1. Rural Development and Engagement
CETABC Conference
Rural Development and Engagement
Presented by Sarah Fraser

2. Rural Development Unit
B.C. RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and
Rural Development
Rural Development, Lands and Innovation Division
Rural Development Unit
Innovation, BioEconomy and Indigenous Opportunities Branch
Building an innovation driven clean-tech based forest bio-economy in rural and indigenous communities in BC
Rural Policy and Programs Branch
Supporting rural communities , offering the Rural Dividend and shaping government’s rural mandate
Regional Economic Operations Branch
Responding to regional needs and opportunities, mitigating economic shocks and fostering diversification

3. Rural Engagement Process
Key Informant Interviews
Face-to-Face Engagement Sessions
Online Engagement

4. Key Informant Interviews
42 Key informant interviews with a wide range of rural stakeholders:
Academic institutions
Community groups
Provincial and national associations
Youth
First Nations
Local agencies
Entrepreneurs

5. Face-to-Face Sessions
16 face-to-face engagement sessions across the Province organized with local partners:
Cranbrook Port McNeill
Creston Prince George
Fort St. John Quesnel
Hazelton Prince Rupert
Kamloops Vernon
Merritt Wet’suwe’ten
Nelson Smithers
Port Alberni Williams Lake

6. Online Engagement Five moderated discussion forums:
Attracting and retaining youth and young adults in rural communities.
Developing meaningful partnerships between First Nations and non-First Nations communities.
Strengthening rural community services and the role of technology.
Better supporting rural communities’ access to capital to implement their own solutions.
Diversifying rural economies; enhancing rural stewardship of land and natural resources.
Submissions on a wide range of rural issues, including education, transportation, forestry, farming, investment models, and co-operatives.

7. Rural Engagement Outcomes
“What We Heard” Report to be released Spring 2018.
for updates.

8. Rural Engagement Results Common Themes

9. Focus on: Skills Training
“How can we train and develop people in our own regions to fill the jobs coming up in our regions?”
Improving capability, capacity, productivity and performance of individuals and organizations through training
Rural-based Training
Funding
Trades
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Training

10. “Education across the province needs to be equitable and accessible.”
Focus on: Education
“Education across the province needs to be equitable and accessible.”
Skills training, kindergarten to grade 12 education, and post-secondary education
Redesigning School Curriculums
Improving Technology Access
Initiating Mentorship Programs
Funding

11. Focus on: Youth and Demographics
Demographic-specific issues - senior care, community services, youth retention, economic opportunities for youth
“I am worried about making educational decisions that will limit me.”
Youth Attraction
Youth Retention
Youth Development
Aging Demographic

12. Focus on: Workforce
“We need sustainable jobs that don’t compromise environment and social outcomes.”
People engaged in or available for work in an area or industry
Aging Demographic & Skills Mis-Match
Immigration
Housing, Transportation, Rural Lifestyle

13. Broadband Telecommunications Online Learning
Focus on: Technology
“Technology has the potential to be a catalyst for true innovation.”
Technologies such as broadband internet, telecommunications, renewable energy, and innovation
Broadband
Telecommunications
Online Learning

14. Focus on: Indigenous Reconciliation
Advancing the government's commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
“In the era of reconciliation there needs to be ways to recognize and uplift the Indigenous economy operating in rural and remote regions.”
Training Programs
Social Enterprise Model
Access to Education

15. B.C. RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Questions?