Congratulations to everyone who completed their academic program of study at the conclusion of the summer 2024 semester:
Jennifer Aikman, Master of Planning
Joshua Barrett, PhD in Rural Studies
Ken Chew, Master of Science (Planning)
Mohammed Jalabi, Master of Science (Planning)
Niju Mathew, Master of Science (Planning)
Kalind Patel, Master of Planning
Geetanjali Rana, Master of Planning
Andrea Torok, Master of Science (P...
Four members of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development shared rural research at the recent 74th annual Canadian Association of Geographers national conference in St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. With a conference theme of Edges, students and faculty contributed research on rural health, rural economic development, northern veterinary service provision, and rural workforce development. Presentations shared at the conference included:
The future of rural businesses and communities is dependent on appropriate and effective workforce development strategies. Rural businesses and communities are confronted with challenges in accessing relevant human capital to support, maintain, and grow their operations. Without deliberate and place-based strategies, rural businesses and rural economies will be negatively impacted.
Researchers at the University of Guelph and Selkirk College are interested
Shanley Weston's MSc (Planning) thesis is now available in the University of Guelph’s Atrium. Shanley's thesis is titled "Darkest Days: A Scoping Review of Violent Crime in Rural Canada".
Congratulations to Shanley for successfully completing the MSc (Planning) thesis!
Amid economic uncertainties exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario faces challenges in tight labour markets, high unemployment rates, and a significant skills gap, particularly in rural areas, where approximately 250,000 jobs remain unfilled. In response to these pressing issues, a research initiative has been launched to spotlight innovative workforce development strategies aimed at addressing rural labour force challenges. By conducting an online
The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), hosted a one-day symposium to showcase rural research being conducted at the University of Guelph. The Rural Symposium is an opportunity for graduate students to share their research with researchers, policy analysts and program staff with the OMAFRA, and rural organizations.
Rural research from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development was on display at the recent Liminal Spaces: Two Days of Rural Canada conference. The interdisciplinary conference examined the world between the cities and the wilderness. The following students and alumni presented rural research at the conference:
Danika Hammond (MSc Planning graduate): Defining rural: Advancing a place-based rural criteria matrix
John Dale (Rural Studie...
From March 13th to 15th, Heather Graham (MSc Rural Planning and Development student) and Dr. Ryan Gibson attended the 26th Annual Metropolis Canada Conference in Montréal, Québec. They had the opportunity to present their poster, titled, "Innovative Workforce Strategies for Engaging Newcomers in Rural Ontario." The poster highlights the results of a survey they had completed in Fall 2023, which asked workforce planning boards and Community Futures Developm
On 27 November 2023, Ryan Gibson share research on embedding wealth in rural Canadian communities at the International Association of Community Development's Researcher Forum. The presentation explored how rural and small communities can benefit from existing wealth to build their futures. Insights from community wealth building experiences from rural Canada were be shared, focusing on lessons learned, impacts, and transferability. A copy of the presentati...
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a visible migration of urban populations into rural communities. A new research initiative is examining the migration trends taking place in Ontario and their impact on rural communities, economies, and environments.
As a part of the Urban Exodus: Understanding the Impacts of Migration to Rural Ontario as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic initiative, a set of research insights have been developed by gra
