News Archives

Enderby Hails a Ride

As B.C. mulls the future of ride-hailing services like Uber, one small town — Enderby — is making the case to welcome the service with open arms. Much of the ride-hailing discussion in our procince has been focused in big cities like Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna — where Uber plans to focus its activity. But this week, a councillor…

Province Partners with CBT for New Affordable Housing

People struggling to find an affordable place to live in the Columbia Basin region will have access to new rental housing, thanks to a partnership announced between the BC government and Columbia Basin Trust (CBT), part of the government’s larger, province-wide goal of creating 114,000 new units of affordable market rental, non-profit, co-op, supported social…

B.C. small farms are booming, despite fickle buyers and extreme weather

B.C.’s small farms are booming, despite market and climate challenges, according to this article from CBC News. High winds slammed a tree into Paul Dumais’ chicken coop Tuesday while he was collecting eggs inside, sending a shudder through the walls of the shack south of Quesnel B.C. — but the chickens survived. “I just…

Rural Transportation Proposal from Greyhound Canada

Providing rural transportation is a challenge across BC. Four months after making a request to the B.C. Transportation Board to drop several routes, Greyhound Canada has proposed a solution to save inter-city bus service in rural areas. The transportation provider is asking the B.C. government to create what it calls a Connecting Communities Fund. “We’re drawing this directly from…

Aging BC Doctors an Issue

The phenomenon of aging BC doctors and its implications for patients, especially in rural BC, is looming as a real challenge, . Almost 15 per cent of British Columbians don’t have access to a regular family physician, and a new report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests the problem will only get worse as…

BC Rural Dividend Program Announces Fourth Intake

Applications for funding in the fourth intake of the BC Rural Dividend program will be accepted Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, 2017, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Doug Donaldson announced today. “I encourage local governments, not-for-profit organizations and First Nations to get their applications submitted,” said Donaldson. “We’re committed to…

Ontario’s Rural Broadband Challenge

Ontario’s rural broadband challenge is highlighted in this article by Dave Reevely, originally published in the Ottawa Citizen. Running subsidized Internet lines to rural Ontario has an important thing in common with the provincial government’s plan to pay for new natural-gas pipes to the same places: There’s private money to be made. We can’t…

BC Forestry Trade Mission to Asia Launches

BC Government Forestry trade mission to Asia

The BC Forestry trade mission to Asia is British Columbia’s largest-ever forest sector delegation to China and Japan, according to Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Minister Doug Donaldson. The mission, from Nov. 12 to 17, sees Minister Donaldson joined by over 30 senior executives from B.C. forest companies and associations. “We need to…

Urban-Rural Divide Widens in Sweden

The urban-rural divide is as real in Sweden today as it is in British Columbia, and North America generally. The Nordic country’s cities continue to grow and develop, while rural communities shrink and unravel. “Young people are moving away, and that carries with it disastrous consequences,” says Charlotte Mellander, professor of national economy at the…

BC Rural Dividend grants over $10 million

On Friday, October 13, the BC Government announced over $10 million in new grants to rural communities through the BC Rural Dividend. Here’s the official press release: The B.C. government is distributing $10.1 million in new grants to help rural communities stabilize their economies and create long-term local employment, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural…