Congrats – Hunting Defends Thesis on The Great Trail

Congrats – Hunting Defends Thesis on The Great Trail
Congratulations to Timothy Hunting for successfully defending his Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development thesis today. Timothy's thesis, titled "Local Trail Development along Rural Canada’s Share of The Great Trail", examined small and rural municipalities involvement with The Great Trail (formerly the Trans-Canada Trail). A copy of the thesis will become available shortly - do not forget to check back. In September, Timothy will start his do

Check Out the Latest CRRF Newsletter

Check Out the Latest CRRF Newsletter
The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) recently released their July 2019 newsletter. The newsletter contains information on recent rural development stories, highlights new resources and information, and shares upcoming opportunities. Dr. Gibson is leads the CRRF Communications Committee and the production of the monthly electronic newsletter. The CRRF newsletter is free to receive directly to your inbox -- simply add your email address to thi

Growing Smart Rural Policy Under the Midnight Sun: ICRPS2019 in Rovaniemi, Finland

Growing Smart Rural Policy Under the Midnight Sun: ICRPS2019 in Rovaniemi, Finland
As soon as word came that the 2019 International Comparative Rural Policy Studies (ICRPS) Summer Institute was going to be taking place in Rovaniemi, Finland, I knew I had to be there. Finland, and the Lapland region, have quickly become intriguing examples of the possibilities for building rural innovation ecosystems. As a doctoral student focused on investigating the link between place and innovation in rural communities, ICRPS2019 presented an amazing ...

Webinar on New Regionalism and Regional Development in Canada

Webinar on New Regionalism and Regional Development in Canada
Canadian regional development today involves multiple actors operating within nested scales from local to national and even international levels. Recent approaches to making sense of this complexity have drawn on concepts such as multi-level governance, relational assets, integration, innovation, and learning regions. These new regionalist concepts have become increasingly global in their formation and application, yet there has been little critical analys...

Examining Rural Economic Development in Ireland and Ontario

Examining Rural Economic Development in Ireland and Ontario
How do approaches to rural economic development differ between rural Ontario and rural Ireland? What can be learned from decades of rural economic development practice in both Canada and Ireland? For five days in May, staff and board members from Community Futures across Ontario engaged in conversations with rural economic development leaders in Ireland. During the five day forum discussions were held with policy makers, local economic development pra...

Transitioning to a New Rural Cannabis Economy

Transitioning to a New Rural Cannabis Economy
Ever wondered what the implication of cannabis legalization are for rural communities or if rural communities are benefited at all? On May 7, 2019, Tracey Harvey (PhD in Rural Studies Candidate at the University of Guelph)    shared information on how rural communities are transitioning with the adoption of the Cannabis Act from the Kootenay region of British Columbia. The webinar examined current challenges and opportunities associated with

Reimagining rural innovation with the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance

Reimagining rural innovation with the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance
On May 2, Ashleigh Weeden (PhD student, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development) shared insights from her career and research into rural community innovation with approximately 150 leaders in economic development from across Saskatchewan at the 2019 Intersections for Growth Conference, the annual conference hosted by the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance (SEDA). Ashleigh's presentation focused on the importance of developing a stro

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health
  For the past ten years, the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health has been changing health and well-being in the Huron, Bruce, Grey, and Perth counties. On May 2, 2019, community leaders, volunteers, health practitioners, and researchers marked the 10th anniversary of the Gateway and its achievements. Gateway is a not-for-profit corporation with charitable status striving to improve the health and quality of life of rural resident