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Showing posts with label Resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Resources. Show all posts

Announcement: Rural Policy Learning Commons Launched

Source: Rural Development Institute, Brandon U. The 7-year partnership entitled the Rural Policy Learning Commons was officially launched August 27th. by the Honourable Ed Holder at Brandon University. The funds will provide infrastructure for the 30 founding institutions and 60 initial participants to create an international partnership of those supporting rural, remote, and northern research and learning. Details regarding the project can be found via http://rplc-capr.ca

The project will support exchanges, institutes, conferences, workshops, a digital information hub, publications, social media, and international comparative collaboration regarding rural policy and issues. The initial four themes of the partnership are Human Capital and Migration, Natural Resource Development, Governance, and Infrastructure and Services. These themes will change and develop over the 7 years of the project as the analysis proceeds, new partners become involved, and new issues arise.

We welcome inquiries, suggestions, and new partners. Keep an eye on our website and let us know when you sees something interesting.

Presentations/Présentations : OECD 8th Rural Development Policy Conference

Source: OECD.
The presentations of the OECD 8th Rural Development Policy Conference are now available online.

Pre-conference workshops presentations.

Main conference presentations.

WWW: www.oecd.org/rural

Studies/Études : Approaches for Adding Sustainable Energy to Rural Maritime Communities

Source: International Conference on Ocean Energy.
"Rural maritime communities are often located at the end of the line; adjacent to abundant marine resources but unable to transmit power due to ageing electrical infrastructure designed to transmitpower from large thermal power plants."

"This paper draws experience from communities located adjacent to Grand Passage and Petit Passage, Nova Scotia and could be applied to similar maritime communities such as the Isle of Islay in Scotland. The role of energy developers in these communities extends beyond the direct challenges of harnessing marine energy to supporting local economies and developing energy extraction that is sustainable.

This paper presents a model for the electric power supply required from the grid to meet the demand for fossil fuel replacement, with application to a case study of hybrid marine propulsion for passenger ferries that cross Grand Passage and Petit Passage. Fuel conversion from diesel combustion to power supply by an electric or ammonia hybrid ferry is shown to have a significant effect on available distribution capacity compared to the existing cap of estimated annual minimum load. An initial economic analysis suggests that electric hybrid ferries may be commercially viable at current residential power and diesel cost rates."

G. Trowse, J. Ross, D. Groulx, and Sue Molloy (2012). At the End of the Line: Approaches for Adding Sustainable Energy to Rural Maritime Communities. 4th International Conference on Ocean Energy, 17 October 2012, Dublin.

WWW: www.icoe2012dublin.com

Reports/Rapports : Does Renewable Energy Provide New Rural Opportunities?

Source: Nordregio.
"In many countries, renewable energy is highly prioritized, not only as a means of addressing environmental and energy security issues, but also as a potentially significant source of new employment, especially in rural areas throughout the OECD. One of the most important questions for policymakers is whether renewable energy can assist the development of rural economies."

"In response, this brief presents the results of a two-year project led by the OECD. The findings indicate that policy focused on the potential for renewable energy in the process of rural development should be cross-sector and place based. (...) The results also indicate that while renewable energy has the ability to create new jobs, we should not exaggerate its potential. Overall, renewable energy is potentially useful for all rural and low-population-density regions, but mainly in shifting a community facing structural economic downturn to a new lower economic equilibrium."

Read Nordregio Policy Brief 2012:5

WWW: www.nordregio.se

Announcements/Annonces : Rural Opportunities Network Launched

Source: Royal Roads University.
The Rural Opportunities Network website has just been launched to help grow small and medium-scale natural resource-based businesses. The network is an open, bilingual nation-wide network of people and knowledge, focused on raising awareness and creating opportunities for businesses engaged in the sustainable use of natural resources.

You can use the network to share information and ideas, connect with individuals and organizations across Canada and learn from the growing collection of resources and tools. Topics covered range from agroforestry and special forest products to e-marketing and social media.

The network’s National Buyer’s and Seller’s Directory provides the opportunity for you to advertise (for free!) your business or services. Building on the success of “BuyBCwild” and “From Our Atlantic Woods”, this new national Directory lists suppliers of a wide range of natural resource products, from fine furniture to maple syrup. An interactive map shows the location of each listing allowing you to find businesses in your area. This can help you determine what products or services are needed locally that you might want to market.

The Tools and Resources page provides links to written information and other websites as well as giving you the opportunity to share your expertise. Be sure to check out the fact sheets in the Rural Opportunities Collection along with the guidebooks, business plans and case studies in the Guidebooks and Toolkits section.

Gary Backlund a BC woodlot licencee is featured in videos on aspects of woodlot management including small scale sawmilling, native plant nursery management and niche product creation. Betty and Ken Foote demonstrate how to make floral greenery products and Eric Whitehead from Untamed Feast shows us the best way to process wild mushrooms.

Fact sheets in the Rural Opportunities Collection provide easy to read advice on using social media and e-marketing, greening your business and many other topics. Guidebooks to help you assess the tourism potential of your area and publications on community forests, mushroom harvesting, essential oil production are featured in Guidebooks and Toolkits section. You can find advisors to help you grow your business and see what events are coming up that you won’t want to miss by checking out the Network page.

The website was developed by the Center for Livelihoods and Ecology at Royal Roads University in partnership with Biopterre, the Institute for Culture and Ecology, FORREX, INFOR, Untamed Feast and the Canadian Model Forest Network. Funding was provided by the Canadian Rural and Cooperatives Secretariat and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Public Outreach and Dissemination portfolio.

Let us know what you think! You can help build the network by sending links to information and sharing your expertise. Contact us at info@ruralnetwork.ca or at http://ruralnetwork.ca/send-us-your-feedback

Visit the Rural Opportunities Network website: www.ruralnetwork.ca

Reports/Rapports : Exploring community acceptance of rural wind farms in Australia

Source: CSIRO.
CSIRO’s Energy Transformed Flagship has undertaken a preliminary study to consider community acceptance of wind farms from a variety of stakeholder perspectives.

"The Australian Government’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) requires that 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity be produced from renewable energy sources by 2020. Previous projections anticipate that wind technology could contribute to the majority of this target (for example, see ROAM Consulting, 20101).

Given this target and interest in wind farm development, CSIRO has explored community acceptance of the technology.

The preliminary study produced four key findings:

1. There is strong community support for the development of wind farms.

2. Many of the benefits can be shared or communicated in ways that would enhance community support for the development of wind farms in a region.

3. Existing regulatory approaches provide an appropriate framework for negotiating wind farm developments, but there is scope for improving outcomes.

4. The emerging notion of a ‘Social Licence to Operate’ provides a useful framework for wind farm developers to engage local communities in ways that could enhance transparency and local support."

Read Report.

Read Summary.

WWW: www.csiro.au

Studies/Études : Dependence, diversity, and the well-being of rural community

Source: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences.
"This paper offers a tribute to William Freudenburg’s legacy of work on the well-being of resource-dependent communities. In it, we review Bill’s work on the well-being of resource-dependent communities, and social impact assessment more generally."

"Key elements of this program of work, especially his emphasis on subjective indicators of well-being and his emphasis on the need for “mid-range” theory informed research conducted by the Canadian Forest Service that addressed the relationship between forest dependence and well-being. Especially crucial in this vein were analyses that explored variation in outcomes over time, space, and definitions of well-being and dependence. Finally, we demonstrate that these analyses served as a foundation for our emerging work in the area of community diversity and resource dependence."

Richard C. Stedman, Mike N. Patriquin and John R. Parkins (2011). Dependence, diversity, and the well-being of rural community: building on the Freudenburg legacy. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences.

WWW: www.springerlink.com

Studies/Études : Employment shifts in natural resource sectors / Évolution de l'emploi dans les secteurs des ressources naturelles

Le texte en français suit l’anglais.
Source: Statistics Canada / Statistique Canada.
Employment in natural resource sectors (including closely-related sectors in the value chain of each natural resource sector) represented 13% of Canada’s total employment in 200, down from 14% in 1991.

Employment in natural resource sectors and their related value chains represented a relatively higher share of total employment in predominantly rural regions (22%) in 2001, compared to predominantly urban regions (8%).

However, the share of workers in predominantly rural regions employed in each of the natural resource sectors (agriculture, fishery, forestry, mining and energy) declined from 1991 to 2001.

Alessandro Alasia and David James Hardie (2011). Employment shifts in natural resource sectors: A focus on rural value chains. Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin. 21-006-X. Vol. 8, No. 7. Statistics Canada.

WWW: www.statcan.gc.ca

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L’emploi dans les secteurs des ressources naturelles (y compris les secteurs étroitement reliés dans la chaîne de valeur de chaque secteur des ressources naturelles) représentait 13 % de l’emploi total au Canada en 2001, en baisse par rapport au taux de 14 % enregistré en 1991.

L’emploi dans les secteurs des ressources naturelles et leurs chaînes de valeur connexes représentait une proportion relativement plus élevée de l’emploi total dans les régions essentiellement rurales (22 %) en 2001, comparativement aux régions essentiellement urbaines (8 %).

Cependant, la proportion de travailleurs dans les régions essentiellement rurales travaillant dans chacun des secteurs des ressources naturelles (agriculture, pêche, foresterie, mines et énergie) a diminué de 1991 à 2001.

Alessandro Alasia et David James Hardie (2011). Évolution de l'emploi dans les secteurs des ressources naturelles : accent sur les chaînes de valeur rurales. Bulletin d'analyse -Régions rurales et petites villes du Canada. 21-006-X. Vol. 8, No 7. Statistique Canada.

WWW: www.statcan.gc.ca

Thesis/Thèse : The Demographic, Economic and Health Fabric of Mining Communities in British Columbia, Canada

Source: The University of British Columbia.
"A significant number of communities in British Columbia (BC) are founded on mineral development and are subject to variable economic boom-and-bust cycles with implications for sustainability and community health. There were three main objectives of this multi-method PhD dissertation."

"The first was to quantitatively examine community level indicators describing economic, sustainability, and demographic characteristics (gained from Canadian Census data) of 31 BC rural resource based communities (with a focus on mining communities) during a period of time (1991 to 2001) when BC resource sectors experienced an economic downturn. The second was to assess the relationship between exposure to declining economic conditions and acute cardiovascular disease, chronic cardiovascular disease, and mental health outcomes in 29 BC rural resource-based using Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey data and Ministry of Health data over the same time period, again with a focus on mining. The third objective was to qualitatively investigate the experiences of health and social service providers using interviews, with respect to community health issues and the boom-bust mining cycle in a Northern remote coal mining community in British Columbia."

Janis Shandro. 2001. The Demographic, Economic and Health Fabric of Mining Communities in British Columbia, Canada. The Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mining Engineering. The University of British Columbia.

Read the full document.

WWW: https://circle.ubc.ca

Studies/Études : Resort-induced Changes in Small Mountain Communities in British Columbia

Source: Mountain Research and Development.
"The provincial government of British Columbia (BC) has proactively pursued resort development opportunities in its interior towns. Traditionally dependent on extractive industries such as forestry and mining, many interior mountain communities in BC are increasingly looking toward tourism and resort-induced economic opportunities."

Fueled by the movement of amenity seekers, primarily from urban areas, resort development in mountain communities has triggered several internal and external pressures. This exploratory study examines growth trends in the mountain resort industry in 5 communities in BC: Fernie, Golden, Kimberley, Rossland, and Revelstoke. The analysis is based on secondary data, followed by field visits during the months of June and July 2006, which included 30 qualitative interviews with the mayors, planners, residents, and other stakeholders in the tourism and resort sectors. Research results indicate a significant growth in resort-induced development, primarily to attract second home owners and seasonal tourists.

Read full article. Sanjay K. Nepal and Tazim B. Jamal. Resort-induced Changes in Small Mountain Communities in British Columbia, Canada. Mountain Research and Development 2011 31 (2), 89-101.

WWW: www.bioone.org/toc/mred/31/2

Studies/Études : Forest dependence and community well-being in rural Canada

Source: Forestry.
"The well-being of people living in forest-dependent communities has been studied extensively, but little research has explored how this relationship has changed over time."

"Some theories suggest that regional differences in well-being should decrease, through the flow of capital and labour, while other work suggests that these inequalities will grow. Our research uses Census of Canada data at the census subdivision level at 5-year intervals between 1986 and 2001 to describe regional differentiation in the relationship between employment in forest sectors (logging, services, pulp and lumber) and unemployment and median family income as indicators of well-being. We found general declines, which varied somewhat by region, over time in forest dependence across the regions and changing composition of the forest industry across these sectors. The relationship between forest dependence and well-being over time varied by region, largely tied to intra-industry sector shifts."

Full article.
Richard C. Stedman, Mike N. Patriquin, and John R. Parkins. Forest dependence and community well-being in rural Canada: a longitudinal analysis Forestry (2011) first published online July 5, 2011 doi:10.1093/forestry/cpr024.

WWW: http://forestry.oxfordjournals.org/

Studies/Études : Manufacturing Firms in Rural and Small Town Canada

Le texte en français suit l’anglais.
Source: Statistics Canada / Statistique Canada.
Within rural and small town areas, 5% of the firms are manufacturing firms, slightly lower than the 6% share of firms that are manufacturing firms in larger urban centres.

Two-thirds of the rural and small town manufacturing firms are part of the value chain of a resource sector. This is compared to larger urban centres where one-half of the manufacturing firms are part of the value chain of a resource sector.

Between 2003 and 2007, the number of manufacturing firms in Canada declined by 6%. The decline in rural and small town areas (-7%) was slightly more than the decline in larger urban centres (-6%).

The further the community was from a larger urban centre, the larger was the rate of decline of the number of manufacturing firms.

In rural and small town areas, the number of manufacturing firms declined more rapidly in resource-reliant communities than in non-resource-reliant communities.

Study: Manufacturing Firms in Rural and Small Town Canada. (PDF version).

Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin.

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Points saillants

Dans les régions rurales et les petites villes, 5 % des entreprises sont des entreprises manufacturières, une proportion légèrement plus faible que la proportion de 6 % dans les grands centres urbains.

Les deux tiers des entreprises manufacturières des régions rurales et des petites villes font partie de la chaîne de valeur d'un secteur primaire. En comparaison, dans les grands centres urbains, seulement la moitié des entreprises manufacturières font partie de la chaîne de valeur d'un secteur primaire.

Entre 2003 et 2007, le nombre d'entreprises manufacturières au Canada a diminué de 6 %. Le repli dans les régions rurales et les petites villes (-7 %) était légèrement supérieur au recul observé dans les grands centres urbains (-6 %).

Plus la collectivité était éloignée d'un grand centre urbain, plus la diminution du nombre d'entreprises manufacturières était forte.

Dans les régions rurales et les petites villes, le nombre d'entreprises manufacturières a diminué plus rapidement dans les collectivités qui dépendent des ressources que dans celles qui n'en dépendent pas.

Les entreprises manufacturières dans les régions rurales et les petites villes du Canada. (Version PDF)

Bulletin d'analyse : régions rurales et petites villes du Canada.

Reports/Rapports : Socioeconomic Impacts of Climate Change on Rural Communities in the United States

Source: USDA.
This report is a compilation of four briefing papers based on literature reviews and syntheses, prepared for USDA Forest Service policy analysts and decision makers about specific questions pertaining to climate change.

Potential social impacts of climate change are discussed in terms of health effects on rural communities and climate change sensitivity of indigenous communities. Potential economic impacts on rural communities are discussed for agriculture, forestry, recreation and tourism, fisheries, water resources, and energy. Salient findings from the literature are summarized in the synthesis of the literature, along with identified research needs.

Read report.


WWW: http://www.fs.fed.us/

Reports/Rapports : Community Response to Forestry Transition in Rural Canada

Source: Department of Rural Economy, University of Alberta.
The forest economy is in transition across Canada. Faced with high dollar values, increasing competition within the global market, high input costs for energy, labour and fibre, and growing expectations for environmental performance, the forest sector is undergoing significant economic transitions as companies across the country cut costs, close mills and shed jobs.

This report contributes to our understanding of community response to mill closure with a detailed description of six case study communities during a period of forest industry mill closures. Three communities are in British Columbia (Mackenzie, Quesnel and Fort St. James) and three communities are in New Brunswick (Dalhousie, Nackawic and Mirimachi). Empirical information is derived from national and local media reports as well as recent data from the Census of Canada. Key thematic areas include resilience, economic diversification, the nature of mill closure, union involvement, government involvement and concerns over government policy changes such as appurtenancy.

Community Response to Forestry Transition in Rural Canada: Analysis of Media and Census Data for Six Case Study Communities in New Brunswick and British Columbia.
Authors: Mark Smith and John R. Parkins


WWW: www.ales.ualberta.ca/re/

Studies/Études : Manufacturing Employment in Resource Value Chains / L’emploi manufacturier dans la chaîne de valeur des ressources

Le texte en français suit l’anglais.
Source: Rural Research Group, Statistics Canada.
Employment in manufacturing in Canada has fluctuated over recent decades. The level reached a historically high in 2004 and has been declining since that time.

In 2008, over one-half (54%) of all Canadian manufacturing workers were employed in the value chain of a resource sector.

In 2008, resource sector manufacturing employment was relatively more important in rural and small town areas (69% of manufacturing employment and 9% of total employment) compared to larger urban centres (50% of manufacturing employment and 6% of total employment).

In the 2001 to 2008 period at the Canada level, resource manufacturing employment became a larger share of total manufacturing employment (up from 51% to 54%) because resource manufacturing employment declined less (-6%) compared to the decline of all “other” manufacturing employment (-18%).

Also, in the 2001 to 2008 period, resource manufacturing employment become relatively more important in rural and small town areas as the decline (-3%) was smaller in rural and small town areas compared to the decline in larger urban centres (-7%).

Within rural and small town areas at the Canada level, 9% of total employment in 2008 was resource sector manufacturing employment. This ranged from 14% within the rural and small town areas of Quebec to 2% within the rural and small town areas of Saskatchewan.

Within rural and small town areas in 2008, employment in wood processing accounted for the largest share of resource sector manufacturing employment (43%).


Beshiri, Roland. (2010) “Manufacturing Employment in Resource Value Chains: a Rural-urban Comparison from 2001 to 2008.” Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin Vol. 8, No. 5 (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 21-006-XIE).

Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin.


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Points saillants

L’emploi manufacturier du Canada a fluctué au cours des dernières décennies. Il a atteint un sommet historique en 2004 et n’a pas cessé de baisser depuis.

En 2008, plus de la moitié (54 %) de tous les travailleurs manufacturiers canadiens étaient employés dans la chaîne de valeur d’un secteur des ressources.

En 2008, l’emploi manufacturier dans le secteur des ressources était relativement plus important dans les régions rurales et petites villes (69 % de l’emploi manufacturier et 9 % de l’emploi total) que dans les grands centres urbains (50 % de l’emploi manufacturier et 6 % de l’emploi total).

Pendant la période de 2001 à 2008 à l’échelle du Canada, la proportion de l’emploi manufacturier dans le secteur des ressources par rapport à l’emploi manufacturier total a crû, passant de 51 % à 54 %, parce que l’emploi manufacturier dans le secteur des ressources a moins baissé (-6 %) que tout « autre » emploi manufacturier (-18 %).

De même, pendant la période de 2001 à 2008, l’emploi manufacturier dans le secteur des ressources est devenu relativement plus important dans les régions rurales et petites villes, car le recul (-3 %) était plus faible dans les régions rurales et petites villes que dans les grands centres urbains (-7 %).

Dans les régions rurales et petites villes, à l’échelle du Canada, 9 % de l’emploi total en 2008 était représenté par l’emploi manufacturier dans le secteur des ressources. Cette fourchette allait de 14 % dans les régions rurales et petites villes du Québec à 2 % dans les régions rurales et petites villes de la Saskatchewan.

Dans les régions rurales et petites villes, en 2008, l’emploi dans la transformation du bois représentait la proportion la plus importante de l’emploi manufacturier dans le secteur des ressources (43 %).


Beshiri, Roland. (2010) « L’emploi manufacturier dans la chaîne de valeur des ressources : comparaison entre les régions rurales et urbaines de 2001 à 2008 » Bulletin d’analyse: Régions rurales et petites villes du Canada vol. 8, no 5 (Ottawa: Statistique Canada, No 21-006-XIF au catalogue)


Bulletin d'analyse : régions rurales et petites villes du Canada.

Report/Rapport : Economic Impact of Marine Related Activities in Canada

Le texte en français suit l’anglais.
Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada
This report provides estimates of these economic impacts for 2006, using conventional indicators: GDP, employment and labour income. It covers all major private sector activities with a direct dependence on the oceans.

These include extractive uses (e.g. fisheries, oil & gas and aquaculture), as well as non-extractive uses (e.g. shipbuilding, marine transportation, tourism and construction). The analysis also captures the activities of public sector organizations with responsibilities for safety, managing ocean activities and research.

National economic impact
Ocean sector activities generated an estimated $17.7 billion in direct GDP in Canada in 2006, creating over 171,340 direct jobs. The ocean sector accounted for 1.2% of the Canadian GDP in 2006 and for 1.1% of total Canadian employment. When the scope of ocean sector activities is broadened to include spin-off impacts (indirect and induced activities), the relative importance of the ocean sector increases to 1.9% of national GDP and 2.0% of total employment.

The summary of this 123-page report is attached. To read the full report, visit: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ea-ae/oceans/economic-oceans01-eng.htm

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« Impact économique des activités maritimes au Canada »

Ce rapport renferme des estimations de ces impacts économiques pour 2006 à partir des indicateurs conventionnels, comme le PIB, l’emploi et le revenu du travail. Il couvre toutes les principales activités du secteur privé qui dépendent directement des océans. Il s’agit des activités d’exploitation (p. ex. la pêche, le pétrole, le gaz naturel, l’aquaculture), de même que les activités qui ne sont pas axées sur l’exploitation (p. ex. la construction navale, le transport maritime, le tourisme et la construction). L’analyse tient également compte des activités des organisations du secteur public qui sont responsables de la sécurité, ainsi que de la gestion des activités et de la recherche sur les océans.

Impact économique à l'échelle nationale
Les activités du Secteur des océans ont produit quelque 17,7 milliards de dollars en PIB direct au Canada en 2006, créant ainsi plus de 171 340 emplois directs. Le Secteur des océans représentait 1,2% du PIB canadien en 2006 et 1,1% du nombre total des emplois au Canada (tableau S-1). Lorsqu’on étend la portée des activités du Secteur des océans afin d’inclure les impacts dérivés (activités indirectes et induites), l’importance relative du Secteur des océans augmente à 1,9% du PIB national et à 2,0% du nombre total d’emplois.

Le sommaire de ce rapport de 147 pages est ci-joint. Pour lire le rapport entier, visitez le site Web :
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ea-ae/oceans/economic-oceans01-fra.htm

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