rural | BC Rural Centre

20 Years of Fallout in the Forestry Sector

More than 20 years ago, a tiny insect changed B.C.’s forestry future. The fallout is still happening Job losses being seen across the province have been predicted for more than a decade, industry leaders say No one is surprised by the news of Canfor shutting down one of its pulp mills in Prince George. Not…

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 findings in a report. The report is titled “Analysis of Affordable Housing Supply Created by Unilateral National Housing Strategy Programs.…

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 Yarmouth thinks it may have come up with a solution. Read More…

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 for renters and long-time residents. Read the article here.

CDC Report on Rural Communities & Covid

While there are many distinct differences between the circumstances of rural Canadians and Americans, this overview from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention contains some useful information for rural British Columbians. About 46 million Americans live in rural areas, which face distinctive challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-standing systemic health and social…

Connecting Kaslo

High-speed internet is a luxury — or non-existent — in many rural, remote, and First Nations communities across BC. In this video produced by Connected Communities BC, the experience of the remote West Kootenay village of Kaslo, home to less than 1,000 inhabitants, and possibly the world’s smallest community-controlled, fibre-enabled internet network, the Kaslo InfoNet…

Policy Implications of Coronavirus Crisis for Rural Development

This OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development) report focuses on the implications of COVID-19 on rural development and the policy responses that OECD member countries are adopting. It first discusses the economic effects on rural regions followed by an identification of opportunities and associated challenges. The report then summarizes how governments are responding to…

BC Rural & First Nations Health & Wellness Summit

Add your voice to improve rural healthcare! Collaboration can be a powerful tool for change. In January 2019, provincial healthcare partners met to explore how to work together to improve and transform rural healthcare in BC. Since that time, several innovations were developed to improve healthcare services in rural communities and First Nations. The…

COVID-19 risks divide rural and urban areas in the U.S.

There is a division between how rural and urban areas are handling the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. Many states are starting to reopen even while cities within them remain under stay-at-home orders. Washington Post national correspondent Griff Witte joins CBSN to discuss the divide among leaders around the country.

COVID-19 — Information Sources for Rural, Remote, and Rural First Nations British Columbians

These are challenging times for all of us, whether we live in Lombardy or London, Bhutan or rural British Columbia. Access to the best possible information regarding COVID-19 is crucial. Which is why we have put together this brief directory of trusted information sources for rural, remote, and rural First Nations British Columbians. We will…