VIURRSpace
The Libraries of Royal Roads University and Vancouver Island University collaboratively offer VIURRSpace to digitally preserve and showcase selected scholarly and creative works of the universities, together with special collections that represent the unique character of the region.
Recent Submissions
Item Shifting away from a resource-based economy: Tourism development and housing affordability in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada(Electronic version published by Vancouver Island University, 2026-04)Housing affordability has become a critical challenge in mountain resort municipalities across British Columbia, where tourism-led economic transition, amenity migration, and financialized housing markets intersect with limited local governance capacity. This thesis examines housing affordability in Revelstoke, British Columbia, a former resource extraction-based community that has transitioned into a mountain resort municipality. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research draws on six semi-structured interviews with municipal staff, non-profit housing providers, developers, and community stakeholders to capture the realities of Revelstoke’s housing market. An inductive thematic analysis identifies how amenity-driven population growth, remote work, speculative investment, and high construction and land costs interact with policy misalignment across levels of governance. Findings demonstrate that market-based housing solutions alone are insufficient, highlighting the need for, collaborative non-market planning responses to address localized housing needs in Revelstoke, BC.Item Critical contextual social work from a settler's perspective: A framework for decolonizing social work education(Springer Nature, 2026-02-14)We offer critical contextual social work as a clear framework for the decolonization of global social work education. To do so, we draw on our recent (international) work that provides a comprehensive and practical strategy for the transformation of social work, including the decolonizing of social work education.Item CREATE-ing retention: translating retention theory into a faculty handbook for co-curricular conference integration at Vancouver Island University(Electronic version published by Vancouver Island University, 2026)Canadian post-secondary institutions face mounting financial pressure as federal immigration reforms reduce international student enrolment, threatening billions in projected revenue. This applied project responds to that challenge by focusing on student retention at Vancouver Island University. Using Tinto's (2017, 2025) contemporary retention framework, this project distills three pillars of retention: sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and perception of curriculum. It positions Vancouver Island University’s annual Celebrating Research Engagement and Talent Exposition (CREATE) conference as a high-impact-practice-supporting activity capable of strengthening all three when intentionally integrated into course design. Semi-structured conversation groups with six faculty members who embedded CREATE into their Spring 2025 courses yielded practical insights for effective integration, including: building on existing assignments, incentivizing participation through grading, and leveraging institutional supports. These faculty perspectives, combined with retention theory and high-impact practice literature, informed the development of a faculty-facing instructor handbook published as an open-access resource through Pressbooks. The handbook is grounded in the argument that CREATE's impact on retention begins not at the event itself, but in the courses that lead students to it, offering instructors a quick-start integration guide, accessible background on retention theory and high-impact practices, an overview of available supports, and direct faculty advice to meaningfully connect CREATE to their course design.Item Servicing without surprises: Infrastructure planning and site servicing(Electronic version published by Vancouver Island University, 2026-04)Roads, water, sanitary and drainage systems are essential infrastructure for any community. Expansion is generally necessary to support growth. Local governments must plan for infrastructure expansion, taking into account growth projections, land use patterns, remaining service life and service levels. British Columbia generally follows a “growth pays for growth” principle, resulting in private development funding much of this infrastructure through a variety of mechanisms. This paper explores planning and financing frameworks. Planning, financing, and building this infrastructure requires collaboration between the public and private sectors, often coinciding with a multi-stage development approvals process, all while responding to changing policy and market conditions. This paper seeks to explore this complexity, identifying challenges, pitfalls, and risks, and providing best practices, mitigative measures, and a common understanding for both local governments and developers.Item Mitigating climate change impacts on urban water supply: A case study of water conservation measures in Kelowna, British Columbia(Electronic version published by Vancouver Island University, 2026-04-20)This research paper will determine the role of water conservation in mitigating the effects of climate change on Kelowna's urban water supply. The study evaluates municipal planning reports, climate forecasts, governance frameworks, and water-use patterns using a case study of secondary data. By investigating the connections among climate change, population growth, and conservation performance, this research paper can provide evidence-based insights into how effective conservation practices are and how they can be optimized. This research paper will also examine the competing demands for water and how the city can balance them. This research paper will fit into the larger body of climate adaptation and sustainable urban water management by presenting a thorough study of the effectiveness of conservation in a climate-prone municipality. The findings justify evidence-based decision-making and offer viable recommendations to enhance the long-term sustainability of water and climate resilience in Kelowna.
Communities in VIURRSpace
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