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Debates about the future of small municipalities in Canada are set against a backdrop of economic, political, and social restructuring processes that have displaced former state investment policies in favour of neoliberal public policy approaches. Small municipalities struggle with outdated financial and governance structures and a provincial public policy agenda that asks them to become more creative, innovative, and "entrepreneurial" in their approach and responsibilities. Drawing upon key informant interviews with eight case studies in British Columbia, Canada, this research examines the tensions between municipal reforms mandated by the provincial government over the past 30 years and commensurate fiscal levers and capacities in place to address these broadening responsibilities for small municipalities in volatile staples‐dependent regions. Our findings demonstrate how successive provincial governments have mobilized New Public Management objectives through a host of legislative and regulatory changes that have increased the responsibilities and requirements on local governments without commensurate fiscal or jurisdictional capacity. Key Messages: Municipal reforms are mobilized through legislative changes, planning and regulatory requirements, partnership and program requirements, and restrictive fiscal levers.Reform pressures are exacerbated by the limited staff capacity and expertise at the municipal level to implement new measures.Outdated funding powers and mechanisms for municipalities limit the capacity of small municipalities to support long‐term planning and infrastructure investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In resource-based communities, housing can be a contributing asset or challenge to attracting and retaining workers and families. In Kitimat, BC, Canada, a housing crisis threatened vulnerable, low income, and middle income residents during a period of rapid growth associated with renewed industrial investments. Even though housing policy and public housing provision falls under provincial government jurisdiction, the crisis response was largely mobilized by local stakeholders. Drawing upon a five year tracking study, this paper traces the rise of new governance arrangements to address local housing pressures. These governance arrangements fostered greater community awareness of housing issues; strengthened relationships across community, industry, and some senior government stakeholders; and renewed local housing assets. This collective capacity to manage housing pressures, however, remains vulnerable due to public policy incoherence that undermines or fails to adequately support local governance initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We would like to start by stating our gratitude to Etienne Nel and Sean Connelly for providing us with the opportunity to review the articles in this special issue, and to provide these summary comments. Regional development policy and practice has undergone many evolutions and iterations as it has responded to global conditions, political trends, and perhaps even the findings of dedicated researchers. Indigenous policy-making and attention to holistic interpretations of health and well-being again offer interesting insights and strategies for reconciling the policy incoherence currently gripping regional development policy internationally. [Extracted from the article]

This paper is concerned with the socio-spatial and ethical politics of redistribution, specifically the allocation of natural resources rents from political and economic cores to the economic and geographical peripheries whence the resource originated. Based on a case study of the coal seam gas sector in Queensland's Surat Basin, this paper focuses on the operation of the Queensland State Government's regional development fund for mining and energy extraction-affected regions. Employing an environmental justice framework, we critically explore the operation of these funds in ostensibly helping constituent communities in becoming resilient to the worst effects of the 'staples trap'. Drawing on secondary demographic and housing data for the region, as well as primary information collected from key respondents from mid-2018 to early 2019, we show that funds were distributed across all of the local government areas, and allocated to projects and places primarily on a perceived economic needs basis. However, concerns were raised with the probity of the funds' administration. In terms of recognition justice, the participation of smaller and more remote towns and local Indigenous communities was hampered by their structural marginalisation. Procedurally, the funds were criticised for the lack of local consultation taken in the development and approval of projects. While spatially concentrated expenditure may be the most cost-effective use of public monies, we argue that grant application processes should be open, transparent and inclusive, and the outcomes cognisant of the developmental needs of smaller communities, together with the need to foster regional solidarity and coherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite neo-liberal policies that have been restructuring and regionalizing supports over the past 30 years, most research on rural poverty has been focused at the community level. Exploring regional approaches to address rural poverty is becoming increasingly important as rural organizations have a limited capacity to respond to this complex issue. New regionalism has been one outcome of neo-liberal policies as regions experiment with different institutional structures and relationships to compensate for the government withdrawal of programs. Despite the state’s diminished role, however, new regionalism literature has been quite silent about the implications that such shifts have for civil society groups as they work to address rural poverty to allow broader innovations and economic development initiatives to have the greatest impact. Based on a descriptive case study of the Robson Valley in British Columbia, Canada, 22 key informant stakeholder interviews were conducted to explore the implications of new regionalism on regional voluntary sector responses to address rural poverty. Findings suggest that more attention must be paid to strengthen vertical relationships and regional policy imperatives by finding ways to positively construct and maintain regional structures and mechanisms in order to connect stakeholders with a broader range of information, expertise, and resources to address rural poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamics of a (new) regionalist development process that sought to enable communities, within a rural region of British Columbia, Canada, to chart a new strategic direction for their future development. We highlight the case of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition (C-CBAC), which formed in response to the mountain pine beetle infestation that has destroyed much of the province's pine forests. Spurred by this crisis, the C-CBAC formed to create community and economic transition strategies to cope with long-term economic restructuring and environmental change. While the coalition has achieved many admirable successes, internal governance struggles and the reliance of senior governments on traditional vehicles to distribute supports have severely hindered any regionalist potential for implementation. Ultimately, government trumped governance in this attempt to construct a new regional ideal. The paper highlights the need for 'co-constructing' new regional governance, which entails both bottom-up and top-down responsibility and coordination in the implementation of new regional development processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, neoliberal policies have downsized or closed rural and small-town services. In response, voluntary groups have played an increasing role to retain basic supports. How voluntary groups are impacted, and how they react, will affect community development. Drawing upon our research across northern BC and Canada, this article explores the changing role of voluntary groups, with a focus on the structural and institutional barriers impeding their renewal. Our research suggests that voluntary organizations have been diversifying their human and financial capital, expanding partnerships, and developing smart infrastructure to enhance their capacity. More place-based policies and programs are needed to: renew relationships, create synergies, stabilize operations, renew mandates and procedures, develop training supports, enhance development expertise, build diversity, capacity, and support for volunteers, and develop information management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural and small town places in developed economies are aging. While attention has been paid to the local transportation needs of rural seniors, fewer researchers have explored their regional transportation needs. This is important given policies that have reduced and regionalized many services and supports. This article explores mobility constraints impeding rural seniors' access to regionalized services using the example of northern British Columbia. Drawing upon several qualitative studies, we explore geographical, maintenance, organizational, communication, human resources, infrastructure, and financial constraints that affect seniors' regional mobility. Our findings indicate that greater coordination across multiple government agencies and jurisdictions is needed and more supportive policies and resources must be in place to facilitate a comprehensive regional transportation strategy. In addition to discussing the complexities of these geographies, the article identifies innovative solutions that have been deployed in northern British Columbia to support an aging population. This research provides a foundation for developing a comprehensive understanding of the key issues that need to be addressed to inform strategic investments in infrastructure and programs that support the regional mobility and, hence, healthy aging of rural seniors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the context of an aging Canadian rural and small-town landscape, there is a growing trend of low-income senior women living alone. While there is a perception that rural seniors have well-developed social networks to meet their daily needs, some research suggests that economic and social restructuring processes have impacted the stability of seniors' support networks in small places. While much of the research on seniors' informal networks focuses upon small towns in decline, booming resource economies can also produce challenges for low-income senior women living alone due to both a higher cost of living and the retrenchment of government and service supports. Under such circumstances, an absence of informal supports can impact seniors' health and quality of life and may lead to premature institutionalization. Drawing upon a household survey in Fort St. John, British Columbia, we explore informal supports used by low-income senior women living alone in this different context of the Canadian landscape. Our findings indicate that these women not only have a support network that is comparable to other groups, but that they are also more likely to draw upon such supports to meet their independent-living needs. These women rely heavily on family support, however, and greater efforts are needed to diversify both their formal and informal sources of support as small family networks can quickly become overwhelmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Voluntarism can take many forms, and its boundaries are not always straightforward. In this paper, we explore a particular type of voluntary activities carried out as an add-on to formal duties of health care professionals and administrators. We outline some impressions of what we term ‘stealth voluntarism’, which we situate at the interstices of health care professionalism, place integration, and welfare retrenchment. Our discussion draws on exploratory research looking at health care and social support in smaller urban centres in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. While stealth voluntarism can occur anywhere, we highlight its unique implications for systems of support in rural and small town places. We conclude by considering the wider implications of stealth voluntarism as an expectation of professional work in underserviced areas, particularly in the context of welfare retrenchment and the offloading of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Community-integrated undergraduate medical education is becoming a more common option for students predisposed to practice in rural and small town places. One such initiative, the Northern Medical Program, has been operating since 2004 in the northern interior of British Columbia, Canada. The NMP’s curriculum relies heavily on the involvement of practicing physicians in its host community, Prince George. Drawing on Bourdieu’s conceptualization of capital in its different forms, the commitment of the local physician community is understood as social capital derived from cultural capital centred on a collective sense of professional identity forged by conditions of practice in an underserviced area. The findings of this study are discussed with respect to the long-term operation and success of community-integrated medical education programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-based research (CBR) represents a particularly timely approach to rural research. Rural areas in industrialized nations are undergoing dramatic and rapid processes of economic, social and political restructuring. These forces, combined with a trend towards place-based development and territorial policy make CBR an appropriate rural method given its flexibility and sensitivity to local context. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the use and methods of CBR in the rural setting, drawn from our collective research experience in northern British Columbia. There has been increased attention paid to CBR, signalling a form of acceptance within the academy towards community-based and participatory methods. However, gaps exist in addressing the various approaches to conducting CBR and in considering the relevance of CBR in different contexts. Researchers also note the need for better training in the use of community-based methods. We reflect upon our rural CBR experience to offer insights and pragmatic lessons on effective methodological practices using a simplified framework of the key research process stages: preparing for community engagement, doing community-based research and after the fieldwork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As small towns experience economic and social restructuring, many are pursuing tourism opportunities as one component of a more diversified local economic strategy. This paper is interested in the small town of Fouriesburg in South Africa's Free State. While the town was once a thriving service center for a surrounding rural agricultural region, this traditional economy has faded. Given that the nearby town of Clarens has developed a substantial tourism economy, we pose the question of whether there already exist indicators that Fouriesburg may be poised for a similar change. These indicators include location within the urban field, timing within the tourist area life cycle model, differentials/opportunities in property values, and the role of real estate agents as “gatekeepers” in directing investments. The findings suggest that, while Fouriesburg has potential for developing a tourism-oriented economy, many of the important policy and planning supports needed to assist with diversification are not yet in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faculty have long incorporated students into interdisciplinary research projects to meet increasingly common demands for collaborative research by federal funding agencies. Despite the critical role of experiential learning in building student research skills and capacity, few have explored social interaction mechanisms used to facilitate student experiential learning in an interdisciplinary research team. Drawing upon the New Rural Economy project as a case study, interviews with 13 students from eight Canadian universities were conducted to explore these social interaction mechanisms. While findings revealed an array of social interaction mechanisms used to develop student learning networks, the quality of these mechanisms were mixed; thereby influencing the utilization of these networks for guidance and feedback. As faculty organize social interaction mechanisms, they should consider factors such as previous experience, student and faculty relationships, finances, language, gender, ethnicity, and other issues, that will have an impact on student engagement with experiential learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 1980s, rural and small-town Canada has experienced considerable transformation from social, economic, and political restructuring. These changes put pressure on communities and regions to assume increasing levels of responsibility for economic planning and development. The record to date, however, reveals implementation gaps between plans and the results on the ground. This paper explores this implementation gap using a case study from northwestern British Columbia, Canada. The findings indicate that a failure to incorporate the context of place in the analysis of economic strategy reports results in flawed local and regional development processes and misdirected action plans. This research is set within a broader revival in the regional development literature, where an interest in regions is accompanied by enquiry into the ability of local action to influence economic development planning and longer-term community sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades the literature on the winter cities and on urban design has explored the implications of poorly designed urban spaces on pedestrian mobility during various seasons. In Canada, however, practice in using climate responsive design principles tends to be the exception. Using a case study methodology, this paper explores the application of climate responsive design principles in the commercial redevelopment process in Prince George, British Columbia. Findings indicate that, despite expressed interest in winter city development, professionals and decision makers involved in the development permit process do not possess sufficient knowledge about climate responsive design to apply these principles to everyday practice. More importantly, knowledge about climate responsive design did not appear to be a major consideration in creating or evaluating commercial redevelopment projects. A range of educational, attitudinal, regulatory, structural, and political barriers impede the development of an institutional framework to support the implementation of climate responsive design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service restructuring trends since the 1980s have resulted in the downsizing or closure of many services in rural and small town Canada. In response, voluntary groups have been filling some of the emerging service gaps. Services, however, often are directed at complex problems that demand information, support, or assistance from a range of sources and institutions. For voluntary groups, this underscores a need to partner with other groups, organizations, or service providers. At the same time, voluntary organizations are increasingly encouraged to develop partnerships with public or private partners in order to qualify for government funding. This study tracks 29 voluntary organizations in four rural and small town places across Canada to explore the development and maintenance of partnerships (both local and non-local), as well as the types of networks, resources, and expertise for which partnerships were used. The findings indicate that while voluntary organizations feel that local partnerships are more important, partnerships with groups outside of these places are equally developed. Partnerships were used to expand networks, obtain expertise, and access a range of resources to assist in daily operations and delivery of services. The increase in partnerships with groups outside of these communities, particularly with non-local service providers, will have important implications for voluntary organizations and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The concept of social care is valuable in examining how responsibilities for social support are distributed amongst private, public and voluntary interests. We argue that social care is embedded in place, by which we mean the social relations that determine who provides what are closely connected with the physically bounded settings of meaning and interaction in which these activities and relations occur. To illustrate the usefulness of these conceptions, we present a case study of the restructuring of work and welfare arrangements in Mackenzie, British Columbia, a remote and resource-dependent community in the province''s northern interior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The social, economic, and political landscape of northern British Columbia (BC), Canada, has undergone considerable transformation since a recession in the early 1980s. From this, there is an emerging recognition of the need to move from an economy based upon comparative advantage to one embracing competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper, drawn from ongoing regional research, is twofold. First, we apply a rural lens to the regional planning and development literature, which highlights the significance of competitive advantage as a tool for regional rejuvenation. Second, we add to this dialogue by exploring the relevance and meaning of competitive advantage in the non-metropolitan setting of northern BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delivery of‘rural’ health care services has long confronted the geographic problems of distance, low user densities, low-order facilities and caregiver shortages. As a result, rural and remote communities across Canada have struggled with health care delivery. For rural and remote communities in resource hinterlands, population ageing driven by industrial restructuring presents a significant departure from past experience. Drawing on examples from northern British Columbia (BC), this paper examines this context of ageing in rural and remote locations with the purpose of highlighting impending challenges for health care service provision. In the first part of this paper, we provide a demographic overview of population change and ageing in northern BC. In the second part, we present data on the availability of services throughout the region to support seniors who age-in-place. Population ageing, in areas that have never dealt with this issue before, highlights not only important servicing questions but also important policy questions about how to provide for needs that the policy and community context are not presently equipped to meet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource planning and management in British Columbia, Canada, has been steadily moving towards more active public participation. While government agencies have long been required to consult the general public during the course of land or resource use planning, the 1990s brought in a period of more intense public involvement. In terms of resource planning, this led to the creation of several new planning processes. Given that there is now considerable experience with the Commission on Resources and Environment (CORE) and the Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) processes, it is time for an appraisal. In particular, the paper examines the public's perceptions of these processes with respect to 'what works well' and 'what needs improvement'. The results highlight a number of areas to which process designers and managers should direct attention. There are three key items of note. First, there are generally low levels of awareness by respondents of public consultation processes in their community. Second, there is a need for access to timely, relevant and readable information throughout the course of the process in order to keep participants and the public as up-to-date as possible. Finally, there must be greater clarity about the process itself, including mandates, participants and decision-making powers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews children's maps against Lynch's typology of urban design elements. KIDSMAP Project in which children draw mental or cognitive maps; Children's cognitive mapping as potential tool for neighborhood planning.

This paper reports on a study of economic restructuring in the small, resource-based communities of Quesnel, Williams Lake, and 100 Mile House in British Columbia, Canada. Using survey data, the paper reviews three issues connected with household adjustment to local employment/economic conditions. The first concerns patterns of employment, and among the findings are that over half of respondents have experienced periods without employment income. The second concerns perceptions of change in local economic conditions. While recent public debates have highlighted significant regional economic pressures, the findings suggest that many respondents are still very optimistic regarding the economic vitality of their community. The final issue concerns whether residents are actively taking steps to respond to changing economic conditions. Findings suggest that while most households have engaged in educational and skills upgrading, there are potentially serious limitations to the future efficacy of some of these coping mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on employment migration in the context of the three resource-based communities in British Columbia. Re-examination of Lucas' model of community development; Patterns of migration and economic restructuring of work; Factors affecting household mobility; Types of communities from which the households moved; Implications for small resource-dependent communities.

Regional geography courses have declined in status and number at many North American universities. Yet it is regional courses which students with limited geographical education at the high school level may identify as typical geography, and thus regional courses may play a significant role in recruitment of geography majors. Regional courses on the students' country or state/province offer an excellent opportunity to showcase how geographic perspectives can enrich our understanding of the familiar, both in terms of place and discipline. This paper discusses the pivotal role a regional geography course has been given in a new university's geography curriculum, and the innovative structuring of the course so as to avoid some of the deficiencies of common instructional patterns which may deter some students from pursuing further geographic education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the ways in which a discourse of race, revolving around issues of phenotypic and cultural difference, is shaping spatial relations and the meaning of place in Richmond, British Columbia. In Richmond, where the Chinese immigrant population has been growing for the last decade, real and metaphoric spaces are integral to a reinvented articulation of old racist concepts. Integral to this discourse is the struggle between social groups at the local level and the contested meanings of place and place imagery. Neighborhood level conflicts become, in effect, clashes for control of physical neighborhood space, and its social meanings and perceived status. The analysis highlights a cleavage between the geographies of Chinese immigrants in Richmond and the social construction of these geographies by long-time local residents and certain segments of the media. It is undeniable that there have been important social and physical changes in Richmond since the 1980s, including a significant growth of the Chinese population and a series of housing and architectural style changes. Nevertheless, at the same time it is very difficult to find evidence for either the transformation of Richmond into a Chinese territory or the creation of a spatially circumscribed residential Chinatowns.

Examines cottage property owners and ownership using information from three cases in Canada. Historical roots of cottaging in Western society; Study areas; Data from local government property assessment and taxation records; Cottages accounting for a significant share of local residential property.

Argues on the complexity of rural housing in Canada. Portrait of rural housing; Complexity of rural landscape; Patterns of building-permit activity.

The article reports on research which was conducted in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia in an effort to describe a measure called the Rural Care Needs Index that links the scale of local demand for medical services with a community's need for medical services. In the article the authors offer their opinions on the ways in which the index could be adapted to rural and remote areas of Canada.

Rural resource-based regions are increasingly accommodating large mobile workforces to support renewed industrial investments. As large-scale resource development projects are mobilized, however, industries' use of mobile work camps and outsourcing with established global supply chain networks may exclude rural businesses and communities from associated economic benefits, particularly in the absence of local content policies. To date, however, research has largely focused on supply chain opportunities pertaining to the construction or operations of resource development assets, with limited consideration of the issues that must be considered in order for local businesses to capture benefits from mobile workforces. Drawing upon interviews with businesses in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, we use issues unfolding in the new institutionalism discourse to explore the roles of senior governments in strengthening local benefits related to mobile workforces, as well as some of the challenges that existing policy roles and debates present to better position rural businesses in these resource-based regions. Our findings suggest that underdeveloped and under-resourced senior government policies, regulations, and processes are entrenching the role of rural regions as resource banks instead of creating a competitive playing field for rural businesses to capture, and locally anchor, economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiencing nature and enjoying natural amenities have long been identified as key motives for rural second home tourism. However, the more people travel and spend time in the natural environment, the more it is disturbed by their actions and activities. In this paper, we examine how people perceive the environmental impacts of rural second home tourism and how they justify their views. The study focuses on Finland where rural second homes are widespread. Analysis is based on a questionnaire survey conducted among Finns in 2012 (n = 1189). Responses from different groups of respondents (second home owners, regular users of second homes and non-users) are quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. The results indicate that the Finnish respondents generally think that second home tourism poses some degree of harmful environmental impacts. However, it is the second home owners who are least worried about these environmental impacts. They generally justify their opinions using a “place-related” perspective, that is, by referring to their own experiences and actions at the cottage site. In contrast, the non-users see environmental impacts more often from a broader perspective by referring to the wider environmental interconnections with second home tourism. In our discussion, we introduce the notions of place-based (relative) and phenomenon-based (relational) environmental perceptions as a potential framework for future research on this topic. In mitigating the increasing environmental impacts of second home tourism, understanding the environmental perceptions and awareness of second home owners and users is crucial to be successful in mobilising sustainable options and environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Services provide support for both community and economic development. Their delivery provides for routine and emergency needs. Through their operations, services help to support the local economy, employment, the training of new workers, the development of social cohesion and social capital, and the overall quality of life across all ages and stages of life. Drawing upon research from the New Rural Economy project, this paper highlights the role that services play in recruiting and maintaining both businesses and residents. The case study of Tumbler Ridge is used to highlight the importance of services in rural and small town transition and renewal, as well as the pressing need for innovation as older service delivery models are not suited to the contemporary rural landscape. In developing integrated and comprehensive service policy and provision, there needs to be a greater recognition and understanding of the specificity and uniqueness of the rural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural communities are getting more diversified in terms of people's backgrounds, sources of livelihood and interests towards the rural landscape. A common way to discuss rural community change has been to contrast in-migrants and seasonal residents with long-term rural residents. In this article, we aim to challenge this segmentation. We ask what it is to be a dweller in the modern countryside and how much the residential status has to do with people's interests and use of space. Based on a postal survey in a case study area in Finland, we look into the differences in the valuation of different leisure activities performed in rural space between second home owners and permanent residents. After dividing permanent residents and second home owners into further subgroups based on their spatial and temporal possibilities to engage in rural leisure, we found that there are no specific activities or groups of activities typical for certain groups of rural leisure space users. Differences between local residents and second-home owners are rarely explained by this simple dichotomy, rather the differences are better explained by spatial and temporal accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities and funding agencies are increasingly calling for collaborative research between community partners and academics. When combined with faculty roles in training the next generation of researchers, these collaborative frameworks can present a challenge to undergraduate students seeking experience with research activities—both in terms of the types of needed training and the timelines involved. The quality and effectiveness of student research experiences, however, will have longstanding impacts on their future research careers, as well as repercussions pertaining to the community experience with the research process. The purpose of this study is to provide primarily undergraduate students with information about how to get the most out of their community-based research experiences. Given geography's traditional strengths as a field-engaged discipline, community-based research is a natural fit for geography and brings renewed vitality to the discipline. Key topics to be addressed include finding community research opportunities, identifying what you should know and what you should ask before engaging with a research team, how to obtain a breadth of research skills and experiences, researcher etiquette and demeanour in the community, budgeting, time management and developing long-term, meaningful relationships with communities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this paper is to trace community and regional responses to the economic downturn of 2008/2009 in Northern British Columbia, Canada. Our research during this period (2009-2011), the Northern Economic Vision II (NEV II) project, sought to investigate whether communities in the region were incorporating some of the core findings, lessons from an earlier project, the NEV I project (conducted in 2002-2005), in terms of preparing for both economic uncertainty and opportunity through place-oriented community planning and enhanced regional collaboration. Findings suggest that in the face of economic hardship, many communities continued to pursue community and regionally-oriented strategies in an attempt to preserve services and quality of life for local residents, and did not engage in reactive budget cuts in the face of economic decline, as experienced in previous bust periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the implications of 'resource frontier aging' with a particular emphasis on understanding the role of the voluntary sector in supporting older people living in resource hinterland regions, and in sustaining economic and social development in their communities. Informed by recent calls for greater attention to the diverse experiences of rural aging, individually and collectively, and drawing on previous research on voluntarism in aging rural communities and on community development in Canada's resource hinterland, we conceptualize voluntarism as a multifaceted process that both shapes and is shaped by the interactions between older people and aging places. We articulate an approach for interrogating initiatives that link voluntarism, aging, and community development together, and present findings from an exploratory analysis of local media from two resource towns in northern British Columbia to identify and describe the interrelationship between voluntary sector activities in support of community development and those in support of aging in place. The findings provide evidence of the multiple, nuanced, and reciprocal ways in which voluntarism creates and reinforces the connections between aging and community development, often via the leadership and participation of older residents. Avenues for further research aimed at developing an in-depth understanding of voluntarism as a potentially transformative process in resource frontier communities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource-dependent communities in hinterland regions of Australia, Canada and elsewhere are rapidly aging, yet many features that distinguish them (e.g., geographic remoteness, small populations, infrastructure built with younger persons in mind) also pose significant challenges for healthy aging. These challenges can lead to substantial gaps in access to formal health and social services, with negative implications for older residents aging-in-place and the development aspirations of resource frontier communities. In this paper, we explore the efforts of voluntary sector leaders to transform resource communities into more livable and supportive places for older adults. We offer a case study of two small towns in Canada's aging resource frontier; one forestry-dependent and the other dependent on coal mining. Our findings suggest that place integration develops through volunteer work and explains how voluntarism works as both a process and outcome of 'placemaking'. We argue that greater attention to place integration is needed to bring into focus the transformative potential of the voluntary sector in creating supportive and sustainable environments for healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical Education 2010: 44 : 256–262 Context In August 2004, the Northern Medical Program (NMP), a distributed campus of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, Canada, admitted its first students. Situated at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, the NMP created new opportunities, challenges, stresses and changes for the approximately 180 local specialists and family doctors. This study examines the initial impacts of the NMP on doctors practising in its host community. Methods Qualitative interview methods were used. A purposive sample was drawn from: (i) doctors who had involvement with the NMP, and (ii) doctors who were not involved with the NMP. Data were collected from May to September 2007 using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and checked by participants. Analysis involved identifying, coding and categorising key emergent themes until saturation. Results Prior to the implementation of the NMP, doctors in Prince George had formed cohesive networks, in the face of adverse conditions, that functioned effectively as a form of social capital. The introduction of new doctors and resources through the NMP disrupted this sense of community cohesiveness. Over time, however, the NMP has created new mechanisms by which doctors interact and develop partnerships. Discussion The study confirms the value of a social capital framework for understanding a medical community’s adaptation to change. At this early point, it appears the NMP has created new mechanisms by which doctors can interact and develop the partnerships and relationships necessary to renew a sense of community cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]