Geography of the City of Peterborough - Essay Example

This work is aimed to give knowledge about the cultural environment of Census tract 5 of Peterborough. Impression of the selected area will be made on the comparison of information in a secondary source of a book “Peterborough and the Kawarthas” by Adams and Taylor and primary sources. The paper will look into cultural factors, which are shaped in the primary as well as secondary sources.
Information about Census Tract 5 from Secondary Source:
The study area is located among park street south, Lansdowne Street, little lake and Rink Street. The concerned area is located at a very important place and keeps diversity for the commercial and industrial base. Lansdowne Street joints the highway. The indigenous people occupy this part of Peterborough. Metropolitan Toronto also influences this part of Peterborough. Water is an important component of the cultural and physical landscape of the census tract 05. The little lake provides recreational opportunities to tours and local residents (Adams and Taylor, 2009). Traditional ways of travelling were used as boating. It was suggested as the important for recreation in the economy. Adams and Taylor (2009) provided the industrial outlook of the area. The Q.T.G Canada and Ventra Plastics, Sysco Food Services and Siemens are the important industries of the City of Peterborough. Development in tourist, health and education industry is also increasing in the concerned area. Trent University and Sir Sand ford Fleming College are the major institutions in the area. Students from local as well as across Canada and Province come here for study purposes. Adams and Taylor (2009) presented the Census tracts of Peterborough on varied cultural, shopping and recreational attractions. People move to Toronto in summer and weekends because of Kawartha lakes. People from America, Ontario also come to these Kawartha lakes in their leisure time. People use their own automobiles for travelling, but some people use other means such as bicycling, walking and canoeing.
Observation from Primary sources:
The cultural heritage landscapes are those areas, which are modified by humans. The residents of the area value this modified landscape. Little lake cemetery was chartered first in Ontario that represented the special cultural heritage. The little lake is recognized as a significant place and considered an open space because it is adjacent to parks. The little lake is Category an asset because the properties of the Little Lake are valued on provincial as well as national levels. Lansdowne Street is an important place for growing business and just away from the heart of the city Peterborough. For example, Comfort Hotel & Suites is beautifully designed that demonstrates the origin of this area in the city of Peterborough. The Lansdowne Street W crosses over the Little Lake and leads towards the Burnham Provincial Park. Park Street is also included in the business districts of the central area. The Park Street area is represented as the transitional and industrial conversion sub-area. The natural setting and topography of the Little Lake provide space for people living in the Census Tract 5 as a fashion for the movement of a rural cemetery. This area is also significant because it reflects the changing attitudes about the concept of death and cultural movement. Tract 5 is the area of residents with high-income families. People living in this area shift their spending on the needs and household. Young adults of the study area spend a higher part of their income on recreation merchandise, fashion and entertainment. Increase in family size and children ages, the housing, home decoration and furnishing share a greater part of the income of families. People of the concerned area replace the furniture when it is retired. The presence of colleges and other educational institutions is the crucial driver for economic development and attracts young people to be part of the same community. In industrial areas, car parking is expensive as compared to other areas. In the secondary source, such events are not described. The industrial area is often designated for highway corridors. The main business of people in the study area is automotive, food service, Computer and software stores, Music, Books and Sports Goods, and Furniture Stores.
Field observation helped to get important information about the cultural environment of the study area that was not emphasized in the secondary resource. The secondary resource did not provide detail on people’s living style, business, income, buying attitude of residents. The business of people in the study area was not discussed in the secondary source. In the study area, children under the age of 12 years are allowed to be left alone at their homes. However, licensed care providers are also available in the daycare centers. Working families can get financial help for the caring of their children in daycare centers. Diverse housing options for families, businesspeople, and students are used in the study area. House rents are lower than the larger cities Ottawa or Toronto. The people living in the area of census tract 5 do not face the issues of the traffic jam and congestion of the large shopping stores. Public transit is also provided for pedestrians and cyclists. Local taxis and Peterborough Transit is also available for the people who do not have their own cars. Read More