Date of Award

Fall 2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Geography

Supervisor

Darren M. Scott

Co-Supervisor

K. Bruce Newbold

Language

English

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between migration, residential location, and commute distance within Toronto‟s commuter shed. The study utilizes data from the master file of the 2006 Canadian Census. This master file contains the previous residential locations of recent migrants, thus allowing migrants to be disaggregated by duration of residence. Multivariate regressions indicate that living in the most accessible rural areas and being a recent migrant are significantly associated with longer commutes. Furthermore, the Canadian Census distinguishes between those who migrated in the year immediately prior to the Census, and those who migrated one to five-years prior to the Census date. Findings demonstrate that the commute distance of very recent migrants (those who migrated in the year immediately prior to the census) have the longest commute distances. As residential duration increases, commute distance decreases.

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