The News
The latest articles and news relating to rural living...
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,…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
Supporting Small Independent Businesses in BC
Support Local BC was an initiative brought on out of necessity in 2020 due to the closures of many businesses in response to the Provincial Health Orders to stop the rapid spread of COVID-19. The…
Rural-Urban Inequities in Palliative Care
Many rural communities have few or no palliative care beds. And as financial burdens increase, some health authorities are agreeing to staff new beds only if the local community pays for the design and building…
Regulations Urged for Short-term Rentals
The Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) has made 13 requests of the province to consider in order to establish a regulatory framework for the short-term accommodations industry, similar to those in place for ride-hailing and…
Yarmouth Organizations Team Up to Tackle Shortage of Doctors, Housing
A success story posted by Preston Mulligan of CBC Nova Scotia tells about how the housing shortage in Nova Scotia has created another hurdle in the struggle to attract doctors, but the business community in…
The State of Rural Canada Report 2021
The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation recently released its annual State of Rural Canada report. The first edition of the State of Rural Canada described rural British Columbia (BC) as a dynamic and evolving landscape. This…
House 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…
Virtual care innovations in rural BC
Dr. John Pawlovich, UBC Rural Health Chair and a leading advocate of creating innovative, tech-driven solutions to some of the most vexing health & wellness challenges facing rural, remote, and First Nations British Columbians, describes…
Fairy Creek blockades must go, B.C. Supreme Court rules
After eight months of camping out to protect old-growth forests from logging, Fairy Creek activists have been told their blockades must go. In its decision Thursday morning, the B.C. Supreme Court stated logging activities by…