A recent article in the Wellington Advertiser, written by Jordan Snobelen, takes a closer look at a growing concern for many communities: the difficulty of finding volunteers. The piece, titled “Are volunteers becoming harder to find? Local organizations struggling to find help,” explores how groups that rely on volunteer support are feeling the strain as fewer people are able or willing to commit their time. You can read the full article here: https://www
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 by Lucas Berek completed in 2025 titled The Living Room of a Rural Community. This thesis examines the actors, processes, and COVID-19 influences shaping economic development in the Town of New Tecum...
Are you an economic development practitioner in Ontario? We want to hear from you!
Please consider participating in the Knowledge Translation and Transfer to Advance Rural Economic Development survey. Your insights will help us better understand the realities, challenges, and opportunities facing economic development practitioners in rural Ontario, and inform recommendations to support economic development activities and knowledge sharing. You can acces...
Want to do more with your rural research? Join us for a workshop that teaches you how to create plain language summaries and videos on April 28 starting a 10.00 am.
Rural communities, businesses, and organizations face increasing challenges that require evidence-informed solutions. As a leader in rural research, the University of Guelph is well-positioned to support these communities through knowledge mobilization. To better address emerging complex and...
How safe is your favourite beach and who decides? The Connecting the Dots initiative is excited share the latest Rural Research Summary, “Canadian Beach Cohort Study: Protocol of a Prospective Study to Assess the Burden of Recreational Water Illness” providing implications and practical recommendations for conservation authorities, local governments, and community organizations among other stakeholders. The research was conducted by Ian Young, Binyam N. De...
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...
