On November 4, 2025, Dr. Ryan Gibson delivered a presentation titled “Local Governance in Canada” at the Department of International and Regional Studies, Hokkaido University of Education in Hakodate, Japan. The session brought together students, faculty, and community partners to explore how Canadian approaches to local governance and rural revitalization could inform Japan’s regional development strategies.

During his talk, Dr. Gibson compared the geographic and demographic contrasts between Canada and Japan—Canada’s vast land area of nearly 10 million square kilometers and population of 41 million versus Japan’s 124 million residents concentrated in a much smaller territory. Despite these differences, he highlighted shared challenges such as sustaining rural populations, fostering economic resilience, and the need for collaboration to support the future of rural places.

Dr. Gibson showcased several examples of innovative community-led development from across Canada. These included Community Futures Huron, which supports entrepreneurship and local business growth in southwestern Ontario; the Cottage Hospital in Newfoundland, a nonprofit-led initiative that transformed a historic hospital into a vibrant community hub; and Titan Trailers, a rural Ontario company that successfully integrated Ukrainian newcomers into its workforce. Each case illustrated how collaboration, creativity, and local leadership are central to successful rural revitalization.

Thank you to Dr. Junichiro Koji at Department of International and Regional Studies, Hokkaido University of Education in Hakodate for the invitation to share the presentation.