BC Rural Centre Archives

Keeping It Rural Conference…Thank You

Dear Sponsors, Attendees, and Speakers, On behalf of the BC Rural Centre Society and the Keeping It Rural Conference, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your participation and support. Your presence and contributions made this event a resounding success, and we are incredibly grateful for your commitment to rural communities. To our sponsors, thank…

Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres

Introducing: A Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres Purpose This toolbox is intended to help communities that wish to attract and retain newcomers. Within its pages, you will find ideas and illustrations designed to stimulate discussion about the benefits of incorporating immigrants and refugees into your community’s overall population strategy. Resources and best practices…

Housing Development in Rural Communities

There are numerous complex and urgent problems facing rural Canada that require interdisciplinary, intersectoral and diverse solutions to address them. This webinar is one in a series by Athabasca University (AU) & Alberta’s Rural Development Network on community issues in rural contexts highlighting research and best practices that can be adapted to rural communities throughout…

Rural BC Project – Video

The purpose of the Rural BC Project was to develop recommendations to the provincial government on actions that would help facilitate rural development in BC. The video below was produced in 2013 when the BC Rural Centre was SIBAC (Southern Interior Beetle Action Collation). SIBAC partnered with the other two regional Beetle Action Coalitions to…

Increased Opportunities for Indigenous People in Forest Sector

Indigenous people looking to work in B.C.’s forest sector will have more opportunities to learn, train and develop in-demand skills through two new provincial grants. Supported by the StrongerBC Economic Plan, the Province is providing funding to the First Nations Forestry Council (FNFC) for the Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program (IFSP) and an online forestry careers-matching tool…

A Roadmap to Growth for Local Meat in BC

The Small-Scale Meat Producers Association has released its 2021 Small-Scale Meat Sector Survey. What was heard from this survey is that many small-scale producers are desperate to scale up their production to meet the increasing demand for higher welfare and locally raised meat and to realize economies of scale but are faced with an array…

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.…

A New Hotline for Rural BC!

The BC Rural Centre has a new direct phone number to call when you need to talk to someone about Rural Issues, Challenges, Opportunities, and Inquiries. Over the past few months, the BC Rural Centre has been adjusting to a few key changes, new staff, including a new Executive Director and a revisit of the…

Supporting Small Independent Businesses in BC

Support Local BC was an initiative brought on out of necessity in 2020 due to the closures of many businesses in response to the Provincial Health Orders to stop the rapid spread of COVID-19. The website provides a place for communities and businesses throughout the province to support each other. Connecting all regions with its…

BC Rural Health Hub Pilot Is a Go

If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that we’re all in this together. And that what we know — and think we know — matters. This places a tremendous importance on communications. Not simply top-down, with information flowing from leaders and decision makers to citizens, but the other way ’round as well. This is called civic…