The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) and Brandon University’s Rural Development Institute recently hosted the Foundations for the Future of Rural conference, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and community leaders to explore opportunities and challenges facing rural Canada.
Students, alumni, and faculty from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) made strong contributions to the event through a series of presentations tackling pressing rural issues. Highlights included:
- Adapting to Change: Exploring Evolving Roles and Knowledge Needs in Rural Economic Development (Ryan Gibson, Taylor Wilson, Jayden Cote).
- AI and Rural Areas: A Rural Sociological Perspective on Artificial Intelligence (Ian Merrell, Ashleigh Weeden).
- Beyond the City Limits: Examining Federal Funding Shifts for Rural Public Transit (Sarah Breen, Ryan Gibson, Ela Mastej, Hannah Main).
- Data, Governance, and the Rural Edge: What Ontario’s Gaps Reveal about Rural Governance (Rheann Qunneville, Leith Deacon).
- How do Rural Actors Access Rural Knowledge? (John Dale, Ryan Gibson, Laurie Brinklow, Sara Epp)
- Philanthropy in Atlantic Canada: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice for Resilient Communities (Joshua Barrett, Kelly Vodden, Ryan Gibson, Edmund Yirenkyi).
These contributions reflect SEDRD’s ongoing leadership in advancing research, policy, and practice that support rural resilience and innovation.
Learn more about the conference at crrf2025.org.