anxiety. The findings revealed inconsistencies between the Canadian provinces and territories in providing mandated school-based physical activity beyond physical education. It was also revealed that regular school-based physical activity has the potential to make a positive impact on students’ lives in many ways. Students are living more sedentary lives, and evidence shows that regular physical activity could prevent and treat student anxiety.

Article - "Pelham's New Councillor A Woman of Many 'Firsts'", 1963

An article in the St. Catharines Standard announcing Dorothy Rungeling as a new member of council for Pelham Township. The article states, "She is the first woman to be nominated and elected to Pelham township council since it was formed in 1850,"

Les TOD dans la région de Montréal : la demande et les barrières à l'offre

Le développement axé sur le transport en commun (transit-oriented development ou TOD) est un concept urbanistique souvent proposé comme solution aux problèmes associés à l’étalement urbain. La majorité des recherches sur ce concept sont descriptives ; rares sont les études qui examinent l’impact des projets de TOD sur les comportements en transport. Certains chercheurs proposent d’étudier les raisons qui expliquent la rareté de véritables TOD en Amérique du Nord. Cette approche s’appuie sur l’hypothèse que ce manque d’exemples est le résultat d’une faible demande, ou d’une multiplicité de barrières, quelles soient financière, réglementaire, politique, organisationnelle ou structurelle. Notre étude s’inscrit dans ce courant, afin d’examiner le développement de TOD dans la région métropolitaine de Montréal. L’étude empirique se concentre sur la perspective des promoteurs immobiliers quant à l’ampleur de la demande et des barrières à l’offre de TOD. La méthodologie de notre étude consiste en des entrevues avec les promoteurs immobiliers travaillant dans la banlieue montréalaise. Les résultats montrent que la demande est en croissance pour les produits ayant certaines caractéristiques de TOD, mais que la demande pour des TOD reste faible. Deux barrières principales ressortent de cette étude, soit le manque de terrains et l’offre insuffisante de service de transport en commun. On peut identifier d’autres obstacles majeurs dont le manque d’une définition commune du TOD et une structure de l’industrie de l’industrie mal adaptée à ces formes de développement. L’étude conclue que la réalisation de TOD dans le contexte montréalais requiert que les acteurs gouvernementaux assument un rôle plus proactif et visionnaire.

Le gouvernement du Québec, les relations internationales et l'environnement économique international (1973-1994)

L'objectif de ce mémoire est de jeter les bases d'un nouveau récit historique portant sur les relations internationales du Québec, en rupture partielle avec le récit traditionnel, essentiellement issu des écrits provenant de la science politique, qui décrit l'activité internationale du gouvernement québécois en cherchant dans les particularités de l'histoire québécoise elle-même les forces de changement. Ce faisant, nous tentons plutôt de montrer que l'histoire des relations internationales du Québec est inexorablement enchâssée dans l'histoire canadienne, dans l'histoire nord-américaine et surtout dans l'histoire du capitalisme et du néolibéralisme. Depuis le début de son existence en tant qu'entité politique moderne, le gouvernement québécois entretient des liens avec des gouvernements étrangers, l'intensité de ceux-ci étant function des grandes transformations affectant le système capitaliste international au grand complet. Vers la fin de la période 1867-1973, la politique internationale du gouvernement québécois est institutionnalisée politiquement et juridiquement grâce à la formulation de la doctrine Gérin-Lajoie, qui s'appuie sur les dispositions constitutionnelles propres au Canada pour élaborer la politique internationale québécoise. Dans la période 1973-1981, les relations internationales du Québec se focalisent davantage sur des questions économiques, telles que la quête de capitaux étrangers et la projection d'une image de marque positive sur les marchés étrangers. Puis, dans la période 1981-1994, l'activité internationale du Québec est marquée par le virage néolibéral qui affecte tous les gouvernements capitalistes dans le monde. Ainsi, l'appareil diplomatique du Québec est de plus en plus perçu comme un outil de promotion des exportations des entreprises québécoises et d'adaptation à l'augmentation de l'interdépendance économique, et de moins en moins comme un réseau de contacts politiques et culturels. Afin de faire cette démonstration, nous puisons essentiellement dans deux types de sources primaires : d'une part, des sources gouvernementales, dont les rapports annuels des différents ministères associés aux relations internationales du Québec et du Canada au fil de la période et les livres blancs de politique internationale qu'ils ont publié, et d'autre part, des publications issues du milieu des affaires, dont la revue Les Affaires, excellent baromètre de la mentalité dominante de la classe entrepreneuriale du Québec et du Canada francophone.

Diagnostico potencial del sector pecuario en Sesquilé

En Colombia el sector pecuario, es uno de los más representativos para el crecimiento y sostenibilidad de la economía del país. El sector aporta el 9% del PIB, sus ventas al exterior representan el 21% del valor de las exportaciones totales y genera el 19% del empleo a nivel nacional y el 66% en las zonas rurales. En el contexto del municipio de Sesquilé, la producción en el sector pecuario ha generado la inconformidad por parte de los habitantes y productores del municipio. Este trabajo de grado se desarrolla bajo la Metodología de Matriz de Marco Lógico, la cual presenta una dinámica de identificación del problema central que afecta al sector pecuario y permite plantear diferentes ejes para encontrar las alternativas más óptimas de mejoramiento al mismo, con el apoyo de la Alcaldía Municipal, los Presidentes de la Juntas de Acción Comunal y los habitantes. Para cumplir con el objetivo de caracterizar el sector pecuario del Municipio de Sesquilé, se tiene en cuenta variables productivas y logísticas, para la identificación de alternativas que permitan la generación de empleo y de ingresos en la población. Se identificaron problemas de carácter social, político, económico, tecnológico y logístico, a los cuales se establecen una serie de recomendaciones con pautas de cómo mejorar y aprovechar las oportunidades potenciales que brinda el sector.

Análisis de algunas alternativas de control en los acuerdos de cooperación bilateral, regional y multilateral en materia ambiental. Estudio de caso: La regulación del acceso a los recursos genéticos frente a la amenaza de la biopiratería en el Convenio de Diversidad Biológica, La Comunidad Andina y el Tratado de Libre Comercio con Estados Unidos

Esta monografía avanza en la revisión conceptual que permita establecer posibles alternativas de control en los acuerdos de cooperación bilateral, regional y multilateral, que contribuyan a mitigar el efecto de la biopiratería en Colombia debido al acceso de los recursos genéticos. Parte de un análisis comparado de los aspectos básicos de control propuestos para las negociaciones en materia ambiental que se llevaron a cabo en tres ámbitos distintos: el bilateral, el multilateral y el regional, tomando como referencia el tema de la protección de los recursos genéticos de acuerdo con lo establecido en la Convención de Diversidad Biológica, la Decisión 391 de 1996 de la Comunidad Andina y el texto del TLC entre Colombia y Estados Unidos, con énfasis en la negociación de los temas ambientales. Lo anterior con base en información secundaria, referida específicamente a publicaciones oficiales de gobierno, tratados, textos y revistas académicas especializadas, páginas oficiales y publicaciones de institutos de investigación, las cuales permitieron un acercamiento más profundo a los puntos de observación.

Open Data

Original material Taken from training material by the Open Data Institute. Later material from Keynote at Go Open!

Condiciones de trabajo y morbilidad percibidas entre mineros de carbón en Guachetá, Colombia

Introducción: En Colombia la investigación sobre condiciones de trabajo y salud en minería carbonífera es escasa y no considera la percepción de la población expuesta y sus comportamientos frente a los riesgos inherentes. Objetivo: Determinar la asociación entre las condiciones de trabajo y morbilidad percibidas entre trabajadores de minas de carbón en Guachetá, Cundinamarca. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal con 154 trabajadores seleccionados aleatoriamente del total registrado en la alcaldía municipal. Se indagó sobre características sociodemográficas, condiciones de trabajo y salud en las minas. Se estimaron prevalencias de los trastornos respiratorios, osteomusculares y auditivos, y se exploraron las asociaciones entre algunas condiciones de trabajo y los eventos con prevalencia superior a 30% de forma bivariada y múltiple, con regresiones Poisson con varianza robusta. Resultados: Los trabajadores fueron en su mayoría hombres, con edades entre 18 y 77 años de edad. Los problemas de salud más frecuentemente reportados fueron dolor lumbar (46,10%), dolor del miembro superior (40,26%), dolor del miembro inferior (34,42%), trastornos respiratorios (17,53%) y problemas auditivos (13,64%). Existen diferencias importantes en la percepción dependiendo de la antigüedad laboral y las condiciones subterráneas o no del trabajo. Conclusión: Los riesgos más reconocidos por los trabajadores son los relacionados con trastornos osteomusculares, al parecer por ser más evidentes en su cotidianidad. Las acciones en salud ocupacional podrán considerar estos hallazgos en sus planes de prevención de la enfermedad en las minas del carbón colombianas.