Scarborough Social Atlas - Jackman Humanities Institute - Scholars in Residence - 2023

Project Description

The Scarborough Social Atlas Project

Supervisor: Ahmed Allahwala (Human Geography)

Inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s Infinite Cities Atlas Trilogy, the Scarborough Social Atlas combines scholarly research and mapping practices in the creation of a new social cartography of Scarborough. In this multi-disciplinary project, each student will serve as the academic lead of a mapping project and bring their disciplinary expertise to the collaborative. Possible topics include indigeneity, migration, food, music, queer culture, religion, architecture, green spaces and non-human species. End-of-program deliverables include a map for each project and a curatorial essay. Students will receive training in archival and database research, mapping, and narrative research. Students from all disciplinary backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Gathering Research

A variety of traditional publications (e.g. scholarly journal articles) and primary sources (narratives, newspaper articles, archival materials) can be beneficial as you investigate your topics about Scarborough and begin to conceptualize a map and story using effective data visualization communication.

Use the tabs on the "Research Resources" box below to find some key tools to get started. Your liaison librarian, Sarah Shujah (sarah.shujah@utoronto.ca), and Paulina Rousseau (paulina.rousseau@utoronto.ca) can provide in-depth guidance on how to use these tools and build comprehensive search strategies to maximize your research efficiency. Also, you can connect with Tanis Franco (tanis.franco@utoronto.ca) our archivist for research help.

Icebreaker Popcorn
Finish the sentence: Today I want to find...

Research Resources

NewspaperArchive
Find Articles over 1948-1969 Years in Toronto, Ontario
Proquest Historical Newspaper
Note, International with strong American focus.
Canadian Newsstrem Proquest
Most titles are updated daily and some backfiles date as far back as the late 1970s.
Other Canadian Newspaper Resources Library Guide

Paper of Record
Includes a considerable number of Canadian newspapers, largely from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Philippine Reporter
Located at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
The Philippine Reporter Website

City of Toronto Archives Database
You can search the Archives holdings, view scanned items such as photographs and plans, save items to a list, and create a PDF file that you can print or save for future reference or use to make a request in the Archives Research Hall (from website).
Toronto Public Library Digital Archive
University of Toronto Archives & Records Management Services (UTARMS)
Search the UofT archives!
Archives of Ontario
You can access and search the collections at the Archives of Ontario with the help of the databases, research guides and tools, and resources found on the website.
Scarborough Historical Society
Consider contacting and visiting the archives for research help!
Muslims in Canada Archive
MiCA acquires, organizes, preserves, and makes accessible records of and about Canadian Muslim individuals and organizations that possess enduring value for the preservation of the history and documentary heritage of Muslims in Canada (from website).
Scarborough Oral Histories
The Scarborough Oral History Collection is a fully searchable digital collection in the UTSC Library of interviews and oral histories available for education and research purposes.
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
Book an appointment to visit the rare book library.

International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) This link opens in a new window
Citations to journal articles, books, reviews, and chapters in the fields of anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology.
GEOBASE This link opens in a new window
Database for physical and human geography, earth and environmental sciences, ecology, and related disciplines, focusing on the human and social impacts on both.
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Citation information and research impact factors for multi-disciplinary journal articles, conference papers, books, and more.
Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Citations and abstracts of scholarly journals, dissertations, books, and conference papers in the social and behavioural sciences.
PAIS Index This link opens in a new window
International research in public affairs, public and social policies, and international relations. Provides access to journal articles, books, government documents, research and conference reports, and more.
Historical Abstracts (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
The definitive index of literature covering world history (excluding the United States and Canada) from the 15th century to the present.

Toronto Public Library - Urban Affairs Collection
Note: When searching, be sure to select the check box to limit to this collection! This specialized planning collection is located at the Toronto Reference Library and will include historical Toronto planning publications. It is a reference collection and must be used in the library, though some materials may also have circulating copies available. All U of T students are eligible for a free TPL card.
Canadian Municipal Collection (Internet Archive)
Contains urban planning documents, statistics, council minutes, reports, bylaws, audit and financial reports held at the University of Toronto Libraries

Muniscope This link opens in a new window
Canada’s "national resource on municipal and regional issues". The 'Research' section provides comprehensive links to Canadian city information, news and powerful custom search tools for searching the websites of municipalities, municipal associations, and provinces and territories. The 'Library' section includes a library catalogue - many of the items listed in the catalogue will be available through the U of T Library or available on the web. To access any of the above, students must register for a free account - select the 'Public Library/University' option and use your university email account when completing the form. Once your account information has been issued, log-in to gain access to the site's resources.

Skateboarding Strategy - City of Toronto

Spacing
Canadian magazine with articles focused on urban issues in Canada's major cities.
The Conversation - Urban Planning
The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, from the academic and research community.
Thrasher
Skateboarding magazine

Archival Map of Scarborough
Located in the Map and Data Library Scanned Library Collection are two maps of the township of Scarborough from 1933 and 1950.
Maps from the City of Toronto Archives
Historical maps & atlases, fire insurance plans, aerial photographs, and more.
ArcGIS Online
Getting started with ArcGIS Online
ArcGIS StoryMaps
Getting Started with ArcGIS StoryMaps
Introduction to Digital Storytelling using Storymaps

Geocoder.ca
Quick look-up
Geocoding in ArcGIS Online II
Geocoder Tools
From the Map and Data Library

Censuses
Library and Archives Canada holds an extensive collection of Canadian census records from 1640 to 1926, and for Newfoundland from 1671 to 1945.
Census of Canada Datasets
City of Toronto Open Data Portal
Freely available datasets from the City of Toronto. Includes statistics on public health, plus emergency services, budget, bikeways, childcare, city wards, food banks, elections, economic indicators, and more.
Scholars Geoportal
Scholars GeoPortal provides users with an interactive map interface for searching, browsing, exploring, and accessing geospatial data and aerial imagery. It allows users to customize their data extracts by selecting the appropriate extent, coordinate system, and file format for their work.

Statista This link opens in a new window
Categorized into 21 market sectors, Statista.com provides direct access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets.

< odesi >
< odesi > is a repository of over 5,000 Canadian social science datasets, including Statistics Canada microdata files and statistical tables, as well as a range of public opinion polling data. Additional datasets can be identified through but may not be available at the University of Toronto.

Environmental Inequalities Storymap
Skateboarding Map for Victoria, BC.
Places of Worship - City of Peel
Language Diversity in NYC
“This Body Has Fought Hard to Be Here!” —Unearthing Mishritata: Using Drama to Map the Multiple Minoritization of Queer Desi/South Asian Young Adults in Toronto
Thesis in our institutional repository that examines community mapping.
Filipino Diaspora World Map
Prezi presentation

Scarborough, Ontario Library Guide
A guide to help students find information about Scarborough, Ontario.
Municipal Resources - Canadian Government Information Library Guide
A guide to resources available to the University of Toronto community for Canadian government information.
Scarborough Data Collection
UTSC Digital Scholarship Unit collection of census-derived data that are Scarborough-specific.
Local History Publications
Toronto Public Library local history books.
Local History & Genaology
Explore Toronto Public Library's collection and search by neighbourhood for historical documents and resources.
Archival Photograph of Canada Arsenals Ltd 1952
Canadian Arsenals Ltd., shown under construction, was later repurposed as the site of Centennial's original Warden Woods Campus. Located in the Centennial College Institutional Repository
Archival Photograph of Scarboro Radar Plant 1952
Located in Centennial College Institutional Repository

Activity: Archival Research & Curiosities

Now that you have discussed how archival systems are organized in order to access relevant information, it's your turn to search for archival materials.

For the next 15 minutes:

1. Pick an archival database from the list above or other.

2. Search your topic, and manage your citations for what you discover.

QUICK WRITE

Based on what you discovered, what’s one question you now have about your topic or something you are curious to learn more about? Share this in the group Jamboard.

Jamboard for the Scarborough Social Atlas
The Jamboard is a place for divergent thinking/brainstorming, and a place to share ideas with your peers and to learn from others ideas.

Activity Think-Pair-Share: Narratives of Inspiration using 5Ws Framework

To help us find narratives of inspiration, you will identify the facts of your topic using the 5W framework: who, what, where, and when of your topic so to determine questions of curiosities and research needs. Considering these curiosities, you will also identify keywords to help you start searching in newspaper archive databases.

Go to the Jamboard for this activity.

1. THINK

What inspired you to study this topic?
Why is this topic important? To you? For others to discover or learn from? Why care?
What do you already know about your topic? 5Ws

2. PAIR

Turn to the person next to you and share 5 facts about your topic and what you want to find in the newspaper archive databases? If you are listening what’s a question you have for your peer?

3. SHARE around