Quebec Municipalities Research Articles

Noise regulations and practices: a survey of Quebec municipalities

ABSTRACT While municipal regulations are a primary means to manage noise concerns, little research has been done on the main shortcomings of municipal noise regulations and how they are approached by municipal professionals. To address this gap, we reviewed 109 noise-related regulations from 74 Quebec municipalities and surveyed 75 professionals from 32 Quebec municipalities to identify potential gaps between noise in regulations and noise concerns in practice. We find a misalignment between the conceptualization of noise in regulations and its operationalization in practice. We formulate recommendations for municipalities to address noise concerns, through regulations and by focusing on the city-user experience.

Known distribution of the soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, in the United States and Canada through 2023

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is a major yield-reducing pathogen of soybean ( Glycine max [L.] Merrill) in the United States and Canada, causing twice as much yield loss annually as any other pathogen. Reports of new discoveries of SCN in areas of the United States and Canada that grow the crop can lead to greater awareness of the pathogen and increased efforts to scout for the nematode. Beginning in January 2024, university nematologists, plant pathologists, and agronomists as well as government plant health officials in soybean-producing states in the United States and provinces in Canada were queried about the known distribution of the nematode. This publication contains an updated map of the known distribution of SCN in the United States and Canada through 2023 and a listing of counties and rural municipalities where the nematode initially was identified between 2000 and 2023. In total, there were 31 counties in 10 states in the United States plus three counties total in Manitoba and Ontario and ten rural municipalities in Quebec, Canada in which SCN was first discovered between 2020 through 2023. The results show that the distribution of SCN in the United States and Canada continues to expand, and sustained scouting for the presence of the pathogen is warranted to facilitate management to reduce soybean yield losses.

5G implementation and multi‐level governance: The case of Quebec municipalities

AbstractMunicipalities are often considered to be places of innovation. However, certain issues, such as 5G, suggest that the municipal level of government is hampered by challenges. In this article, we present the results of a survey of 220 respondents from 54 different municipalities of various sizes, alongside a media press review. We show that 5G is indicative of the challenges pertaining to multi‐level governance, the presence of a significant information deficit as well as the clout of the private sector in public planning. These findings call on us to examine municipal governance and the relevance of creating intermunicipal cooperation.

How environments can promote active aging: results from a case study of two municipalities in Quebec, Canada.

To address global aging, a paradigm shift is needed from disease prevention and treatment towards active aging, i.e., optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security as people age. Little is known about how age-friendly environments promote active aging. This study thus aimed to explore how (through which mechanisms and in what contexts) environments can promote active aging and, specifically, positive health, social participation, and health equity. Using a realist approach and semi-structured focus groups, a case study was used in two Quebec municipalities known for best fostering active aging. Data also included participants' logbooks, sociodemographic questionnaires, municipalities' sociodemographic profiles, and policy documents. A conceptual framework and thematic content analysis were carried out. A total of 24 participants (9 older adults, 4 health professionals, 3 community-based actors, 5 municipal employees, and 3 elected officials) took part in 5 focus groups. Regarding contexts, both cases were midsize municipalities having an income and education level higher to Quebec's averages with supportive active aging policies. Two main themes explained how the environments promoted active aging: (1) by ensuring proximity through built (urban planning), social (network structures), services (variety and availability of local and outreach resources), and organizational (active listening to older adults' needs for active aging) environments; and (2) by fostering transversality through built (universal accessibility, intergenerational spaces), social (intergenerational opportunities for social participation), and political/organizational (unified and complementary policies) environments. To better promote active aging through age-friendly environments, practices should focus on fostering proximity and transversality, and act simultaneously on multiple environments.

Campaigning in Quebec Municipal Elections: When the Party Defines Door to Door Canvassing as “The Right Way” to Campaign

Electoral campaigns are one of the key moments in political life. Yet, there is little Canadian work on this subject when it comes to municipal elections. However, the international literature on campaigning provides an opportunity for useful questions on the transformations of this aspect of local political life by bringing together political sociology and electoral sociology. That being said in this context, we present the results of an exploratory case study of campaigning in a municipal political party in a Canadian city, more specifically situated in the Province of Quebec. Municipal political parties are usually considered as electoral machines. It is therefore important to study in detail the way these organizations conduct election campaigns. More specifically, we are looking to explore how municipal political parties influence the campaign by providing electoral techniques. To achieve this, we closely examine the door to door canvassing strategy, which hints at what the party considers a “good campaigning” standard and helps us observe the behaviours of candidates and the different ways they fulfill the party’s requirements. It is therefore not a question of measuring the effectiveness of partisan electoral devices but of understanding how the party produces campaigning norms and puts them to work. The results presented here offer an original insight into the internal workings of a municipal political party—something that has never before been documented in the Canadian context. First, they help to open the black box that is municipal political parties and to better understand their internal modus operandi. Second, the results illustrate that election campaigning is still fundamentally based on one-on-one encounters.

COMPLEMENTARITY OF THE GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS FOR INTERACTIVE AID AND DOMINANCE-BASED ROUGH SET APPROACH APPLIED TO THE CLASSIFICATION OF NON-URBAN MUNICIPALITIES

Graphical analysis for interactive aid (GAIA) and the dominance-based rough set approach (DRSA) are compared as methods of explaining the solution to a multi-criteria ranking problem obtained using the preference ranking organization method for the enrichment of evaluations (PROMETHEE). The classification of 52 municipalities in Northern Quebec in terms of the socioeconomic situation is based on three attributes: home conditions, employment and demographic potential. The classification provided to the decision maker is aggregated information. To facilitate decision-making, the problem is first considered as a sorting task, in which municipalities are distributed into three categories: best (B), worst (W) or intermediate (I), based on the PROMETHEE ranking. In order to improve the position of a municipality thus categorized, the decision maker needs information that will answer the questions: What criteria are relevant to the municipality? What criteria are in conflict? What are the critical values of the criteria? We show that GAIA and DRSA provide convergent and complementary information that allow enrichment of the answers to these questions. Keywords: management decision support, multi-criteria analysis, GAIA, dominance-based rough set approach.

Factors Leading Municipal Authorities to Implement Preventive Interventions for Lyme Disease.

The aim of this study is to document climate change adaptation interventions targeting Lyme disease at the municipal level in the province of Quebec (Canada). This exploratory study relies on the theory of planned behavior and certain constructs from the health belief model to identify the factors leading municipal authorities to implement preventive interventions for Lyme disease (PILD). Data were obtained from an online survey sent, during the summer of 2018, to municipal officers in 820 municipalities in Quebec, in all health regions where the population is at risk of contracting Lyme disease (response rate = 36%). The questionnaire was used to measure the implementation of PILD, the intention to implement these interventions, attitudes, perceived social pressure, perceived control (levers and barriers) over interventions, perceived effectiveness of preventive measures, risk, and perceived vulnerability. Results of structural equation analyses showed that attitudes were significantly associated with municipal authorities’ intention to implement PILD, while the intention to implement PILD was a significant predictor of the implementation of PILD. Additional analyses showed that perceived barriers added a moderating effect in the intention-implementation relationship. The prediction of behaviors or practices that municipal authorities could implement to prevent Lyme disease will enable the evaluation over time of the evolution of Quebec municipalities’ adaptation to Lyme disease. Moreover, the examination of the associations of specific psychosocial factors revealed important implications for the design of effective behavior-change interventions, which would allow health officials doing awareness work to create personalized interventions better suited to municipal officers and their specific contexts.

Fewer voters, higher stakes? The applicability of rational choice for voter turnout in Quebec municipalities

Municipal voter turnout is often considered to be a function of electorate size. According to the rational choice theory of voter behavior, a rational voter is more inclined to abstain in the presence of larger electorates, and more likely to participate in smaller ones. This article examines the impact of electorate size on voter turnout using a multivariate regression model to explain voter participation in Quebec municipalities in the 2009 and 2013 local elections ( N = 1040). Several other assumptions pertaining to the rational voter are also tested. We find that rational choice theory explains 45% of municipal voter participation in these Quebec elections and that it supports the probability of pivotal voting. Our analysis also confirms that the number of electors, number of mayoral candidates, tax rate, presence of a political party, and incumbency have different effects on participation in small and large municipalities.

Municipalities' Preparedness for Weather Hazards and Response to Weather Warnings.

The study of the management of weather-related disaster risks by municipalities has attracted little attention even though these organizations play a key role in protecting the population from extreme meteorological conditions. This article contributes to filling this gap with new evidence on the level and determinants of Quebec municipalities’ preparedness for weather hazards and response to related weather warnings. Using survey data from municipal emergency management coordinators and secondary data on the financial and demographic characteristics of municipalities, the study shows that most Quebec municipalities are sufficiently prepared for weather hazards and undertake measures to protect the population when informed of imminent extreme weather events. Significant differences between municipalities were noted though. Specifically, the level of preparedness was positively correlated with the municipalities’ capacity and population support for weather-related disaster management policies. In addition, the risk of weather-related disasters increases the preparedness level through its effect on population support. We also found that the response to weather warnings depended on the risk of weather-related disasters, the preparedness level and the quality of weather warnings. These results highlight areas for improvement in the context of increasing frequency and/or severity of such events with current climate change.

The impacts of intergovernmental grants on municipal infrastructure: Evidence from the Canada-Quebec infrastructure works 2000 program

This article reports the results of a study on the outcomes of the Canada-Quebec Infrastructure Works 2000 Program (CQIWP), an infrastructure grant program to Quebec municipalities. The focus of this study is on the effects of the CQIWP on municipal investment and physical conditions of drinking water systems and, as such, it goes beyond the usual emphasis on the fiscal consequences of intergovernmental grants. The study results show that the CQIWP was an efficient tool to induce municipalities to increase investment and to reduce the number of aqueduct breakdowns. In light of these findings, this study suggests that upper levels of governments can rely on infrastructure grants to fill the gap in municipal investment and, therefore, to improve the availability and quality of municipal infrastructure.

Recognizing citizens in municipal management: an exploratory study based on a content analysis of municipal websites in the province of Quebec

This article explores the usefulness of a recognition framework for the study of the relationship between municipal administrations and citizens. Within the organizational science literature, employee recognition has been shown to enhance their commitment to their organization. In a context where public authorities consistently seek to improve levels of civic engagement, could this conclusion be applied to the relationship between municipalities and their constituents? Following a review of the literature, we present the results of a content analysis of the websites of Quebec municipalities whose populations are greater than 20,000. Three modes of recognition are identified: personalized attention, value confirmation, and gratitude. Recognition practices are also found to vary between municipalities. Our study opens new pragmatic and theoretical horizons in the area of municipal management. Points for practitioners Managers know that showing recognition toward their employees is not only a sign of respect, but a means to mobilize employee commitment to their organization. This article explores the value of this finding for the field of municipal management and, specifically, to the study of the relationship between municipal managers and citizens. Should serving citizens not ultimately mean recognizing their individual identities, civic capacities, and contribution to their community’s vitality?

Accreditation of Child-Friendly Municipalities in Quebec: Opportunities for Child Participation

This paper examines the implications and opportunities for child participation raised by the accreditation of child-friendly municipalities in Quebec. This case study is based on a review of the accreditation process in 28 municipalities over a six-year period, interviews with municipal staff and councilors, and an action research project with two accredited municipalities. We found that accreditation is first and foremost utilitarian, but preparing the dossier and the feedback that accompanies accreditation create an impetus for furthering awareness of and activities that promote child participation. Our action research projects illustrate that support and capacity-building can enhance child participation in ways that contribute to municipalities.

Accreditation of Child-Friendly Municipalities in Quebec: Opportunities for Child Participation

Accreditation of Child-Friendly Municipalities in Quebec: Opportunities for Child Participation

The Flypaper and Asymmetric Effects of Intergovernmental Grants to Quebec Municipalities

This study uses a panel fixed effect model to analyze the impact of intergovernmental grants on municipal spending in Quebec. The data from the 1,084 municipalities covering the period 2001–2007 are used for this purpose. The study shows that grants have flypaper and asymmetric effects and that the extent of these effects is sensitive to the type of grants and municipal expenditures. Furthermore, it suggests that conditional grants seem to be a more effective tool for changing the composition of the supply of municipal services whereas unconditional grants are more suitable to stimulate the level of provision of these services.

The Missions of Autonomous Public Libraries from the Point of View of Quebec Municipal Elected Officials: An Analysis of Discourses

The principal objective of this thesis is to understand, via the discourses, the point of view of the Québécois municipal elected officials on the missions of the autonomous public libraries as well as the distance between these discourses and the practices of the libraries at the local level.L'objectif principal de cette thèse est de comprendre, grâce aux discours, le point de vue des élus municipaux du Québec quant aux missions des bibliothèques publiques autonomes ainsi que l'écart entre ces discours et les pratiques des bibliothèques à l'échelle locale.

Traffic Calming in Québec: Speed Humps and Speed Cushions

Speed management is an essential tool in ensuring the improved safety of users of urban roads, particularly vulnerable users. It relies on several measures: awareness campaigns, speed control, as well as the development and operation of the road infrastructure. Municipalities in Quebec are increasingly resorting to the development of traffic calming measures, and are facing numerous questions concerning their installation and their effectiveness. To respond to this need, the ministere des Transports du Quebec (Quebec Department of Transport) has begun publishing a series of fact sheets on a variety of traffic calming measures, including speed humps and speed cushions, raised crosswalks and intersections, neckdowns, centre islands and chicanes. A general fact sheet introduces all of the measures and notably outlines the procedure for pre-implementation analysis. Each fact sheet dedicated to an individual measure outlines the implementation context, advantages and disadvantages, geometric characteristics, effectiveness at reducing speed, and maintenance requirements, including winter maintenance. Two fact sheets are already published: the general fact sheet and the fact sheet on speed humps and speed cushions. The fact sheets as well as examples of measures implemented in municipalities are available on the ministere's web site under Partenaires-Municipalites-Securite routiere.

Assessing the effects of an Intelligence Performance Regime: Quebec's Municipal Management Indicators, 1999–2010

Quebec's Municipal Management Indicators embodies what Hood (2007) described as an intelligence regime. This research tries to determine if the design of the municipal intelligence performance regime in Quebec, Canada, delivered the expected results. To answer that question, publicly available official documents, minutes of meetings, and survey data are used. The story of Quebec's regime offers a counter-example to Pollitt and colleagues’ (2010) theory that once in place, performance regimes follow a logic of escalation. The municipal intelligence regime in Quebec never moved from formative to summative; from intelligence to targets and rankings. The experience in that Canadian province offers support to Hood's (2007) model about the shortcomings of intelligence regimes. Points for practitioners The case study of a performance regime details an effort with few demands on participants. It is argued that the documented shortcomings are the result of the strategic path initially taken by decision makers, not the result of their later decisions and adjustments. Shielded from public scrutiny and without sanctions from the provincial government, most municipal managers chose not to use the indicators, not to include them in budgets and annual reports, not to compare themselves to others, and not to set targets for themselves. In a mandated regime with bottom-up and voluntary approaches, most municipalities effectively opted out.

Association Between Potential Zoonotic Enteric Infections in Children and Environmental Risk Factors in Quebec, 1999–2006

This study was designed to evaluate the association of potential zoonotic gastroenteritis in children, and specifically giardiasis, salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis, with environmental risk factors in rural areas of Quebec. Notified cases of gastroenteritis in children of 0-4 years of age reported in the period of 1999 through 2006 from municipalities in southern Quebec with <100,000 inhabitants were investigated. Negative binomial regression models accounting for overdispersion and adjusted for clustering were used to estimate relative risks (RR) associated with livestock densities and drinking water quality. Analyses revealed that, during this period, 2500 cases of gastroenteritis were reported in children of 0-4 years, including 819 cases of giardiasis, 690 of salmonellosis and 852 of campylobacteriosis. The incidence rate associated with all potential zoonotic agents reported was 163 cases/100,000 children-years and this was statistically associated with cattle density: RR Quartile 4/Quartile 1 (Q4/Q1) = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.43-2.58. When estimated specifically for each pathogen, incidence rates of giardiasis (RR Q4/Q1 = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.11-2.87), salmonellosis (RR Q4/Q1 = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.15-2.33) and campylobacteriosis (RR Q4/Q1 = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.60-3.68) were also associated with cattle density, with a monotonic increase of RR with increasing animal density. Giardiasis incidence was also positively associated with a poor drinking water quality, although no statistically significant association was found. Our results suggest that, in rural Quebec, bacterial and parasitic enteric infections in young children may be zoonoses related to environmental risk factors and especially cattle production.

Ecosystem service bundles for analyzing tradeoffs in diverse landscapes

A key challenge of ecosystem management is determining how to manage multiple ecosystem services across landscapes. Enhancing important provisioning ecosystem services, such as food and timber, often leads to tradeoffs between regulating and cultural ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling, flood protection, and tourism. We developed a framework for analyzing the provision of multiple ecosystem services across landscapes and present an empirical demonstration of ecosystem service bundles, sets of services that appear together repeatedly. Ecosystem service bundles were identified by analyzing the spatial patterns of 12 ecosystem services in a mixed-use landscape consisting of 137 municipalities in Quebec, Canada. We identified six types of ecosystem service bundles and were able to link these bundles to areas on the landscape characterized by distinct social-ecological dynamics. Our results show landscape-scale tradeoffs between provisioning and almost all regulating and cultural ecosystem services, and they show that a greater diversity of ecosystem services is positively correlated with the provision of regulating ecosystem services. Ecosystem service-bundle analysis can identify areas on a landscape where ecosystem management has produced exceptionally desirable or undesirable sets of ecosystem services.

The association between farming activities, precipitation, and the risk of acute gastrointestinal illness in rural municipalities of Quebec, Canada: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIncreasing livestock density and animal manure spreading, along with climate factors such as heavy rainfall, may increase the risk of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI). In this study we evaluated the association between farming activities, precipitation and AGI.MethodsA cross-sectional telephone survey of randomly selected residents (n = 7006) of 54 rural municipalities in Quebec, Canada, was conducted between April 2007 and April 2008. AGI symptoms and several risk factors were investigated using a phone questionnaire. We calculated the monthly prevalence of AGI, and used multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for several demographic and risk factors, to evaluate the associations between AGI and both intensive farming activities and cumulative weekly precipitation. Cumulative precipitation over each week, from the first to sixth week prior to the onset of AGI, was analyzed to account for both the delayed effect of precipitation on AGI, and the incubation period of causal pathogens. Cumulative precipitation was treated as a four-category variable: high (≥90th percentile), moderate (50th to <90th percentile), low (10th to <50th percentile), and very low (<10th percentile) precipitation.ResultsThe overall monthly prevalence of AGI was 5.6% (95% CI 5.0%-6.1%), peaking in winter and spring, and in children 0-4 years old. Living in a territory with intensive farming was negatively associated with AGI: adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.70 (95% CI 0.51-0.96). Compared to low precipitation periods, high precipitation periods in the fall (September, October, November) increased the risk of AGI three weeks later (OR = 2.20; 95% CI 1.09-4.44) while very low precipitation periods in the summer (June, July, August) increased the risk of AGI four weeks later (OR = 2.19; 95% CI 1.02-4.71). Further analysis supports the role of water source on the risk of AGI.ConclusionsAGI poses a significant burden in Quebec rural municipalities with a peak in winter. Intensive farming activities were found to be negatively associated with AGI. However, high and very low precipitation levels were positively associated with the occurrence of AGI, especially during summer and fall. Thus, preventive public health actions during such climate events may be warranted.