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Most jurisdictions have some kind of measures to protect physical fabric and manage change within historic neighbourhoods. In Ontario, Canada’s largest province, these are called Heritage Conservation Districts. While much has been written about such aspects as identifying such districts, the designation process and their role in the urban landscape, less exploration has been devoted to understanding their potential role in economic development. This study examined two heritage districts in the Town of Markham, a fast-growing exurban municipality north-east of Toronto. Both of these neighbourhoods and both designated heritage areas have in place an economic development mechanism called a Business Improvement Area. The research involved interviews, household questionnaires, observation and statistical analysis. It was found that overall the data indicated that the management of the heritage resources supported and enhanced economic development. It was also found that there were considerable differences between the two areas in spite of their close proximity. The reasons for those differences are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: Our Health Counts (OHC) Toronto, an Indigenous population database which addresses gaps in urban health information, was used to measure Thistle's (2017) 12 dimensions of Indigenous homelessness. Using this framework, we examine the sociodemographic characteristics of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis (FNIM) adults living in Toronto, the 12 dimensions as experienced by this population, and the distinctions between FNIM adults who were and those who were not experiencing physical homelessness., Methods: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS)-II proportions and 95% confidence intervals were produced from the database (n = 915 FNIM adults) to describe key sociodemographic characteristics of the population and to estimate the proportion and number of dimensions of Indigenous homelessness experienced by FNIM adults. Results were compared between those who were and those who were not living physically homeless., Results: This study shows that 27.3% of FNIM adults in Toronto were living physically homeless. The proportion of homelessness was significantly higher among males, adults aged 26 to 54, and unemployed individuals. Using the OHC database, 7 of the 12 dimensions were measurable. Almost all FNIM adults had experienced one or more of the 7 measurable dimensions. The most common were cultural disintegration and loss, mental disruption and balance, contemporary geographic separation, and relocation and mobility. These dimensions were significantly more common among FNIM adults experiencing physical homelessness., Conclusion: Results show that FNIM adults living physically homeless are more likely to experience other dimensions of homelessness. Using existing data, 5 of the 12 dimensions were not measurable. This points to a critical need to develop new survey tools to fully understand the historical, environmental, social, political, spiritual, and emotional factors that influence pathways into homelessness among FNIM populations., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto, the OHC Toronto data owners, and community partners have reviewed and approved this manuscript. This research project has been approved by St. Michael’s Hospital Research Ethics Board (OHC Toronto REB no. 14–083). Consent to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants in the study. Consent for publication: N/A. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Our Health Counts (OHC) methods are designed to address gaps in urban-based Indigenous health information. In partnership with local Indigenous health service providers, we have successfully implemented OHC in six Ontario cities. The aim of this study is to summarize findings regarding Indigenous population undercount, health inequities, and health service access barriers across study sites., Methods: We estimated Indigenous population size using OHC census participation survey responses and a multiplier approach. Health inequities between Indigenous populations and overall populations in each city were examined using respondent-driven sampling (RDS), adjusted OHC survey results, and existing public data. Measures included health status outcomes; determinants of health; barriers to health service access, including discrimination by health service providers; and unmet health needs., Results: Indigenous social networks were strong and extensive, and the urban populations demonstrate resilience and cultural continuity across multiple measures. Self-reported rates of census participation for Indigenous populations were markedly lower than those for the general population in each city, and OHC Indigenous population size estimates were consistently 2‒4 times higher than reported in the census. Indigenous to general population health inequities cut across measures of chronic disease, determinants of health, and unmet health needs. Indigenous populations experienced multiple barriers to health services access, including racial discrimination by health service providers., Conclusion: The Canadian census appears to markedly underestimate Indigenous population size in urban areas. Indigenous health inequities and service access barriers are striking and cross-cutting. Timely adaptation of health policies, services, and funding allocations in response to these findings is recommended., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: Ethics approval for the Our Health Counts (OHC) projects was provided by the Well Living House Counsel of Grandparents and community research partners. The OHC studies also received ethics clearance from the St. Michael’s Hospital Research Ethics Board at Unity Health Toronto (REB# 09–108, OHC Hamilton and OHC Inuit Ottawa; REB# 14–083, OHC Toronto; REB#14–390 OHC London; REB# 18–25, OHC Kenora and OHC Thunder Bay). Consent to participate: All participants provided informed consent as approved by the ethics board. Consent for publication: N/A. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to compare the Nova Scotia population of Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) with several populations from the species' main range. The Nova Scotia population is believed to have been isolated from the main range for 4000-8000 years. Cluster analysis using a neighbour-joining algorithm produced a dendrogram showing the Nova Scotia population clustering separately from those populations in the main range. Analysis of molecular variance shows 34.28% of total variance to be accounted for between the Nova Scotia population and populations in the main range. While this study is preliminary, the results suggest that the Nova Scotia population of Blanding's turtle may be important to the maintenance of genetic diversity in the species.