THE RURAL BC PROJECT

The Rural BC Project is an initiative to stimulate discussion and understanding of the challenges facing rural BC and the actions required to help rural BC communities succeed.

There has been significant reference in the media over the past decade about the decline of rural Canada and the increasing urban-rural "divide". While rural BC and Canada does indeed face challenges, there are also significant opportunities. The Rural BC Project grew out of the highly successful Reversing the Tide initiative. The Reversing the Tide initiative included research, case studies and a major conference on rural economic revitalization held in Prince George in October 2008. This initiative identified the current best practices in rural economic development and revitalization being used by other jurisdictions in North America and western Europe. The Reversing the Tide Initiative clearly identified that a pre-requisite to successful rural development and economic revitalization was the active involvement of rural communities in designing solutions to rural issues. It also highlighted the need for increased understanding of the mutual co-dependence of rural and urban economies.

The Rural BC Project is about creating this dialogue.

The intent of the Rural BC Project is to increase public awareness of the issues rural BC is facing in a constructive and politically non-partisan manner and to present a convincing case of the resources rural BC needs to meet these challenges. The Rural BC Project will achieve this by undertaking a series of activities that:

• Identify and highlight rural economic development best practices.
• Create a better understanding of the mutual economic co-dependence of urban and rural BC.
• Create a better understanding of the challenges rural BC is facing and the actions and investments that will help rural BC communities succeed.
• Design and implement a project that demonstrates the implementation of a rural development best practice.

For more information on the Rural BC Project please contact Sharon Tower at info@ominecacoalition.ca