News
New Rural Dividend Intake Begins June 1, 2018, July 31 Deadline
New Rural Dividend Intake Announced The BC Rural Dividend provides $25 million a year to assist rural communities with a population of 25,000 or less to reinvigorate and diversify their local economies. It was developed to recognize both the contribution rural communities have made to B.C.’s economy, and the unique challenges they face to diversify…
Read MoreEscape the City Winners Announced!
It’s like a law of physics — you know, for every action an equal reaction. As our major centres grow ever larger and more congested, attracting young people from rural areas with the promise of jobs and, well, glitter and glamour, an increasing number of youngish city folk are starting to look longingly at BC’s…
Read MorePeter Kenyon Coming to BC!
The BC Rural Centre is very pleased to be bringing Peter Kenyon back to BC, to deliver a series of asset based community development (ABCD) workshops in multiple towns across BC, starting May 30th. The workshops will be led by Peter Kenyon, the renowned Director of the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. (Initiatives for the Development of…
Read MoreEscape the City Contest — Win a Weekend in Alpine Nirvana!
Tired of the urban rat race? Wish you could afford your own home? Want to walk to work? Wish you had access to world class skiing, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, and climbing? Like the idea of being able to walk to do all your shopping? Kinda dig the idea of living in an alpine village…
Read MoreEscape the City!
Escape the City — that’s a concept that’s likely to become increasingly common as our major centres become increasing crowded — and expensive. Life in a major urban area isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Sky-high housing costs, seemingly endless traffic woes, crime, pollution, noise, and stress — lots of stress —…
Read MoreWebinar — BC Farming’s Future!
BC farming’s future is the subject of an upcoming BC Rural Centre webinar, Tuesday, February 27, at 11AM Pacific, featuring Heather Pritchard of the Foodlands Cooperative of BC. Join us to listen, learn, and pose questions to this outstanding presenter. Participation is simple. All you need is a decent computer or smartphone. Be sure to…
Read MoreB.C. Government Invites Rural Strategy Suggestions
If you’re concerned about the future of rural B.C.’s communities and First Nations, you’ll be interested in the following invitation from B.C. Government to share your ideas and suggestions. Note that the deadline for submissions is February 28. The B.C. Government is committed to developing a new, long-term, durable Rural Development Strategy that works for…
Read MoreCape Breton Business Offers ‘Land for Jobs’
Angela Antle is a producer who works from St. John’s and is the host of Atlantic Voice, a Sunday morning documentary program on CBC Radio. In the following blogpost and podcast, Angela describes one Cape Breton business’ novel way of attracting new staff. Cape Breton business woman Heather Coulombe says it was…
Read MoreCommunity Investment Sessions Coming to Southern Interior Communities
Community investment is the process of connecting local investors to local investment opportunities. While the demand for investing locally is increasing, traditional options available to investors limit where they can invest. The result is that most local investment capital leaves our community and is invested into far off stock markets and corporations. An unintended consequence…
Read MoreBC Rural Centre’s Recommendations for Rural Development
What kind of provincial policies and tools would help us with rural development in BC? This is an issue the BC Rural Centre/SIBAC has spent a lot of time and effort researching. We have developed a brief document (see below) that provides a summary discussion of the top five recommendations the BC Rural Centre would…
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