Report

The aim of the present project was to identify the questions or ambiguities that concern the staff members of the YES Shelter for Youth and Families regarding the sharing of personal information of youth clients with law enforcement agencies. To accomplish this, the relationship between homeless youth and the criminal justice system was initially researched through journal articles within the past five years to determine why homelessness can lead to criminal behaviour and why homeless youth potentially receive more attention from police. Current policies and procedures from the YES Shelter were also reviewed for ambiguities when sharing information with law enforcement. Survey question were administered to YES staff regarding the release of client information when communicating with police and probation officers. Research through a literature review identified numerous factors leading to homeless youth becoming involved in criminality, such as drug use. In addition, homeless youth often receive extensive attention from police whether they are criminally involved or not, because they are often socially profiled as "dangerous" by the public. Survey responses from YES staff showed a high and consistent level of confidence when releasing client information to the police; however the confidence level when sharing client information with probation officers was low and inconsistent. Overall, youth clients at the YES Shelter felt that their privacy was secured and protected. The research gathered from the present project aims to help the YES Shelter create privacy policies for their staff. Lastly, a list of recommendations was suggested for future research.

The purpose of the present research was to identify areas of high turtle road mortality, known as hotspots, in order to determine what steps can be taken to help reduce the number of endangered turtle species killed on Ontario roadways. The project was completed by collecting data on turtle locations and using ArcGIS mapping software, by Esri, to determine hotspot locations along a specific highway in Ontario. Once hotspots were determined, examination of literature was conducted to determine the best way to prevent road mortality. Finally, individuals from government and non-for-profit organizations focused on turtle road mortality were interviewed to help determine what is a realistic plan to combat turtle road mortality. In the area of focus, 4 hotspot locations were observed, and the most effective mitigation measures were determined to be a combination of a culvert and a drift fence. In terms of implementation, the jurisdiction over a roadway and whether mitigation measures will be put into place belongs to the proper road authority. However, when road construction impacts an endangered species, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry can enforce, under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, the road authority to implement mitigation measures. Throughout this project, areas for future research such as improving communication between groups involved in turtle road mortality, were also identified and noted.

The purpose of this study is to determine how well known the services of the Community Counselling and Resource Centre (CCRC) are to the people of the Peterborough community, along with organizations and professionals in the community who serve the aging/senior population. The CCRC is a non-profit organization that provides credit counselling services, among others, to the community. The Peterborough community has the largest senior population in Canada at 19.5%. Senior financial abuse is prevalent in society and is determined to be the 3rd most prevalent type of senior abuse. Non-profit organizations are competing in a growing commercial environment. Three stages of interviews were conducted with staff at the CCRC, other community non-profit credit counselling agencies, and community members who work directly with senior members of the community. These interviews examined the problems that the Peterborough community was facing, why these problems occurred, and what problems were occurring in other communities. Interviews determined there is little to no knowledge of the CCRC's credit counselling services in Peterborough. The CCRC has a lack of funds to complete accurate advertising in the community. These problems are not limited to Peterborough and also appeared in other communities. The findings demonstrate that there is a high need for more advertising in the community. To help combat these issues, the CCRC should hire volunteers for marketing, allocate more funds to advertising, prepare public education in the senior community, and establish community connections.

Peterborough Ontario is looking at ways to improve immigration integration within the community. This environmental scan explores current and innovative practices of workplace and vocational English as a Second Language (ESL) programming for small urban cities to determine if such a program could fill this need. The broader literature and prior studies maintain that there is a need to determine if language is the sole deterrent to hiring foreign-born employees in small urban centers or if there is a larger cross-cultural issue that must be addressed. The research presented here suggests that the most successful programs consider these cross-cultural matters and the importance of including stakeholders at multiple levels. Given the diversity of Peterborough's immigrant population and the logistical vastness of the Peterborough area, it was determined that a program that was multileveled and delivered as a workplace ESL program to meet the varied needs of immigrants and their employers would be best suited to the area. Qualitative data collected through a literature review and key informant interviews with service providers generated deeper understanding and nuances of program challenges, and an online survey supported the collected data.

Women in Canada are missing from all levels of politics and there has been a painstakingly slow increase in the number of women involved. Women in Politics workshops have been run throughout Ontario and Canada as a whole. This project looks at Peterborough, Ontario and the opportunity for the YWCA of the area to host such workshops. It was found that workshops about women in politics are effective when the right curriculum is used and have an impact on the women who attend. It is recommended that the YWCA begin to increase the frequency with which these workshops are offered as well as tailoring each workshop to a specific interest, increasing overall effectiveness and impact and in turn increasing participation of women in politics in the Peterborough Region.