News Archives

BC Premier to Deliver COVID-19 Address Today

VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier John Horgan is expected to give an update Wednesday on the province’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The premier’s statements will be carried live beginning at 1:15 p.m. on this page. Horgan will be speaking from the B.C. legislature in Victoria and answering media questions via…

COVID-19 — Information Sources for Rural, Remote, and Rural First Nations British Columbians

These are challenging times for all of us, whether we live in Lombardy or London, Bhutan or rural British Columbia. Access to the best possible information regarding COVID-19 is crucial. Which is why we have put together this brief directory of trusted information sources for rural, remote, and rural First Nations British Columbians. We will…

First Nations, Rural and Remote Real-Time Virtual Medicine — an Update

In a recent update, Dr. Ray Markham, Executive Director of the Rural Coordination Centre of British Columbia (RCCbc), notes that The Collaborative Centre for Rural and First Nations Virtually Enhanced Care was established last year. The Collaborative Centre is jointly supported and led by First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), Providence Health Services Authority (PHSA), and…

Community Investment Guide Webinar, March 10

The longer a dollar can circulate within a community, the greater its economic and social impacts. Few know this as well as Eden Yesh, Chair of the BC Community Impact Investment Coalition and Manager of Community & Economic Development at Kootenay Employment Services. On Tuesday, March 10, at 1 PM Pacific, Eden will release…

We Want to Hear From You!

A major part of our mandate here at the BC Rural Centre is to provide timely information and tools that help rural & remote residents, communities, and First Nations deal with some of the most common issues and challenges they face. We also believe it’s important to share rural success stories. As we…

Healthcare in Rural BC Gets a Closer Look

Overview In 2017, the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues (JSC) tasked the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc) with visiting every Rural Subsidiary Agreement (RSA) community between 2017 and 2020. These visits will connect with rural practitioners and communities to hear about the context of rural practice and health care delivery (what innovations exist,…

First Nations Health Authority and Rural Coordination Centre of BC sign Memorandum of Understanding

The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in late 2019 at the FNHA’s Northern Regional Gathering in Prince George. The MOU formalizes the commitment of both organizations to work collaboratively to improve health outcomes for BC’s First Nations and non-First Nations populations living…

$50M available from B.C. government to improve rural Internet

The Province is now ready to accept applications from rural communities wishing to access some of the $50 million earmarked in the spring of 2019 to be used to connect rural, remote, and indigenous communities to high-speed internet, as highlighted in this post from CBC. It’s easy to forget the internet isn’t everywhere, yet…

Rural Islands Economic Forum a First!

“This is a critical and essential time for our rural islands and First Nations communities to come together to collectively address long-term community economic health all within the context of climate change.” The Rural Islands Economic Forum (RIEF), held November 7—8 on Pender Island, was a grassroots initiative organized as a…

Keeping It Rural 2019 in the Books!

Keeping It Rural, our biennial conference focussing on issues of importance to rural and First Nations citizens was held on October 7th and 8th in Kelowna. An outstanding lineup of presenters tackled topics ranging from community forestry to innovative ways to attract young people to rural communities. This year’s conference was kicked off by…