The News
The latest articles and news relating to rural living...
General Local Elections Tomorrow!
Don’t forget that tomorrow, Saturday, October 20, is local election day across BC. For some useful information, here’s a link to the Elections BC website.
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What’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?…
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Canada, BC Support Agriculture in Indigenous Communities
The provincial and federal governments have announced a new program to assist Indigneous communities in BC interested in expanding their agricultural businesses and supporting local food security. Under this new initiative, professional and qualified…
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Cannabis Clarity from the BC Government
Cannabis clarity is the goal of the BC Government’s official web page on the new cannabis situation. Given that non-medical cannabis is now legal in Canada, this is a useful resource for anyone in…
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Canal Flats Is Electric!
Canal Flats fell on hard times. When our communities’ circumstances change, we need to find new ways to prosper. Canal Flats was a lumber town; it’s primary employer was a sawmill. When that mill closed…
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Here to Stay
In this CBC podcast, host Manusha Janakiram looks at how Canada’s smallest, often remote communities are not just striving to survive — but to thrive!
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Rural Innovation — How It Happens, How To Inspire More
Rural innovation — how does it happen and how can it be encouraged? A researcher in the USA has received funding to zero in on these questions, as reported in the following article by Matt…
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Innovation In Small Town BC
There seems to be general agreement that innovation — the embracing of fresh new ideas and revolutionary new technologies — is crucial to the growth and health of urban economies. But what about our small…
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“Happy Valley”? Place-making in the Cowichan Valley
Charles Montgomery discusses”Happy Valley” — place-making focused on the future of Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley. Montgomery is an award-winning author, who helps people find new ways to change the world around them.
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Civic Engagement Goes Online in the Cowichan Valley
As we approach province-wide municipal and regional elections later this month, the subject of civic engagement looms large. Specifically, the common problem in rural communities across BC of a lack of civic engagement. How can…
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Civic Engagement on Vancouver Island — 2 Conversations
With elections looming later this month across BC, the challenge of getting folks involved in local and regional decision-making is a timely subject. If the goals of an effective rural regional or local government…
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Seniors’ Housing
Slocan seniors’ housing hosts grand opening Sept. 27 Years of hard work, stamina and emotion have gone into the creation and construction of Slocan City Suites, the new seniors’ housing that celebrates its grand opening…
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Innovation Can Transform Small Towns!
There are only two approaches to dealing with the often-wrenching changes sweeping over small towns these days — stick with the ol’ “tried & true,” and be overwhelmed by the tsunami of change that seems…
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Technology and Innovation provide Enhanced Rural Healthcare
Technology will play an increasingly important role in providing rural and First Nations citizens living in remote regions with adequate healthcare.
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Innovation & Technology Make a Big Difference in Rural BC
Innovation in rural BC — its importance, and how it can be deployed to help with everything from boosting local economies to coping with a changing climate — is an enormously important issue. We…
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Creating Community: Affordable Housing on the San Juan Islands
Creating community is a phrase that can describe and include many things — including ensuring everyone has access to a home. Community Land Trusts are uniquely positioned to provide affordable housing appropriate to the places…
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Land Leases & Affordable Housing — an Animated Tale!
“In conclusion, middle-income housing affordability in Canada has become a profound social and economic crisis worthy of serious and concentrated public policy attention.” — Canada’s Middle-Income Housing Affordability Crisis, Frontier Centre for Public Policy, June…
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Community Land Trusts, Land Leases & Shared Equity Affordable Home Ownership — a New Report
This report on Community Land Trusts, land leases & shared equity approaches to creating affordable rural housing was written by Gordon Borgstrom, Executive Director of the BC Rural Centre. The report is based on research…
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Rural Renewal Contest a Rousing Success!
When the BC Rural Centre launched its Escape the City contest in the early Spring, the provincial non-profit focused on helping rural communities and First Nations identify ways of tackling their most vexing challenges…
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Small Stores a Big Idea?
This article by the New York Times‘ Kim Severson showcases some intriguing ways innovative entrepreneurs are ensuring folks in small towns and urban neighbourhoods have access to healthy food. The Freshest Ideas Are in Small…
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Contractor Sustainability: A Personal Perspective
By the time you read this our family business of three generations— and ninety years—will have left the forest industry. So begins a powerful personal story, penned by Graham Lasure in Truck Logger BC (click…
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Small Town Canada Strives to Survive
Here’s an informative report by CBC on how rural Canadians are striving to cope with change in the 21st century. TRANSFORMATION How Canada’s small towns are trying to survive and thrive in changing times All…
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Young City Couple “Escape the City”!
Rochelle and Jean-Michel Longval are typical young urbanites. Or are they? Both are professionals. They have no children, an extremely cute dog named Geo, and a nice home in a leafy Calgary neighbourhood. Life for…
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Healthcare a Hot Topic In This Kootenay Community
Healthcare — access to adequate health services — is an ongoing problem across rural BC. The challenge for one community to recruit new physicians could have a drastic effect on the emergency room hours for…
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