THE ORIGIN OF THE OAK RIDGES AND ORANGEVILLE MORAINES OF SOUTHERN ONTARIO

T he O rangeville and Oak Ridges moraines have long been considered the main Iandforms constructed during the initial deglaciation of southern Ontario. Recent mapping and stratigraphic studies indicate that they were deposited rather later than the initial phase of deglaciation. This note briefly describes some of these recent developments.     

PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY UNCERTAINTY AND THE OPTIMAL LOCATION OF THE FIRM*

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the implication of production-technology uncertainty for the exclusion theorem. The paper presents the result that the risk-averse firm facing production technology uncertainty prefers an intermediate location to avoid risk under certain conditions. The firm chooses an intermediate location (over a corner location) particularly if its degree of risk aversion overwhelms the inherent convexity of profit with respect to location. The latter depends, in turn, on the structure of production technology characterized by the elasticity of substitution and returns to scale parameters.     

ON THE OPTIMAL LOCATION OF SENSORS IN MULTI-STOREYED BUILDINGS

A new approach has been developed for finding optimal location of sensors in 3D multi-storeyed buildings. This approach is based on the compact probabilistic representation of acceleration response in terms of its covariance matrix. For a specified number of sensors, the optimal location has been taken to be the one for which the computed covariance matrix is closest to the exact covariance matrix of the random field constituted by the acceleration response process. It has been found that the determined sensor locations match favourably with those predicted by earlier studies for the special case of shear buildings. Further, the optimality of the determined sensor locations has also been verified by identifying the system parameters from the time series data and comparing them with those of the Finite Element Model.     

OPTIMUM LOCATION OF PUBLIC FACILITIES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE LAND MARKET*

ABSTRACT. This paper discusses the problem of the optimal location of public facility(ies) in a long narrow city, especially taking into consideration the externality-internalizing effect of the land market. It shows a systematic approach to dealing with the land market mechanism in first a one-facility and then a two-facility case. The analysis assures the importance of posing the location-optimizing problem even under the influence of the land market.     

LOCATION AND MARKET POWER HOTELLING REVISITED*

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the determination of industry structure in a product market, given a monopolistic factor market. The characteristics of industry structure examined include the number of firms, their pricing and locational pattern. It is shown how a monopolistic factor owner–a landowner–structures the product market in order to extract maximum rent. Asymmetry characterizes the resulting locational pattern. All the product market firms charge different prices in equilibrium. No matter how large the number of firms competing in the product market, the landowner can always guarantee himself positive profits. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible applications and tests of the theory.     

THE DIFFUSION OF GRAIN CORN PRODUCTION THROUGH SOUTHERN ONTARIO, 1946–1971

The diffusion of grain corn production is described and its spatial form considered in light of innovation diffusion theory. A model is developed to examine the covariance of changes in rate of adoption and selected independent variables representing spatial and aspatial hypotheses. The results suggest that the structure of this diffusion process changes over time. Up to 1956, the process conforms at least in part to the geographer's conceptualization of spatial diffusion dependent upon distance-sensitive information flows. After 1956, however, changes in county levels of adoption appear to be determined primarily by other, aspatial factors.
Dans cet article, nous entendons décrire la diffusion agricole du grain de maïs et nous en étudions la configuration spatiale à la lumière des innovations en théorie de la diffusion. Nous avons produit un modèle qui nous permet d'examiner la convariance des changements dans le taux d'adoption et nous avons adopté un choix de variables indépendantes, représentant des hypothèses spatiales et aspatiales. Les résultats indiquent que la structure de ce processus de diffusion change avec le temps. Jusqu'en 1956, le processus est conforme, au moins en partie, à la conceptualisation, chez les géographes, d'une diffusion spatiale dépendante d'une information influencée par les distances. Toutefois, après 1956, les changements de niveaux d'adoption dans les comtés semblent déterminés surtout par d'autres facteurs aspatiaux.     

A MANAGERIAL MODEL OF THE EFFECT OF PRODUCT MARKET STRUCTURE ON FIRM LOCATION*

ABSTRACT. This paper develops a model of firm location choice based on managerial theory of discretionary behavior. Specifically, it is assumed that the management of the firm maximizes a utility function which incorporates profits and location-specific amenities. As the firm moves from one prospective location to another, it faces a profit-amenity constraint imposed by market conditions. The optimal location decision is derived by maximizing the utility function subject to this market-imposed constraint. After examining the properties of the optimal solution, the impact of various changes in product market structure (including changes from a contestible markets perspective) on the location decision is investigated. A major finding is that the impact of a change in market structure depends upon the nature of the structure change and upon the substitution and income effects induced by the structural change.     

THE RENEWED VIABILITY OF GRAIN CORN PRODUCTION IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO, 1961–1971, AND CHANGES IN HARVESTING AND STORAGE METHODS

The decade 1961–1971 was one of remarkable expansion in grain corn production across southern Ontario, most notably reflected by the increase in the average scale of production. The complex of factors related to the renewed viability of the crop is discussed, with particular attention to developments in harvesting and storage methods. This serves to illustrate the process by which new developments in harvesting and storage methods were adopted and relates technological change to the economics of grain corn production and adaptive decision-making.
De 1961 à 1971, l'ensemble du Sud de l'Ontario a connu une expansion remarquable de la production de grains de maïs, une expansion surtout reflétée par une augmentation notable du niveau moyen de production. Dans notre article, nous discutons les facteurs complexes reliés à ce renouveau de la viabilité du maïs. Nous nous concentrons sur le développement des méthodes de récolte et d'entreposage. Notre perspective nous permet d'illustrer le processus d'adoption des nouvelles méthodes de récolte et d'entreposage, et de lier le changement technologique à l'économie de la production de grains de maüs et aux prises de décisions conséquentes.