October 2017

BC Rural Centre Social Media e-Magazine (Autumn 2017)

We hope you enjoy our October social media e-Magazine. Be sure to stay in touch with us on Facebook (and don’t forget to like us)!

BC Rural Dividend grants over $10 million

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…

Attracting Young People to Rural Communities

Attracting young people is one of the toughest challenges facing rural communities. The outflow of young people from rural to urban hits small towns and rural regions in a variety of ways, including stripping communities of badly needed tax revenue, threatening the viability of local schools, depressing local and regional economies, and stripping fraying towns…

Café Culture Comes to Rural Ontario

Café culture stirs the pot in rural Bath One of the first things young people look for when considering a move from an urban centres to a rural setting is the availability of great places to eat & drink. When Lauren Gamble returned to rural Ontario after working in Australia for a number of…

BC’s Grizzly Trophy Hunt Ends, Government Announces

BC’s grizzly trophy hunt ends. In the following announcement, the BC Government announced an end to trophy grizzly hunting: Effective Nov. 30, 2017, the British Columbia government will end grizzly bear trophy hunting throughout the province and stop all hunting of grizzlies in the Great Bear Rainforest, Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural…

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…

Is There a Doctor in the House? Attracting Physicians to Rural Towns

Is there a doctor in the house? Rural health care is a pressing challenge for many small, often isolated, communities in rural BC. The challenges facing small communities struggling to provide an acceptable standard of care for their citizens are legion, ranging from long distances to major care centres to dangerous roads. Often the most…

Forest Fibres Key to Rural Revitalization?

This recent CBC article examines the possibility of forest fibres emerging as a significant economic engine for rural BC communities. Forest fibres — an abundant resource waiting to boost the economies of rural BC towns? As interest in LNG projects wanes, and with the future of the mighty Site C dam called into question, a group of rural…