13 ways to kill your community. Chris Field challenged community leaders, elected officials, and economic developers to think and act with imagination to make a difference in small and large communities.
Category: RDI
BRANDON, MB – A new report by Manitoba’s premiere rural studies organization outlines the need for immediate industry and government action in the province’s food and beverage processing industry, to support continued growth in sales, investments and jobs in the next few years.
Today, the Rural Development Institute (RDI at Brandon University (BU) released Food & Beverage Processing Industry – Growth Pathways to 2020, an expansive look at a major economic driver in Manitoba.
Film and TV star Adam Beach will bring first-run and aboriginal films to start at Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, 45 minutes north of Winnipeg. The pop-up theatres will be introduced across Canada within First Nations communities and Beach believes these will help unify families and inspire a new generation of aboriginal filmmakers.
On April 24, 2014 at the invitation of the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council chair, Pat Britton and Dr. Bill Ashton (Director) attended the state of the province address by the Premier Greg Selinger. Topics on the Premier’s address were familiar to the research activities of the Rural Development Institute, including the importance of immigration for growth, the key roles of infrastructure and flood protection investment for economic development, and revenues from clean hydro and innovation by businesses.
Drew Caldwell, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Brandon East, presents a $110,000 cheque on behalf of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) to Brandon University to support the Rural Development Institute.
On behalf of the President, Dr. Poff, Dr. Strang holds the cheque as Dr. Ashton, Director of RDI, thanks Drew.
BRANDON, MB – The Rural Development Institute (RDI) at Brandon University (BU) today received $110,000 in funding from the Manitoba government, to assist in new community initiatives including a study of opportunities in Manitoba’s food processing industry.
RDI Director Dr. Bill Ashton, Dean of Arts Dr. Bruce Strang, and Drew Caldwell, MLA Brandon East
The installment is the third in a five-year, $545,000 funding agreement between RDI and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD).
BRANDON, MB – Brandon University is involved in a nation-wide study to examine the continuing loss of farmland in Canada and how that affects our country’s global competiveness and food sovereignty.
“In the last 40 years, farmland approximately twice the size of Prince Edward Island has been taken over for urban activities,” says Dr. Doug Ramsey from BU’s Department of Rural Development and member of the research team that will spend the next four years studying agricultural land use planning in Canada.
Back Row: (L-R) Tom Johnson, Peter Apedaile, Nelson Rogers,Heather Hall, LingLing Fan, Dianne Looker, Bill AshtonMiddle Row: Lori Gould, Ryan Gibson, Bill Reimer, Laura Ryser,Ray Bollman, Bruno JeanFront Sitting: Sara Teitelbaum, Anna Woodrow, Lana Sullivan,Fran ShaverMissing from photo: Judi Nelson Childs
Over 2 dozen people examined the impact over the last 10 years of the New Rural Economy project – NRE. Ten presentations analyzed and discussed fundamentals of governance, wealth creation, capacity building, and service delivery in rural communities.
Dr. Bill Reimer, the co-designer, motivator, and leader of the decade long NRE project wrapped up by underscoring the importance of ongoing research with the 32 rural communities – a national rural lab.
Dr. Bill Ashton from the Rural Development Institute along with Dr. Ray Bollman were pleased to host this NRE symposium, with the assistance of Lori Gould, a former NRE researcher.
BRANDON, MB – A community outreach program which has funded projects as diverse as attracting new campground users, to mapping World War l trenches, to measuring the response of emergency services, is accepting new proposals.
The Brandon University (BU) Community Outreach Service contributes as much as $3,000 per project to organizations and individuals wishing to collaborate with the University on research initiatives.