rural life
Rural BC Project
The purpose of the Rural BC Project was to develop recommendations to the provincial government on actions that would help facilitate rural development in BC. The video below was produced in 2013 when the BC Rural Centre was SIBAC (Southern Interior Beetle Action Collation). SIBAC partnered with the other two regional Beetle Action Coalitions to…
Read MoreHousing Shortages and Rural Migration
When non-metropolitan communities do not have enough housing supply, or not enough appropriate housing, community and economic development faces challenges, and social and economic momentum can be lost. Attracting new residents, housing a larger workforce, and enabling seniors to comfortably age in place, all while maintaining a high quality of life for all residents, becomes…
Read MoreHouse 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.
Read MoreLocal brewers craft for community
You are sitting at your favourite bar in town watching the bartender pour that familiar winter ale that always signals the beginning of ski season. As you wait for them to slide that frosty mug of beer down your direction, you probably aren’t thinking about hop farmers, or the ways the brewery is trying to…
Read MoreNew rural journalism project launches in the Kootenays
Local media are sorely lacking in many rural communities. In the absence of reliable, shared stories and information, communities often miss opportunities to effectively address challenges and seize opportunities. The West Kootenay Eco Society is doing something about that. They’ve launched an online publication, livinghere.ca, that highlights the positive solutions coming out of rural communities,…
Read MoreRankin MacSween’s “Keeping It Rural” Keynote
Rankin MacSween, who gave an amazingly inspirational keynote speech at our 2015 Keeping It Rural conference, one that people still talk about, followed that up with an equally inspiring address at our most recent Keeping It Rural gathering in Kelowna. For over three decades, Rankin has led Canada’s oldest – and most successful – community…
Read MoreWhat’s Killing Rural Canada?
In this sobering Maclean’s article, Aaron Hutchins examines the challenges facing many rural Canadian towns. Crime, opioid abuse, boarded-up businesses and fleeing populations are destroying the country’s heartland. Can small-town life be saved? By Aaron Hutchins Kathy Jones is pretty confident there are 100 people living in Jansen, Sask., today. Maybe it’s 101.Either way,…
Read MoreOff-Grid in Northern BC
In this video, we meet Jeff, Rose, and their five girls who are living completely off-grid on a 40-acre piece of land in northern BC. They built their own off-grid house for less than $25,000 with cedar posts sunk into the ground like a pole barn, log rafters, plywood, foam insulation, and a living roof.…
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