Rural Policy
The State of Rural Canada
The State of Rural Canada report provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse challenges and opportunities facing rural, remote, and northern communities across the country. While each region has its unique context, several overarching themes emerge from this fifth version of the report that paint a picture of rural Canada as a complex mosaic of…
Read MoreSupporting Rural and Remote Economies: What Canada Must Do Now
Rural, remote, and northern regions are important and should be supported, not just because of their economic contributions (they contribute to over a quarter of Canada’s GDP) but because people in all parts of Canada should have similar levels of well-being. This is fundamental to our nation’s territorial cohesion. Accordingly, there is a lot of…
Read MoreRural Voice Missing from Emergency Task Force
An expert task force on emergencies that will weigh in on revising the province’s emergency legislation lacks representation from the Cariboo Region and rural communities as a whole, say critics. Comprised of 14 experts appointed by the provincial government, the purpose of the panel is to provide recommendations to help B.C. be better prepared for…
Read MoreStrongerBC for everyone – Investing in Rural Communities
The B.C. government has released StrongerBC: Good Lives in Strong Communities, a new vision that outlines investments to help build a brighter future for rural communities and the people who call them home. “If you’re looking for people to help cut through the noise and get a job done, my bet will always be on…
Read MoreA Post-Pandemic Policy Agenda for Rural and Smaller Canadian Communities
Many of us know someone who, at the height of the pandemic, picked up and moved from an urban centre to a smaller, more rural Canadian community. Though small and rural communities face unique challenges across this country, we know one thing: inclusive and sustainable growth principles are becoming foundational to economic decision-making across the…
Read MoreWhat is Rural Policy Today? A pan-Canadian scan of policies for rural spaces
Rural regions are at the forefront of change. As our great green places—with the vast majority of land and natural resources—they are central to climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. Read the full report here: Rural-Policies-CRRF-2022 The rapid need to de-carbonize economies is leading to large new investments in renewable energy infrastructure, transforming rural landscapes…
Read MoreRural 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 MoreImportance of Co-op’s in Agriculture
Governance, investment for growth and development, accessing institutional markets, and land management were among the topics covered at the inaugural BC Agriculture and Food Co-op Conference in Kamloops, March 24-25. Hosted by the BC Co-operative Association, the event attracted about 120 growers, processors, retailers, academics, government representatives, policymakers and others came together to raise awareness…
Read MoreA new way of valuing housing density could lead to truly affordable housing
Patrick Condon doesn’t buy the argument that sky-high housing prices in Vancouver and Toronto can be pinned down to a problem of supply and demand. “A lot of people think that just by adding new supply to the city of Vancouver, things will get cheaper,” he says. “But that’s not been proven to be the…
Read MoreLocal Immigration: Assessing the Policy Capacity of Smaller Communities
Who should decide whether a smaller community is ready to welcome foreign-born residents? Who should participate in the design and implementation of a local immigration strategy? There has been an increasing policy interest in encouraging immigration settlement in smaller communities, as evidenced by the introduction of Rural and Northern Immigration pilots and soon-to-be Municipal Nominee…
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