Rural Spark

Indigenous storyteller Mary Louise Bernard shares Mi'kmaw legends with Parks Canada visitors, to rave reviews. We talk with Mary Louise about the benefits of bringing Indigenous culture into rural tourism planning. 

New to the pod? Join Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, as she hosts guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!

12 days from idea to implementation -- that's how long it took to get a new Virtual Triage Assessment Centre up and running in Renfrew County at the start of the pandemic. Dr. Jonathan Fitzsimon tells us how it happened and what it might mean for rural medicine.

Is there an upside to starting a rural business during the pandemic? That's what Anthea Taljaard did. And so far, so very good. Hear our conversation with her on this week's pod. 

With some urban centres in Canada becoming COVID-19 hotspots, rural communities are seeing some city dwellers retreat to small towns. Ashleigh Wheeden, a PhD student in Rural Studies at Guelph, joins us today to help break down why this is happening and the affects it’s having on residents and rural health care.

Caremongering is a movement spreading across Canada in the face of COVID-19. Through social media, Caremongering works to promote kindness and share information and resources to help people cope. This week we check in with two Caremongering groups, in Nova Scotia and Manitoba, to see how they are connecting with their communities and why we all need caremongering right now.

Like many healthcare facilities across Canada, Glen Haven Manor experiences staff shortages. But in 2019, the Pictou County nursing home had an opportunity to find a solution at a refugee camp -- and they seized it.

New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!

A maker space in Trail, B.C. just became the first rural fabrication lab in Canada to house a 3D metal printer. Jason Taylor is an instructor & applied researcher at Selkirk College and he joins us today to explain how getting the right tools and resources -- combined with the right attitude -- equips colleges to help local businesses prosper.

New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!

This week we talk to the owner of a new 'ethical' business in Nova Scotia that has quickly gained an international clientele. Tara Milburn's keys to success include smart online networking and growing a team that can work from wherever they want. Hear her intriguing story.

New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!

Feel like escaping to the countryside? Rural life is seen by many as a happier alternative to long commutes and crowded cities, but what does the research tell us? We invited McGill professor Dr. Chris Barrington-Leigh to the podcast to share his findings and some valuable lessons.

New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!