I’ve been very fortunate to work, in one capacity or another, with many rural and remote communities across Canada. Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal about their resourcefulness, work ethic, and creativity—and also about the growing concerns they are facing, particularly the slow erosion of community life, local control, and resilience.

Almost one in five people in Canada live in rural or small‑town communities—roughly 6.6 million people, depending on the definition you use. Yet even though rural communities generate much of Canada’s food, energy, and natural resource wealth, there is no longer a… More Posted on 02-13-26