Stories are the universal form of human cognition, critical to the way we make sense of ourselves and the world around us. In an increasingly 'noisy' world, understanding how to craft memorable and meaningful stories helps cut through the static and ensure that the people we most want to connect with can hear us, but that we can stay true to our core values in the process.
The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation is hosting a free online webinar that
How can wealth passed from one generation to the next help rural communities thrive? A Lunch & Learn on Friday, November 6, 2026, will explore this question at Grey Roots Museum & Archives in Owen Sound. Presented by Community Foundation Grey Bruce and Brightshores Health System Foundations, the workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Although designed for professional advisors, its themes connect with students, community leaders, and researchers...
The October 2026 newsletter contains updates to graduate students working with Prof. Gibson and recent alumni. This newsletter shares information about academic programs updates, celebrates receive achievements, profiles an RPD alumni, and share insights on upcoming events. If you have information to share in the monthly update do not hesitate to let Ryan know via email.
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A new article in Place asks a practical question: what helps communities attract skilled workers and make it possible for them to stay? Natasha D’Souza, Ryan Gibson, and Wayne Caldwell show that a job offer is only part of the answer. Workers and their families also need suitable housing, healthcare, schools, childcare, and opportunities to feel at home.
Drawing on Bruce County’s growing energy sector, the publication explores how major employers can brin
Rural Studies PhD alumnus Josh Barrett has co-authored a new article, “Place-Based Social Innovation: An Exploratory Study of Community Foundations in Rural Atlantic Canada,” with Edmund Yirenkyi. Published in the Journal of Rural and Community Development, the study examines how community foundations can help rural communities respond to challenges such as rising inflation and volatile natural resource markets.
Community foundations play a distinctive
The September 2026 newsletter contains updates to graduate students working with Prof. Gibson and recent alumni. This newsletter shares information about academic programs updates, celebrates receive achievements, profiles an RPD alumni, and share insights on upcoming events. If you have information to share in the monthly update do not hesitate to let Ryan know via email.
The new publication of Moving to the Cottage: Pandemic Migration in Muskoka and Haliburton, Ontario, Canada in Transactions on Ecology and the Environment marks an exciting achievement. Authored by Natasha Gaudio Harrison, Sara Epp, Ryan Gibson, and Chris Fullerton, the study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced migration to the rural and recreational communities of Muskoka and Haliburton.
The pandemic brought significant changes to where people
Canada’s rural communities often struggle with limited public transportation, making it harder for people to get to work, school, healthcare and other essential services. A new article in The Conversation, “Is Canada finally investing in its rural communities? What funding for rural transit reveals,” explores whether recent federal investments are helping close that gap. The article examine how funding is being distributed and whether it is reaching the co
The August 2026 newsletter contains updates to graduate students working with Prof. Gibson and recent alumni. This newsletter shares information about academic programs updates, celebrates receive achievements, profiles an RPD alumni, and share insights on upcoming events. If you have information to share in the monthly update do not hesitate to let Ryan know via email.
The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) was well represented at the 2026 Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) and North Atlantic Forum Conference, where faculty, students, and alumni shared research that is helping shape the future of rural communities in Canada and beyond. Their presentations explored topics ranging from economic development and environmental stewardship to housing, philanthropy, belonging, and public p
