A new research initiative aimed at investigating the influence of rural communities' capacity to respond to infrastructure challenges on their immediate and long-term economic development potential is underway. Dr. Ryan Gibson is the lead investigator of the project, which includes researchers and policy experts from across Canada, including University of Guelph PhD student Ashleigh Weeden.
Funded through the research partnership program between the Ont...
On January 24, 2019 Ashleigh Weeden (PhD Student, School of Environmental Design & Rural Development) presented her early-stage research on place-based rural innovation systems at the 2019 European Regional Science Association's (ERSA) Winter School, co-hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Trento, Italy.
The 2019 ERSA/OECD Winter School was themed around spatial productivity and local development and Ms. Weed...
On January 14, 2019, the federal government announced a new Minister of Rural Economic Development. Dr. Gibson was recently interviewed by the Manitoba Co-operator newspaper for reaction to the new announcement and the implications for rural Canada. You can read a copy of the article, "Rural Canada has a new voice, say rural advocates" here: https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/rural-canada-has-a-new-voice-say-rural-advocates/?module=under-c
On January 15, 2019, the federal government announced the creation of a new minister of rural economic development. Bernadette Jordan (Member of Parliament for South Shore-St Margarets in Nova Scotia) takes on the new minister role. What does it mean for rural Canada? What should the priorities be for moving forward? Dr. Gibson joined eleven CBC Radio station morning programs to discuss the recent announcement, potential strategies for focus, and why urban...
Ashleigh Weeden (PhD Student, University of Guelph) shared insights on rural innovation and community story-telling with the Community Foundations of Canada's Rural Philanthropy Learning Community during an intensive webinar on January 10th, 2019 alongside Arthur Bull from the Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia. The webinar focused on rural innovation, the role of philanthropy and its connection to resilient rural communities.
For more informat...
Graduate students in the Rural Planning and Development program at the University of Guelph will be able to take a course this winter focused on building healthy rural communities. Dr. Wayne Caldwell is teaching an online course titled, "Healthy Rural and Small Town Communities". The course builds on recent research and publications, such as the Healthy Rural Communities Toolkit. As part of the course, Dr. Gibson shared perpsectives from recent r
Alex Petric's recent thesis is now available online! You can download Beyond the Smart City: Assessing Open Data in Rural Ontario from the Univeristy of Guelph's Atrium website: https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/handle/10214/14704.
Congratulations to Alex Petric for successfully defending his Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development thesis titled "Beyond the Smart City: Accessing Open Data in Rural Ontario". Alex's research explored if rural Ontario municipalities were current pursuing, or interested in pursuing, open data initiatives. The electronic version of the thesis will be available shortly - check back soon!
On November 30th, the Regional Forum on Rural Newcomer Integration was a great example of a region coming together to improve newcomer integration throughout rural communities. The Regional Forum focussed on equipping employers with the knowledge and tools to be effective in attracting and retaining newcomer employees.
The room was full of municipal staff looking to support employers, employers who had previously been successful at newcomer integration to
How can a community or region build a welcoming community? A community whereby new immigrants and newcomers feel welcome to move into, become engaged with local businesses, and contribute to the sustainability of the community. Based on experiences elsewhere, at the core is partnerships, dialogue, and commitment. During the Western Region Workforce Forum, Dr. Ryan Gibson shared perspectives on how rural communities can adopt welcoming community s...
