News/Nouvelles : Rural Canada News Scan, February 2010

Source: Compiled by the Canadian Rural Research Network.
Online news on rural Canada from January 29, 2010 to February 28, 2010. Click on the heading to access the online article.


P.E.I. government releases rural action strategy
CBC News - January 26, 2010
After almost two years of work and consultation with more then 1,200 Islanders, the Prince Edward Island government released its Rural Action Plan Tuesday.

Lectures to examine impact of creative economy on Eastern Ontario
EMC Frontenac - January 28, 2010
Over the past five years, the idea that creative types drive economic development has generated much debate. While the theories of Richard Florida and others have been criticized, there is no denying that they have caught the attention of Ontario policymakers.

Rural spirit welcomes the torch
www.kamloopsnews.ca - January 28, 2010
The Olympic torch took two right turns off the Trans-Canada Highway en route to Kamloops and found two small towns burning with spirit for the 2010 Games.

ER doctors call for national care standards; Medical association points to discrepancies between urban and rural treatment
The Globe and Mail - January 29, 2010
The controversial closing of emergency departments in two Ontario hospitals highlights the need for trauma-care standards right across Canada, says a group representing doctors.

Is regionalization working?
CMAJ - January 29, 2010
According to Dr. Karl Stobbe, president of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada, regionalization has caused the closure of many small-town hospitals.

The heart of the matter
Ottawa Citizen - February 1, 2010
No one should be surprised at the recent finding that rural Eastern Ontario is a hot spot for heart disease. The heart problems in rural Canada are well established.

Forest industry's future looks green; Traditional wood products are the best platform for a new bioenergy sector, study shows
Vancouver Sun - February 2, 2010
The Canadian forest industry can come out of the recession stronger than ever by turning green, according to a new study by the Forest Products Association of Canada.

Lack of national strategy threatens Canadian food sovereignty, P.E.I. agriculture federation told.
The Guardian (Charlottetown) - February 2, 2010
A national strategy that champions domestically produced food over foreign imports must be developed or Canadian farmers could become little more than glorified gardeners running petting zoos, says a leader with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

BCE, Telus May Be Forced to Improve Rural Service, Globe Says
Bloomberg - February 4, 2010
The regulator for Canada's telecommunications industry is examining whether companies such as BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. should be required to provide high- speed Internet access in rural areas, the Globe and Mail reported.

Rural-urban issues on the agenda
Chatham Daily News - February 4, 2010
Challenges facing rural Canada and bridging the gap of rural-urban divide will be topics of discussion at a Liberal party round table Friday [February 5] in Guelph.

More overseas doctors may head to bush
Sydney Morning Herald - February 8, 2010
Hundreds more overseas-trained doctors could be heading to rural Victoria under new registration rules. On Thursday, the Royal Australian College of General...

Google adds rural Manitoba to Street View
Winnipeg Free Press - February 9, 2010
The search engine giant has gone live in over 150 cities and towns in Canada, according to a release. Rural Manitoba is now on-line, with panoramic versions of Brandon, Dauphin, Gimli, and Riding Mountain National Park now available.

Steinbach has the highest population of artists on the Prairies
AgCanada - February 11, 2010
Canada's small and rural municipalities are home to as many artists as Montreal and Toronto combined, according to a new analysis of where this country's musicians, visual and performance artists make their home.

Stress and Depression are Treatable
PigSite - February, 17 2010
A western Manitoba based registered clinical psychologist reports men, especially in rural communities are less likely to seek help in dealing with stress and depression but that trend is starting to change...

Rural health lags
The Sun Times - February 20, 2010
If there's a two-tiered health system in Canada, it's seen in the difference between rural and urban Canadians, Dr. Carolyn Bennett said Thursday.

Hope for the heartland
The United Church Observer - February, 2010
Rural Canada is in the midst of changes that will transform it forever. In many places, the local church is the glue that holds communities together.