New Denver/Silverton Report Summary Released

New Denver/Silverton

New Denver/Silverton were recently the unsuspecting hosts for a contingent of “secret visitors” from Kaslo, who spent an October day checking out everything from the highway entrances to the two villages, to their take on the local economy. The project, called First Impressions, was carried out under the auspices of the BC Rural Centre with…

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BC Rural Dividend Program Announces Fourth Intake

Applications for funding in the fourth intake of the BC Rural Dividend program will be accepted Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, 2017, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Doug Donaldson announced today. “I encourage local governments, not-for-profit organizations and First Nations to get their applications submitted,” said Donaldson. “We’re committed to…

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Ontario’s Rural Broadband Challenge

ontario's rural broadband challenge

Ontario’s rural broadband challenge is highlighted in this article by Dave Reevely, originally published in the Ottawa Citizen.   Running subsidized Internet lines to rural Ontario has an important thing in common with the provincial government’s plan to pay for new natural-gas pipes to the same places: There’s private money to be made. We can’t…

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Do-It-Yourself Rural Internet?

do-it-youself rural internet

 Do-it-yourself rural Internet? Ramona Pringle penned this interesting opinion piece on rural communities who have stepped up to provide their residents with high-speed Internet for CBC News.   If you live in rural areas of Canada, chances are you’ve developed a coping ritual for waiting for email attachments to load. Maybe you hit “download” and…

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BC Forestry Trade Mission to Asia Launches

BC Government Forestry trade mission to Asia

The BC Forestry trade mission to Asia is British Columbia’s largest-ever forest sector delegation to China and Japan, according to Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Minister Doug Donaldson. The mission, from Nov. 12 to 17, sees Minister Donaldson joined by over 30 senior executives from B.C. forest companies and associations. “We need to…

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Urban-Rural Divide Widens in Sweden

The urban-rural divide is as real in Sweden today as it is in British Columbia, and North America generally. The Nordic country’s cities continue to grow and develop, while rural communities shrink and unravel.  “Young people are moving away, and that carries with it disastrous consequences,” says Charlotte Mellander, professor of national economy at the…

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Creston Picks Its Future

Creston picks a way forward

Creston Picks a Fresh Approach It’s hard to know if you’re winning without a strategy. And a strategy is precisely what had been missing in Creston, BC, for years. When it was decided it was time to create a new Official Community Plan (OCP) for Creston, the first question was how to inspire enthusiastic resident…

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BC Rural Dividend grants over $10 million

BC Rural Dividend grants

On Friday, October 13, the BC Government announced over $10 million in new grants to rural communities through the BC Rural Dividend. Here’s the official press release:   The B.C. government is distributing $10.1 million in new grants to help rural communities stabilize their economies and create long-term local employment, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural…

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Small Town, Big Change

Small town, big change

Small town, big change. Dale Williams was mayor of the small rural North Island New Zealand town of Otorohanga (pop. 2,700), and Chair of the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs. A certified motorcycle engineer by trade, Dale has first-hand experience launching and growing successful motorcycle dealerships and training young people through apprenticeship programs. Passionate about helping…

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