The News
The latest articles and news relating to rural living...
An Infrastructure Gap Slows Down Adoption of EV
‘The gap is large’: B.C.’s small towns illuminate urban-rural divide in EV infrastructure There’s an infrastructure gap that’s slowing down the adoption of electric vehicles across B.C. Here’s what three small towns — urban and…
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Is Slow Productivity the Answer to Ending Burn-Out?
Listen to the interview on CBC Radio: The Current with Mark Galloway | Canadian workplaces see increased productivity in four-day work week It’s Time to Embrace Slow Productivity In early December, the Congressional Progressive Caucus…
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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…
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Two Cooperative Associations in BC’s Peace Region Approved for $1 million
PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT, B.C. – Two cooperative associations in B.C.’s Peace Region have been approved for $1 million through the BC Hydro Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund’s (PACF) Agricultural Impact and Opportunities Initiative. The Fort…
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Local Indigenous Communities Reflect on Apology by Pope Francis
Calls to renounce the Doctrine of Discovery at the heart of colonialism 15th-century papal edicts empowered Europe to colonize non-Christian lands and people CBC Radio · Posted: Jul 26, 2022 6:24 PM ET | Last Updated: July…
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EVENT: Power to the People – Bankstown, NSW
In 2022, The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. will partner with Community Minds to bring it to Bankstown! to deliver our annual National Community Development Conference. The theme for the Power to the People 2022 Conference is “Diversity and Inclusion – Cultivating and Celebrating Our Diverse…
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BC Town Fighting to Recruit Family Doctors
Kootenay community of Creston has its own professional headhunter to find physicians Dr. Nerine Kleinhans came to Creston, B.C., from Saskatchewan. She says the town has had a successful recruiting push, but there are still…
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Increased Opportunities for Indigenous People in Forest Sector
Indigenous people looking to work in B.C.’s forest sector will have more opportunities to learn, train and develop in-demand skills through two new provincial grants. Supported by the StrongerBC Economic Plan, the Province is providing funding…
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A Digital Divide Persists Between Rural and Urban Canadians
Are you getting the internet speeds you’re paying for? A digital divide persists between rural and urban Canadians. CIRA is mapping this divide through their Internet Performance Test (IPT) platform so they can help communities…
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A Roadmap to Growth for Local Meat in BC
The Small-Scale Meat Producers Association has released its 2021 Small-Scale Meat Sector Survey. What was heard from this survey is that many small-scale producers are desperate to scale up their production to meet the increasing…
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Housing 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,…
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Importance 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…
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BC’s First Provincial Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy
British Columbia’s First Provincial Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy: Virtual Community Engagement Series In January 2022, The Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) released British Columbia’s first Provincial Urban-Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.…
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Top Takeaways from BC’s Budget 2022
The province has released the 2022-23 budget, outlining the NDP’s spending priorities for B.C. Though the budget is largely business as usual, there are some key takeaways to focus on. 1. Deficits in the years…
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Farmers Enhancing Riparian Areas – Kootenay Program Expands to New Regions
Farmers and ranchers in the Columbia Valley will continue to see rewards for taking action to conserve and enhance important riparian areas on their farms. The Windermere District Farmers’ Institute (WDFI) was one of nine…
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Proposed Sale of Forest Tenure to B.C. First Nations Offers Hope to Hard-Hit Forestry Town
Canfor also agreed to sell Mackenzie site, plant and equipment to wood product company Peak Renewables Residents of Mackenzie, B.C., have long had complaints about seeing their timber supply shipped elsewhere, costing jobs. A new…
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Analysis of Affordable Housing Supply Created by Unilateral National Housing Strategy Programs
Improving the National Housing Strategy (NHS) is one of the 3 priority areas for 2021-22. The Council commissioned Blueprint ADE and the Wellesley Institute to conduct research that analyzes the National Housing Strategy and publish…
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A New Hotline for Rural BC!
The BC Rural Centre has a new direct phone number to call when you need to talk to someone about Rural Issues, Challenges, Opportunities, and Inquiries. Over the past few months, the BC Rural Centre…
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How to Encourage More Family Doctors
A commentary by a family doctor in Saanich: Never, in my 20 years of practice in B.C., have I seen family medicine in crisis as it is now. Trust me, it is not a new…
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A Memorandum of Understanding on Local Government Financial Resiliency
The Province and Union of BC Municipalities will work together to review the local government finance system in B.C. to ensure that municipal governments and regional districts remain resilient in the face of economic changes.…
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More Funding, Better Use of Indigenous Practices Could Prepare Communities for Future Crises
First Nations and Indigenous communities in Canada need more support from the federal government to cope with future disasters related to climate change, according to a new report on Canada’s disaster resilience. Although people living…
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A 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…
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Local 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…
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Rural Development Success Story
Originally Posted on: Nelson Chamber of Commerce Over the last five years, Canada has been a high-tech job creation machine. Year after year, the Toronto area alone has generated more technology jobs than San Francisco,…
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