Budget 2026 – The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

The quick context Budget date: Feb 17, 2026. Provincial operating spending up $3.9B over the plan; deficits: $13.3B (2026/27), $12.2B, $11.4B. Taxpayer‑supported capital $37.7B over three years; taxpayer‑supported debt rising to ~$189B by 2028/29 (Budget tables summary, Part 1, pp.1–2, 11–12, 17). 2026_Budget_and_Fiscal_Plan The good (positive for rural, remote & First Nations): First Nations equity…

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Dark Sky Tourism and Rural Development: Lessons From The Jasper Dark Sky Festival

Journal of Rural and Community Development Dark Sky Tourism and Rural Development: Lessons From The Jasper Dark Sky Festival Authors: Clark Banack & Glen Hvenegaard Publisher:Rural Development Institute, Brandon University. Editor:Dr. Doug Ramsey Open Access Policy:This journal provides open access to all of its content on the principle that making research freely available to the…

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Exploring the Use of Ai in Health & IHSTS

THE RURAL HEALTH LINKED SECTORS Presentation Overviews: The Institute for Health System Transformation and Sustainability (IHSTS) presents the Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) Network: Uniting communities, healthcare providers, and partners across British Columbia to support type 2 diabetes. The presentation will explain why the T2D Network exists, how it operates, what programs and initiatives it oversees,…

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The State of Rural Canada

The State of Rural Canada report provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse challenges and opportunities facing rural, remote, and northern communities across the country. While each region has its unique context, several overarching themes emerge from this fifth version of the report that paint a picture of rural Canada as a complex mosaic of…

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Study on Supply Chain and Community Benefits of the Forest Sector

A new economic study focusing on local communities across BC was released today by the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI). This study highlights the vital role of British Columbia’s forestry industry, as it touches so many communities across the province and employs British Columbians in a wide array of jobs. In 2022, the forestry…

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Supporting Rural and Remote Economies: What Canada Must Do Now

Rural, remote, and northern regions are important and should be supported, not just because of their economic contributions (they contribute to over a quarter of Canada’s GDP) but because people in all parts of Canada should have similar levels of well-being. This is fundamental to our nation’s territorial cohesion. Accordingly, there is a lot of…

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Revitalizing Downtown Hope

Planning for a Resilient Future *originally posted on Etsi-BC News For thousands of people who travel to and from the Lower Mainland, the community of Hope, located at the junction of four major highways, is a regular stopping point for information, food, fuel, and accommodation. As a new plan to revitalize Hope’s downtown rolls out,…

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The Rise Of Innovation Districts

A New Geography of Innovation in America Originally posted on Brookings.edu Written by Bruce Katz and Julie Wagner As the United States slowly emerges from the Great Recession, a remarkable shift is occurring in the spatial geography of innovation. For the past 50 years, the landscape of innovation has been dominated by places like Silicon…

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