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 remains an apt description. Who and what are rural is not static. Read the latest report here.

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New Medical Transport & Virtual Care Resources Announced for BC Remote, Rural, and First Nations Citizens

  The B.C. provincial government has announced new and expanded resources to service rural, remote and Indigenous communities battling COVID-19 across the province. In an announcement on Monday, Premier John Horgan and Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser announced an expanded medical transportation fleet to service remote and Indigenous communities. This framework includes the addition of…

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BC COVID-19 Update, April 20, 2020

COVID-19 BC CASE SUMMARY As of the latest numbers on April 18: • Total confirmed cases in B.C.: 1,647 • New cases since April 17, 2020: 29 • Hospitalized cases: 115 • Intensive care: 54 • Deaths: 81 • Recovered: 987 • Long-term care and assisted-living homes currently affected: 20 • Individuals tested as of…

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COVID-19 Updates for BC, April 17, 2020

  Trudeau announces aid for struggling energy sector, including $1.7B to clean up orphan wells Most in B.C. think they’re great at physical distancing but critical of others, survey suggests B.C. preparing to ease some COVID-19 restrictions next month B.C.’s virus rate slowing, is ‘well below’ projections based on other outbreaks        …

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COVID-19 Info For Rural, Remote & First Nations British Columbians

Helpful Information Government of Canada’s COVID-19 updates Government of Canada’s COVID-19 responses Public Health Agency of Canada’s COVID -19 information BC’s Pandemic Provincial Coordination Plan BC Centre for Disease Control COVID-19 information BC Parks are closed (and here is a podcast of BC Environment Minister George Heyman explaining why) BC recreation site & trail closures…

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BC Premier to Deliver COVID-19 Address Today

  VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier John Horgan is expected to give an update Wednesday on the province’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.   The premier’s statements will be carried live beginning at 1:15 p.m. on this page.   Horgan will be speaking from the B.C. legislature in Victoria and answering media questions via…

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First Nations, Rural and Remote Real-Time Virtual Medicine — an Update

In a recent update, Dr. Ray Markham, Executive Director of the Rural Coordination Centre of British Columbia (RCCbc), notes that The Collaborative Centre for Rural and First Nations Virtually Enhanced Care was established last year. The Collaborative Centre is jointly supported and led by First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), Providence Health Services Authority (PHSA), and…

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Healthcare in Rural BC Gets a Closer Look

Overview In 2017, the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues (JSC) tasked the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc) with visiting every Rural Subsidiary Agreement (RSA) community between 2017 and 2020. These visits will connect with rural practitioners and communities to hear about the context of rural practice and health care delivery (what innovations exist,…

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