News/Nouvelles : Rural Canada News Scan - March 2011

Source: Compiled by the Canadian Rural Research Network.
Online news on rural Canada for March, 2011. Click on the heading to access the online article.

Jack Layton’s NDP Drops the Ball on Rural Health-Care
The Nipawin Journal – March 2011
Finding a family doctor continues to be a challenge in our constituency. I was therefore very pleased when Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced federal funding to support the placement of more than 100 family medical residents in rural-Canada.

Affordable broadband comes to Barriere area
The Kingston Whig-Standard – March 5, 2011
Late last month, the federal government announced $11 million for 60 new resident training positions in rural communities in Ontario over the next four years.

Oil companies make big profits while Cdns gouged at pumps, NDP says
The Toronto Sun – March 4, 2011
"It saddens me to say this, but what does the government have against hard-working Canadians?" Rafferty asked in the Commons. ... The MP said many residents of rural and northern Canada can't switch to using public transit to get to work because there simply aren't any buses or subways.

Telesat It Pays To Take On A Canadian Load, Eh?
Satnews.com – March 3, 2011
Telesat announced today that it has concluded an agreement with Loral Space & Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LORL) to acquire the Canadian payload of the ViaSat-1 satellite. Telesat will assume the fifteen year contract Barrett Xplore Inc. has previously entered into for this payload to provide broadband services in rural Canada.

Rural high schools top Sask. ranking: report
CBC News – March 14, 2011
Many of Saskatchewan's small, rural high schools ranked higher than their counterparts in the larger cities, a new study of 283 schools indicates.

Kenora medical students lobby MPs on rural recruitment issues at Parliament Hill
Miner and News – March 2011
"Compared to our urban counterparts, rural students are two and half times more likely to become family practitioners in rural communities," he said. "Physicians from low income backgrounds are more likely to serve in low income communities. They are more sympathetic and can identify with their patients."

Federal election could be called over budget
The Enfield Weekly Press – March, 2011
Brison said the Conservatives budget needs to show they’re willing to help families deal with their debt-load and provide more investment in rural Canada.

Governments of Canada, Manitoba, the Village of Cartwright and the Rural Municipality of Roblin Deliver BizPaL Services
Marketwire – March 15, 2011
Starting and running a business in the Village of Cartwright and the Rural Municipality of Roblin just became easier thanks to BizPaL, an online business permit and licence service that saves time spent on paperwork and helps entrepreneurs start up faster.

Rural doc situation needs a remedy
The Lethbridge Herald – March 18, 2011
News that Milk River will soon be losing its only doctor - leaving the town in a predicament that has become routine in recent years - underscores an ongoing difficulty facing many rural areas.

Budget offers up benefits for rural Canadians
The Toronto Sun – March 22, 2011
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced a $3,000 tax credit for firefighters working at least 200 hours a year in their communities -- something fire chiefs have spent a decade lobbying for -- in Tuesday's federal budget.

Triage on rural doctors, but no major surgery for ailing health system
The Globe and Mail – March 22, 2011
New doctors and nurses who are prepared to practice in underserved rural areas will see a large portion of their student debt forgiven by the federal government starting in the next fiscal year.

Death rates from accidental death higher in Northern Canada
Digital Journal – March 21, 2011
When it comes to accidental death the odds are stacked higher for Northern Canadians than for their neighbours in the southern area of the nation. The types of accidents are the same in Canada but those in the north tend to die more often from them.

Student loan break in federal budget a big incentive for young rural doctors
The Calgary Herald – March 23, 2011
The lure of $40,000 from the federal government is making medical student Matt Grossi think seriously about hanging out his shingle in rural Alberta after he graduates.