20 Clues to Rural Community Survival: An Annotated List

Posted on | February 26, 2010 | No Comments

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Evidence of Community Pride – Successful communities are often showplaces of care, attention, history, and heritage.
Emphasis on Quality in Business and Community Life- People believe that something worth doing is worth doing right.
Willingness to Invest in the Future – In addition to the brick-and-mortar investment, all decisions are made with an outlook on the future.
Participatory Approach to Community Decision Making – Even the most powerful of opinion leaders seem to work toward building consensus.
Cooperative Community Spirit – The stress is on working together toward a common goal and the focus is on positive results.
Realistic Appraisal of Future Opportunities – Successful communities have learned how to build on strengths and minimize weaknesses.
Awareness of Competitive Positioning – Local loyalty is emphasized, but thriving communities know who their competitors are and position themselves accordingly.
Knowledge of the Physical Environment – Relative location and available natural resources underscore decision-making.
Active Economic Development Program – There is an organized, public/private approach to economic development.
Deliberate Transition of Power to a Younger Generation of Leaders – People under 40 regularly hold key positions in civic and business affairs.
Celebration of Diversity in Leadership- Women, minorities, youth and newcomers are welcomed into leadership circles where their ideas are treated as opportunities.
Strong Belief In and Support For Education – Good schools are the norm and centres of community activity.
Problem-solving Approach to Providing Health Care – Health care is considered essential, and smart strategies are in place for diverse methods of delivery.
Strong Multi-Generational Family Orientation – The definition of family is broad, and activities include younger as well as older generations.
Strong Presence of Traditional Institutions that are Integral to Community Life – Churches, schools, and service clubs are strong influences on community development and social activities.
Sound and Well-Maintained Infrastructure – Leaders work hard to maintain and improve streets, sidewalks, water systems, and sewage facilities.
Careful Use of Fiscal Resources – Frugality is a way of life and expenditures are considered in investments in the future.
Sophisticated Use of Technology Resources – Leaders access information that is beyond the knowledge base available in the community.
Willingness to Seek Help from the Outside – People seek outside help for community needs, and many compete for government grant and contracts for economic and social programs.
Conviction that, in the Long Run, You Have to Do It Yourself - Thriving rural communities believe their destiny is in their own hands. Making their communities good places is a pro-active assignment, and they willingly accept it.

Source: Heartland Centre for Leadership Development

Green Streets Program Funding Open!

Posted on | February 25, 2010 | No Comments

TD Friends of the Environment Foundation has just announced a new partnership with Tree Canada that includes title sponsorship of its Green Streets program over the next three years.

“Green Streets is the only national tree program that works with communities, and it fits perfectly with our goal to preserve and enhance the environment at a grassroots level,” said Mary Desjardins, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. “Ultimately, this is about bringing the ‘green’ back to Main Street – celebrating the health of public spaces in cities and towns across Canada.”

Tree Canada is a not-for-profit organization that has planted more than 76 million tree across the country since its inception and manages the ongoing care and maintenance of all its plantings.

TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) - through its Green Streets Program - will award 20 communities with grants for planting and maintaining trees this year … which is timely, given that TD FEF is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010.

The Green Streets program is open to all municipalities and First Nations communities in Canada.

Based on the community size and need, grants of up to $15,000 are given, with a maximum of 50% of the grant allocated towards the cost of tree-planting. The remainder can be used for inventory, maintenance, and educational activities.

Click here to access further information and an application. The deadline is April 6.

The announcement of 2010’s 20 winners will be made in April.

Source: Green News

Exploring Rural Development: Rurban Recreation Land Use Conflicts

Posted on | February 20, 2010 | No Comments

To kick off The ‘Fringe’s 2010 limited online series on rural/rurban development, I proudly introduce Nicole Vaugeois, BC Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development at Vancouver Island University. Nicole writes a great tourism development blog (found here) and I’m pleased she’s able to offer her insight … enjoy!

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Rurban Recreation Land Use Conflicts

By Nicole L. Vaugeois

It’s not uncommon to hear about recreation land use conflicts in the ‘rurban zone.’ As our urban areas expand, they bring residents into areas where land has been used for a variety of purposes which may or may not be understood by recreation users. The result is that rurbanite recreation pursuits can interfere or disrupt land use patterns.

While many examples exist, I will illustrate with some personal observations as I live in a rurban area south of the city of Nanaimo (on Vancouver Island) and see examples of these recreation conflicts regularly.

Our area has become quite popular for cyclists coming from Nanaimo to enjoy the scenic farmland while, at the same time, the scenic backroads have been the recreation playground for rural residents to horseback-ride on.

The issue is this … horses do not respond well to silent cyclists who do not make any noise and can often surprise both horses and riders, often with disastrous results. Worse yet, are large cycling events where 20 or more cyclists appear quickly and leave limited time or space for a safe response.

This is just one of many classic examples of recreation conflict and by no means am I suggesting whose needs should take priority. Realities are that urbanites are increasingly seeking to get out into more natural settings and their limited time availability means that they seek nearby locations for recreation.

In BC, the visitation statistics for our regional parks provide evidence of this trend – they are bursting at the seams. Our provincial and national park statistics show just the opposite – a declining trend of visitation.

These sorts of conflicts stem from different values and behaviours and they are a growing concern in rurban areas.

Recreation in urban areas is often organized, group-oriented and competitive and includes highly subsidized facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, and hockey arenas. But these are not necessarily the recreation pursuits of those in rural areas and – the simple fact is – we have a very limited understanding of what rural recreation looks like in Canada.

In order to plan and manage recreation facilities, we are going to have to learn a lot more about the types of conflicts that are occurring, who is involved, who is “winning” and who is “losing.”

My hunch is that the sheer size and presence of urban recreation pursuits are dominating recreation management decisions and pushing rural recreation land uses to the fringe based on a lack of understanding and urban-centric decision making systems. If this holds true, we need to ask what the consequences are over the long term … or find ways to ensure equitable access to an expanded set of recreation pursuits.

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