University of Guelph hosted OJS journals
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A Community Development Approach to Prosperous Labour Force Development
No full textCurrent approaches to labour force development have focused on the economic side of the ledger. Investments have typically been based upon assessments of industrial labour demands in the short- to near-term future and sought to satisfy those demands through short-term training or skills upgrading initiatives. While useful for plugging gaps in the existing economy over the short term, such an approach fails to develop the type of workforce that rural places need to be successful in the future. This presentation focuses upon a community development approach to questions of labour force development. As such it emphasizes three things. The first is the need to understand one’s place or region in the contemporary global economy. The second is to understand the processes of change occurring within both the economy and our community demographics, all with a focus on the needed elements of a future workforce, namely that it be a learning workforce that is resilient and adaptable in a rapidly changing world. The third is a structured long-term investment strategy towards building a resilient learning workforce
Community Food Security: Theory and Practice in Newfoundland and Labrador
No full textThough food is a basic need, achieving food security is a challenge to the world today. Thus, stakeholders have used and continue to search for appropriate strategies of promoting food security in different contexts. This is particularly important in rural areas where food insecurity has been a menace in many jurisdictions. After several years of emphasis on household and national food security approaches, the concept of Community Food Security emerged on the agenda, accompanied by interventions that take inspiration from the concept. Being relatively new to food security discourse and practice, “Community Food Security” has received little attention in many areas. However, it could hold potential for rural food security promotion. Using content analysis of literature, the research outlines the emergence of community food security, its theoretical approach, and drivers of the approach in recent times. The concept is then positioned in the context of food security promotion in Newfoundland and their implications for rural food security. The research outlines current projects and interventions that takes inspiration from the concept, and what that holds for rural food security promotion in the province. The research also highlights the key features of community centered food security interventions in the province while raising important questions about their appropriateness for food security promotion and directions for future research. This will provide important inputs to policy and planning towards food security as the community is called upon to drive food security promotion
Agricultural Systems Planning: Farmland Conservation policies in Oregon and Ontario
No full textHigh quality agricultural land is a valuable non-renewable natural resource. Ontario is blessed with some of the best farmland in Canada, but as much of it is located in areas of intense urban growth pressure, it is declining and under continuous threat. Historically, planning for agriculture in Ontario has primarily consisted of identifying and protecting the soils and lands best suited to farming. There is, however, an emerging consensus that this land-based approach alone is not effective in supporting a thriving agricultural sector, particularly in the face of strong urban growth pressures. The Ontario government is now moving towards planning for "agricultural systems" - a more holistic concept which includes the land base, farm operations, and associated business, services, and infrastructure. This policy shift is most evident in its ongoing coordinated review of the four-land use plans relevant to the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH)” a region of both unparalleled agricultural lands and tremendous population and growth pressure. While no other jurisdiction has done exactly what Ontario is proposing, others have a longer history of more protective agricultural land policies. Oregon is one such jurisdiction, having adopted very protective policies in the 1970s. This project explores Oregon’s policy and its outcomes for farmland for lessons learned which may be relevant in the GGH as Ontario shifts to an “agricultural systems” approach. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is used as a case study region, its high-quality soils and strong growth pressure making a compelling parallel with the GGH
Embracing the Expanse: Smart Specialization and Innovation in Canada’s Non-metropolitan Regions
No full textThis paper introduces a framework for innovation-based regional economic development in Canada. The focus will be on non-metropolitan communities (i.e. rural or remote) and the relationship between those communities’ industries and post-secondary institutions (PSIs – i.e. universities, colleges, and polytechnics). The paper’s focus is based on the relative lack of attention that non-metropolitan communities receive in regards to policies that support or leverage innovation and R&D to strengthen their economic performance; and the possibility that the concept of Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialization (RIS3) developed by the European Commission and OECD can be formally applied to the Canadian context. RIS3 is an approach that looks to foster regional development in a way that leverages the R&D strengths across multiple regions, and applies them in contextually appropriate ways to enhance local socio-economic productivity. RIS3 seeks to leverage local industrial and research strengths within a specific region, even when a region’s may be smaller (e.g. non-U15); or if it requires altering knowledge developed elsewhere and making it contextually appropriate for the region and its local industries. RIS3, developed in Europe, has not yet been adjusted to the Canadian context. This paper addresses the framework’s fit to the Canadian context, while also critically addressing: (i) The ability to deal with complexity and uncertainty; (ii) RIS3’s implicit assumption that private sector entrepreneurs will be present in the community to identify innovative opportunities; (iii) RIS3’s potential to encourage too much specialization; The need to strengthen networks of knowledge exchange between stakeholders
Build Your Skills for Tomorrow\u27s Small Businesses
No full textThe internet has significantly changed the way work, education, and funding operate. Examples include opportunities for online distance work, crowdsourcing/crowdfunding, e-commerce, peer-to-peer networks, and online learning opportunities. To succeed in these new ventures, individuals will benefit from building skills in business, research and entrepreneurship, updated to focus on new trends in the workforce. Skills such as identifying a market, budgeting, promotion, or writing a business plan support workers, whether their business is online or in their communities. Online learning opportunities can especially benefit rural communities, which may not be able to support traditional in-person delivery of training, such as diploma or certificate programs, apprenticeships, or mentor networks. This session will focus primarily on the Small Business Accelerator as a channel for the information and training needed to build capacity and adapt to a changing economy. The SBA is an open resource, delivered online and aimed at small & medium enterprises (SMEs), entrepreneurs, and business owners in British Columbia. It provides instruction on business research skills, step by step guides for various industries, as well as a directory of small business support. It offers free online access to reliable business information and tools for secondary market research for BC businesses and entrepreneurs. Our goal is to promote BC business and communities as well as facilitate partnerships and collaborations. Come to this session and learn more
Local Investment Funds & Rural Economic Revitalization
No full textResearch from across North America has demonstrated the critical role that locally controlled investment funds can play in successful rural economic revitalization. In Canada, business creation and expansion rates in rural areas typically lag the rates seen in urban – and urban adjacent – economies. At the same time, many existing rural business owners are looking to retire in the near future with no clear business succession plan or new buyers in place. This poses a very significant problem for rural communities since most new employment creation comes from small businesses. This proposed presentation would provide the following:• A general overview of the history and breadth of local rural investment funds in North America.• A general overview of business creation rates and other issues facing rural communities and entrepreneurs.• A detailed description of the history, formation and structure of the Creston & District Investment Co-op in the southeast region of BC.• A summary discussion of policy and regulation changes that would accelerate the creation of locally controlled rural investment funds in B
Rural Opportunities – Natural Resource Development
No full textUnder the umbrella of the Rural Policy Learning Commons, the Natural Resources Development (NRD) Team is committed to exploring, understanding, and sharing knowledge around the multitude of factors influencing the sustainable management of natural resources, particularly as it relates to the rural regions. Our core areas of focus are: Food & food security, Climate change, Rural communities, and Industry and trade. These areas of focus are considered alongside cross-cutting themes of land, water, energy, and governance & policy. We invite any and all participation from interested individuals and organizations. Since it’s inception the NRD team has supported a range of initiatives across Canada and internationally, helping team members share their research, conduct literature reviews, and identify policy ideas. This poster will provide rural-specific highlights from the team’s work, showcasing examples from multiple team members. This poster will also highlight ways for members and non-members to get involved and help us build and share our knowledge. Find out more about our team at: http://rplc-capr.ca/about-the-network/themes/naturalresource-development
The Definition of Rural and Its Implications
No full textWhile each person has some concept of rural and urban spaces, the formal definitions of these terms vary across the academic literature. This poster outlines several methods of defining rural spaces which are used in census data and in academia, including spatial and social conceptions of rurality. It also examines the shortcomings of these definitions in delimiting rural areas for policy initiatives and remarks on best practices for selecting a definition for rurality based on context
Engaging and ELLEvating Women Entrepreneurs | Engager et Elever les Entrepreneuses
No full textEngaging and ELLEvating Women Entrepreneurs
Engager et Elever les Entrepreneuses
Gender and Indigeneity: Impacting Trust in the Social Licence | Genre et Indigénéité: Influencer la Confiance Dans la Licence Sociale
No full textGender and Indigeneity: Impacting Trust in the Social Licence
Genre et Indigénéité: Influencer la Confiance Dans la Licence Sociale