CBU Scholar

CBU Scholar provides access to the publications and contributions of CBU faculty and students.

  • The database consists of books, book chapters, articles, essays, and other research outputs.
  • Publications are accepted from all departments and across all languages and subjects as determined by the research activities of CBU Faculty.
  • If you are interested in depositing your work, log in at the top right using your CBU email.

Communities in CBU Scholar

Select a community to browse its collections.

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Recent Submissions

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    Beyond the Bank: Understanding the depth of food assistance work in Eastern Nova Scotia
    (2025-12) MacLeod, Katie K; Leviten-Reid, Eric; MacKinnon, Karen; Vassallo, Peggy
    This project examined the role and impact of food assistance programs in Eastern Nova Scotia, including their characteristics, networks, and challenges. Food assistance was defined as programs that provide food at no or reduced cost, such as food banks, meal programs, community kitchens, and other activities that enhance access to healthy, affordable food, including nutrition education and the development of community gardens. Findings highlight the strengths of community-based food programming in connecting the community or feeding the community. These grassroots initiatives recognize the interconnectedness of food with broader aspects of life and provide more dignified alternatives to traditional charitable models for food assistance. However, they face persistent challenges such as unstable funding, volunteer burnout, and fragmented service delivery, which limit their ability to meet rising demand. Recommendations emphasize the need for systemic change, including higher wages, stronger income supports, and consistent funding for community-based food assistance models that prioritize dignity, choice, and long-term, integrated support.
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    A Media Analysis of Medical Assistance in Dying and its use in Canada: March 2024 - May 2025
    (Cape Breton University, 2025-10) Bernasky, Tammy; Ramji, Rubina; Hubbert, Jennifer; Varkeyachankunnamkumarath, Edwin
    Canada legalized Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in 2016 through amendments to the criminal code allowing for medical practitioners to assist someone with their death if they met a number of criteria. These criteria included that the patient’s medical condition must be grievous and irremediable and their natural death had to be reasonably foreseeable. In 2021, Bill C-7, an Act to amend the criminal code (medical assistance in dying) came into force thereby removing the foreseeable death requirement. Between 2016 and 2023, 60,301 have died through MAiD. The number of MAiD deaths in 2023 was 15, 343 which is up 15.8% from 2022. With the increasing number of cases of MAiD, there is growing concern about who is applying for and receiving MAiD in Canada. This report is based on our project which sought to build on our previous research by identifying emerging trends in public discourse about MAiD through ongoing media coverage. We continued our documentation of people reportedly applying for MAiD due to social determinants of health including poverty, inadequate housing, social and government supports, and inadequate health care. The scope of the project expanded to include an analysis of legislative compliance regarding MAiD in Canada. We uncovered stories where legal action has been pursued or where medical or legal repercussions were absent despite clear violations of regulatory procedures. Our research also included a scan of euthanasia laws in other countries. This report highlights the findings from our media scan and jurisdictional research related to MAiD. We conclude with recommendations to address concerns about MAiD utilization in Canada
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    More than just a number: A visual repersentation of poverty in Cape Breton
    (2025-06-30) Paige Cox
    This document, "More Than Just a Number," is a heartfelt and deeply personal exploration of poverty, aiming to transform cold statistics into tangible human stories. Drawing on years of dedicated volunteering with at-risk youth in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, the author emphasizes that behind every number in a report, there are real people with lived experiences. This project highlights structural inequalities—differences in access, wealth, resources, or power reinforced by systemic issues—which profoundly impact communities like Cape Breton, still feeling the ripple effects of industrial decline. The author shares a common local sentiment that individuals often feel they must leave their home for opportunities, underscoring a deep commitment to fostering pride and opportunity within the community.
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    Volunteer roles and the benefits of volunteering: An examination of nonprofit housing cooperatives
    (Taylor and Francis, 2016-01-01) Leviten-Reid, Catherine; Campbell, Robert
    This article explores if, and to what degree, being involved in different kinds of volunteer tasks in nonprofit housing cooperatives affects the development of one’s capabilities, social ties, and ability to influence the housing in which one lives. A unique data-set based on an evaluation of cooperative housing programs was used, and data were analyzed using logistic regression. Serving on the board of directors, organizing social events, and assisting with operational tasks, all increased the likelihood of experiencing at least some outcomes. The odds of developing financial skills, organizational skills, experience in working with others, self-confidence, and an ability to influence one’s housing were greatest if one served on the board. The odds of developing operational skills were highest if one helped with operational tasks, while the odds of gaining friends and personal support were greatest if one helped organize social events.
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    The Gallery
    (Intellect, 2025) Munro, Sarah
    Set in a contemporary art gallery in downtown Toronto, this one-act play follows Hannah and Madigan, two childhood friends who reunite after years apart. Tensions escalate when it is revealed that Madigan is passing off Hannah’s sculpture as her own. Madigan, in turn, justifies it as a necessary evil. Accusations fly and old resentments surface as the two women battle over authorship, ownership, integrity and betrayal. Who gets to be recognized as an artist, and who is erased? With the gallery opening imminently and the truth soon to unravel, The Gallery explores the blurred lines between inspiration and theft, the weight of ambition and the consequences of rewriting history.