Rural Spark

The Minister of Rural Economic Development is on a tour of rural Canada to hear people’s concerns and ideas for a national rural strategy. She joins us in-studio this week to talk about what she’s learning - and what will come of 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!

Among bold new ideas to address the challenge around rural healthcare delivery is the call for a mobile medical service, with doctors ready to be deployed where and when they're needed. It's an idea that Dr. Ruth Wilson is passionate about, and she’s working with like-minded trailblazers to help make it happen. Dr. Wilson was co-chair of a recent initiative called the Canadian Collaborative Taskforce: Advancing Rural Family Medicine. She’s now part of a group working to implement the recommendations of this project, contained the Taakforce's Rural Road Map for Action. 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!

Could forests help break our plastics habit? Yes, says Derek Nighbor, CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada. Innovation in forestry is happening in ways that may surprise you. 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!

What are the opportunities and challenges that come with shaking up local leadership? 
To find out, we asked North Grenville, Ontario's first term mayor, Nancy Peckford. The former Equal Voice Executive Director was elected mayor last October in an election that saw all incumbents replaced by fresh faces around the council table. 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 with Leo Bonnell of Clarenville, Newfoundland - a trailblazer in developing age-friendly communities. 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!

Wayne Kelly is from the Rural Development Institute at Brandon University, and today he is talking to Rural Spark about the urgent need for broadband Internet in rural Canada and what communities can do to help make it happen. 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!

Is it time for us all to think — and act — differently when it comes to rural Canada’s sustainability? Karen Foster thinks so, and she has some compelling arguments to back that up. Dr. Foster is Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Rural Futures at Dalhousie University. In this week’s episode, she tells us why smaller is often better, why the numbers don’t tell the whole story, and how new models of business and service delivery can build a better future for rural communities. Have a listen. 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!

Would you invest your retirement portfolio in micro-loans for entrepreneurs in your rural community? That’s what Jane Nicholson did. No bureaucracy. No advisory board. Of 110 applications over the past two years, she has funded 52 - and helped create 123 jobs. Yep, Jane moved the needle in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. 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!

How can communities harness entrepreneurial spirit to help their economies thrive? This week we talk with Ryan Williams, founder of QuinteVation, about this unique, ground-up response to the business community’s needs – especially around acceleration -- in Ontario’s Bay of Quinte region. 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!

Age-friendly rural communities: how do we make it happen and address the sustainability challenge? In this episode, Rural Spark speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Russell of Trent University about the challenges and opportunities of an aging population. 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!