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...
Ryan Gibson recently participated in the 42 Canada Podcast with Laurie Cook on rural community development. Laurie and Ryan talk about community wealth building and many of the creative ways rural and remote communities have always just 'got things done.' Check out the recording below or online.
The Inaugural Black Planning Symposium brought together planners, scholars, and community leaders in a generative space of dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collective imagination. As a Research Associate at the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph, I left the symposium with deepened appreciation for the multiplicity of ways Black planning is reshaping the profession, and its resonance with my own research on hou
This video highlights recent research titled “Machine learning models for prediction of nutrient concentrations in surface water in an agricultural watershed,” published in the Journal of Environmental Management. Conducted by Ahmed Elsayed, Sarah Rixon, Jana Levison, Andrew Binns, and Pradeep Goel, the research examines how machine learning tools can improve predictions of nutrient levels in surface water, offering practical insights to support farmers, p...
Governments, researchers, and communities rely on definitions of rural places to decide where funding goes, how programs are designed, and which communities are eligible for support. Yet many existing definitions treat rural as simply the opposite of urban, missing the diversity of places that sit along a continuum. The new article A Rural Matrix: A Pragmatic Alternative Approach to Defining Rural for Policy and Practice, published in the Journal of Rural
On February 10, 2026, Scott Duff (Director of Rural Policy and Economic Development, Ontario Ministry of Rural Affairs) led a workshop in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph. Intended to engage with graduate students, alumni and industry professionals, Duff shared insights on the realities of working in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) and pathways to establishing a career.
During the workshop, Duff highligh
Understanding how geography shaped economic opportunity in 19th century Canada offers valuable insights into the roots of regional inequality and mobility across generations. The summary, titled “The Geography of Economic Mobility in 19th Century Canada,” highlights intergenerational economic mobility across regions in Canada between 1871 and 1901.
The research was conducted by Luiza Antonie, Kris Inwood, Chris Minns, and Fraser Summerfield, and will be pu
Rural communities have significant strengths as well as challenges. Ryan Gibson recently participated in the 42 Canada Podcast with Laurie Cook on rural community development. Check out the podcast below or online.
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How do we mobilize research and knowledge to support stronger rural futures? A recent workshop hosted by the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation explored practical ways to share and use knowledge that supports rural peoples, rural economies, and rural environments. The workshop explored strategies to help move research, experience, and local insights into action. The workshop focused on tailoring knowledge-sharing approaches to different rur...
