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Rural Canadian towns with resource-dependent economies face several challenges that adversely affect economic stability (e.g., boom and bust cycles, low educational attainment rates). Responding to these challenges, the Town of Drayton Valley (DV) introduced a tuition assistance program, Zero Fee Tuition (ZFT), which provides up to $5,000 in grants to residents enrolled in select post-secondary education and training programs. In this community-based participatory research study, we conducted 11 interviews with stakeholders including Town of Drayton Valley staff, elected officials, and other people involved in planning and administering ZFT. We also observed five group stakeholder consultations and reviewed relevant Town documents. Qualitative data were used to identify challenges facing Drayton Valley and responses the Town took to sustain ZFT. Challenges threatening the sustainability of ZFT include the (a) lack of a culture of education, (b) need to demonstrate outcomes, (c) difficulty of attracting post-secondary institutions, and (d) lack of resources. Mitigating these challenges, the Town has (a) established an Education Committee, (b) developed partnerships with our research team and other post-secondary institutions, and (c) supported residents who champion ZFT. This study contributes to a limited body of research on tuition assistance programs in Canada. Findings may have implications for other rural communities interested in using tuition assistance programs as a tool for promoting economic diversification and rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine the efforts of a seven-year partnership project, the Rural Policy Learning Commons (RPLC), to raise the profile of rural development policy in Canada. Substantive and effective rural policy has long been a challenging prospect. Issues of distance and density, which define the rural condition, present barriers to galvanizing policy attention, understanding rural issues, and designing appropriate interventions. The RPLC project experienced several policy impact successes related to specific policy windows. The project also experienced capacity challenges--at all levels of the rural policy process--and offers insights related to complex systems and the challenges associated with seeking to elevate the role of evidence within policy processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted economies around the world, and rural Canada is no exception. In this paper, we explore the economic development impacts of the pandemic on rural communities across Canada. We seek to provide a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of how rural communities have responded to this crisis and the extent to which they are able to build long-term rural resilience through their responses and plans for recovery. To do so, we draw upon novel data derived from a survey of rural economic development practitioners from across Canada. Our findings are structured around three main themes: economic development and business impacts, economic development responses, and resources needed for recovery. The study highlights the geographic unevenness of impacts, responses, and resource needs to address the challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, our research underscores the importance of capacity and context as rural economic development practitioners and other rural leaders have responded to these challenges. Finally, this research provides important insights into the tools and strategies that could build long-term rural resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]