The News
The latest articles and news relating to rural living...
Keeping It Rural 2019 in the Books!
Keeping It Rural, our biennial conference focussing on issues of importance to rural and First Nations citizens was held on October 7th and 8th in Kelowna. An outstanding lineup of presenters tackled topics ranging…
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Keeping It Rural 2017
The second biennial Keeping It Rural conference was held in Kelowna, June 2017. Attendees from Northern BC to the US border, from Vancouver Island to the Rockies took in two days of inspirational speeches by…
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Social Enterprise & Community Development
Social enterprises are increasingly a tool in the community development toolbox. In November 2018, Drs. Natalie Slawinski and Blair Winsor from the Faculty of Business Administration at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Harris Centre…
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Keeping It Rural Conference Coming in October!
Struggling to attract and retain young people to and in your rural community? Wondering how to convince doctors to stay and practice in your town or region? Do you wish your hometown had the capital…
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Workforce & Resident Attraction Strategies Webinar
Do you live in a beautiful, unique spot in B.C.? Or maybe your community has a budding industry or development opportunity and you’re finding it hard to get the word out there or to attract…
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From Conflict to Collaboration: the Tla’amin — Powell River Experience
The coastal town of Powell River shares several similarities with other rural communities in BC. Powell River was established and grew next to a historical First Nations community – in this case on the traditional territory of…
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Webinar: First Nation-Municipality Collaboration — the Tla’amin Nation & Powell River Experience
Webinar: Tuesday, June 25, Noon Pacific The coastal town of Powell River shares many similarities with other rural communities in BC. Powell River was established and grew next to a historical First Nations community – in…
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Tla’amin Nation & Powell River: Government to Government Collaboration on BC’s Sunshine Coast
The coastal town of Powell River shares several similarities with other rural communities in BC. Powell River was established and grew next to a historical First Nations community – in…
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Indigenous Tourism in BC — Welcoming Visitors, Preserving Culture, Growing Businesses
From the arid climate of Osoyoos in the south central part of British Columbia, to the misty shores of Kitimat on the central coast, the landscape of the province is full of exhilarating and…
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Aboriginal Business Success Stories
From the desert vineyards of Southern British Columbia, to the frozen tundra high above the Arctic Circle; from the urban centre of Winnipeg to the rocky shores of Newfoundland, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis are…
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Future Food: Getting Beyond the Energy Blindness of Techno-Utopianism
(The following is adapted from The Future is Rural: Food System Adaptations to the Great Simplification, by Jason Bradford. How’s this for a party-stopper: Contrary to the forecasts of most demographers, urbanization will reverse…
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One Maine Town Tees Up New Economic Development
Biddeford, Maine, saw a dramatic economic turnaround after the Orton Foundation’s Community Heart & Soul program helped shape the town’s Master Plan. Biddeford’s Economic Development Director, Daniel Stevenson, talks about how having a solid road…
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Rural Hospice and Palliative Care Models and Innovations
This report features three rural hospice and palliative care model programs and successful rural projects in the U.S. that can serve as a source of ideas, and provide lessons others have learned for practitioners and…
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Telemedicine Connects Rural Patients Nearing the End of Life
Palliative care is one of many areas of pressing rural need. In this PBS video, we’re introduced to a video conferencing approach being tested in rural northern California that holds significant promise for providing ongoing…
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HopeWest Hospice
HopeWest Hospice is the only nonprofit hospice organization operating in Colorado’s Western Slope counties – Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Rio Blanco, and Ouray. It offers palliative care through physician specialist consultations, nursing homes, home-based care coordination,…
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Can Canada’s Tech Boom Move to Rural Areas As Millennials Seek Quality of Life?
In this article, the CBC’s Don Pittis poses the question of whether the country’s tech boom can — and will — have an impact on rural Canada. Over the last five years Canada has been…
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Canada’s Rural Economic Development Minister Invites Public Ideas On Ways to Expand Rural Opportunity — News Release
Ottawa, Ontario, March 25, 2019 – Canadians living in rural and northern communities have unique needs. Access to better and more modern infrastructure, affordable housing, and faster, more reliable Internet Service can make a big difference…
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B.C. Premier Says Wood To Be Used In Two Provincial Megaprojects
B.C.Premier John Horgan announced the provincial government is moving to help revive the provincial forest industry by requiring the use of engineered wood on the new St. Paul’s Hospital and the upgrade to the Royal B.C.…
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Government-to-Government Partnerships Benefit All Stakeholders
Government-to-government partnerships are increasingly important for the well-being of rural British Columbians. The following brief overview provides some examples of government-to-government agreements, involving First Nations and adjacent municipalities, leading to positive benefits for all stakeholders. Kitselas…
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Cowichan Lake Community Forest Co-op and Pacheedaht First Nation
People in the Cowichan Lake communities and Pacheedaht First Nation will benefit from a unique community forest agreement for the Qala:yit [Kwah-LIE-it] Community Forest, reached in partnership with the provincial government in September 2018. “This…
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Valemount Sawmiller Expands
Perseverance has paid off for sawmiller Jason Alexander, with his cedar operation in Valemount, BC. A new wood supply agreement allows him to expands his operation and employ more local people. For more…
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Experiential Tourism?
A conversation with Dana Blouin of Between a Lake & a High Place. Not every rural citizen is a fan of tourism as an economic driver. But most rural folks would agree that the…
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Rural Healthcare in BC — Where Are We & Where Are We Going?
Rural healthcare — access to excellent medical care on a timely basis — is a challenging issue for many rural British Columbians. The BC Rural Centre invited Dr. David Snadden, Doctors of BC’s UBC Chair…
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