Regulations Urged for Short-term Rentals

The Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) has made 13 requests of the province to consider in order to establish a regulatory framework for the short-term accommodations industry, similar to those in place for ride-hailing and other regulated industries.  Read The Report Here

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The State of Rural Canada Report 2021

The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation recently released its annual State of Rural Canada report. The first edition of the State of Rural Canada described rural British Columbia (BC) as a dynamic and evolving landscape. This remains an apt description. Who and what are rural is not static. Read the latest report here.

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House Sales Are Booming in Rural BC

House Sales Are Booming in Rural BC — and Renters Are Getting Slammed A July 2021 article by Alex Cosh in “TheTyee.ca” discusses how increasing house prices in many smaller rural communities are causing problems for renters and long-time residents. Read the article here.

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Internet Expands in Rural BC & First Nations

Internet expands in rural BC

The B.C. government has shared details on funding to bring high-speed internet connections to more rural and Indigenous communities. The province announced more than $11 million in funding through the Connecting British Columbia program, which will reach 33 communities. The main areas to receive fibre-optic internet cable will be Haida Gwaii, the areas between Whistler…

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Help for BC Rural Small Businesses Hurt by Wildfires

Straight.com reports that hundreds of wildfires in B.C. this summer have not only wreaked havoc on evacuees, they’re also putting some businesses in jeopardy. In response to this, the BC Government Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Doug Donaldson, has announced that a $1,500 emergency grant will be made available to…

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Wildfires Linked to Climate Change?

  Wildfires are sweeping B.C. Close to 900 have burned through 600,000 hectares so far this year, blanketing western North America with smoke. Fighting them has cost more than $230 million—and the season is far from over. It’s not just B.C. Thousands of people from B.C. to California have fled homes as fires rage. Greenland…

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Latest on the BC Wildfire Situation

According to Vancouver’s News 1130, British Columbia’s wildfire situation is expected to get worse before it gets better. There are currently 125 fires burning across the province, including a “monster fire” at Elephant Hill. Sixteen of the fires burning now started on Friday, bringing the total number since April 1st to 884. The cost of…

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Newcomer Engagement in Ontario Report

When newcomers and other community residents enjoy mutually beneficial relationships, rural communities are more likely to be healthy. The Rural Ontario Institute recently released a report, Newcomer Engagement and Social Capital in Rural Communities, that explores how rural communities are engaging newcomers in their civic life. Newcomer Engagement and Social Capital in Rural Communities examines…

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