Framework for Creating a Smart Growth Economic Development Strategy

A Tool for Small Cities and Towns Many small and mid-sized cities around the United States are struggling because their economies were built largely on a single economic sector that has changed significantly. For example, jobs might once have been heavily concentrated in industries like logging, mining, or manufacturing, but technology and market forces have…

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Rural Voice Missing from Emergency Task Force

An expert task force on emergencies that will weigh in on revising the province’s emergency legislation lacks representation from the Cariboo Region and rural communities as a whole, say critics. Comprised of 14 experts appointed by the provincial government, the purpose of the panel is to provide recommendations to help B.C. be better prepared for…

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StrongerBC for everyone – Investing in Rural Communities

The B.C. government has released StrongerBC: Good Lives in Strong Communities, a new vision that outlines investments to help build a brighter future for rural communities and the people who call them home. “If you’re looking for people to help cut through the noise and get a job done, my bet will always be on…

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Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP)

Program Details The Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP) is a new grant launched by the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation (JEDI). The Government of B.C. is investing up to $33 million this year to create the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program, which will support projects that promote the following: Economic diversification…

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BC Doctor Develops National Guide for the Greening of Health Care

The healthcare sector is among the most polluting, contributing 5 per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas. A Kimberley-based physician, Dr. Ilona Hale, and a team of health care professionals have produced a new resource, specifically aimed at clinicians called ‘Planetary Health for Primary Care’. “It’s an online guide for healthcare providers meant to make…

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Digitalization and Housing

Framing Paper for “Bringing Digitalization Home: How Can Technology Address Housing Challenges?” OCTOBER 2022 | DAVID LUBEROFF, CHRISTOPHER E. HERBERT To stimulate these discussions, the Joint Center for Housing Studies, with support from Qualcomm, Inc., commissioned eleven papers by leading researchers familiar with how digitalization is changing (or could change) practices in five key areas:…

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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…

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HA NII TOKXW: OUR FOOD TABLE

The story of the indigenous Gitanyow people and their struggle to protect their traditional lands and “food table” in the face of climate change, industrialization and colonization in Northern British Columbia. SIGN THE PETITION TO PROTECT THIS SACRED PLACE: https://chng.it/h5rzcPgkXZ Featuring: Dr. David Suzuki Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs www.gitanyowchiefs.com A film by Farhan Umedaly VoVo Productions 2021 @vovoproductions Director’s Statement: Beyond its majestic beauty and nature hidden threats are pushing the delicate ecosystem of the Meziadin Lake watershed to the brink. Ha Nii Tokxw, takes audiences on a visually stunning adventure through Wilp Wii Litsxw territory to uncover its ecological significance both…

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Building Local Food Systems: A Path to Food Sovereignty

In today’s fast-paced, globalized world, the importance of building resilient and sustainable local food systems cannot be overstated. This is particularly crucial in rural, remote, and First Nation communities, where geographical isolation and limited access to mainstream markets often pose significant challenges to food access. However, by embracing the concept of food sovereignty and taking…

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