The recent Rural Symposium brought together 160 participants, both in person and online, for a dynamic exchange of ideas focused on rural research and policy. The event featured 17 presentations and 11 posters, highlighting the depth and diversity of work being done by graduate students at the University of Guelph. These projects explored a wide range of rural issues and offered practical insights for policymakers and practitioners.
The Rural Symposium is
At this year’s Good Roads Conference in Toronto, a presentation on rural and northern transit offered a clear reminder that transportation planning in Canada is not one-size-fits-all. Ryan Gibson, on behalf of Sarah-Patricia Breen and Ela Mastej, highlighted how distance, low population density, and limited infrastructure shape transit systems outside urban centres. In many rural and northern communities, transit is not about convenience—it is about access
What if one of Canada’s most gender-inclusive sports was quietly thriving in rural Ontario? The Connecting the Dots initiative is excited share the latest Rural Research Summary, “Mapping Women’s Community Sport Participation to Inform Sport Development Initiatives: A case Study of Row Ontario” providing implications and practical recommendations for regional planning bodies, community recreation departments and policy makers, among other stakeholders. Th...
Check out Navneet Kaur Dhaliwal's recently completed Major Research Paper. Navneet's study aims at understanding the public transit options available in rural areas by identifying the transit options for Mount Brydges, Ontario, located in the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc through policy review, data analysis and research on other modes of transit which are not identified in the local planning policies. The policies for Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc...
Rural Studies alumna Ashleigh Weeden (PhD '22) has been awarded a Canada Postdoctoral Research Award from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Considered one of the most competitive and sought-after awards for early-career researchers in Canada, the Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program recognizes the next generation of outstanding innovators, knowledge workers, creative thinkers and researchers at a pivotal tim...
The University of Guelph is home to a wide diversity of research on rural people, places, and environments. As a leader in rural research, this video series facilitates knowledge sharing across rural Ontario and beyond.
This video highlights recent research published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems examining how Ontario potato farmers adopt sustainable practices. It shows how several factors influence decisions, revealing the need for policies ...
Are you curious about rural data availability at Statistics Canada? Join the upcoming webinar “A Tour of Rural Data in Statistics Canada,” on March 24 at 1.00 pm ET. This free online webinar designed for anyone who wants to understand the rich statistical resources available on rural communities across the country.
In this engaging session, hosted by the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, you’ll get an expert-led tour of the data products and tool
The March 2026 newsletter contains updates to graduate students working with Prof. Gibson and recent alumni. This newsletter shares information about academic programs updates, celebrates receive achievements, profiles an RPD alumni, and share insights on upcoming events. If you have information to share in the monthly update do not hesitate to let Ryan know via email.
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On February 26, 2026, Sarah-Patricia Breen (Selkirk College), Ryan Gibson (University of Guelph), and Ashleigh Weeden (Brandon University) delivered a workshop to Government of Canada staff titled Harnessing the Power of Place: Practical Strategies for Federal Policy and Program Success. The workshop focused on a simple but important idea: place matters in policy and programs!
Place-based approaches challenge assumptions that programs work the same ever
Researchers collaborated with Communities of the Williams Treaties First Nations: the Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama, and Georgina Island First Nations, and the Mississaugas of Curve Lake First Nation. Their findings reveal perspectives on food security and sustainability and highlight the challenges and priorities for Indigenous communities to achieve and enhance their access. Read more about how this research aims to enhance the capacity for Community-led...
