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Copyright of Journal of Rural & Community Development is the property of Brandon University, Rural Development Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Rural & Community Development is the property of Brandon University, Rural Development Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Rural & Community Development is the property of Brandon University, Rural Development Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Rural & Community Development is the property of Brandon University, Rural Development Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the role of in-migrants in the functional transformation of amenity-rich places. Its overarching goal is to determine if and how internal migrants arriving from larger settlement areas (i.e., counterurbanites) are contributing to the creation of functionally diverse (hybrid), or functionally limited (pure) commercial landscapes in places endowed with heritage assets. We focus on Paris, an historic town situated at the confluence of the Grand and Nith Rivers in southern Ontario. Three objectives guide the research: (1) to determine which commercial landscape form (hybrid or pure) and landscape generating process (creative enhancement or destruction) best characterizes the downtown; (2) to establish counterurbanite presence in this commercial core; and (3) to assess their role in the downtown's recent evolution. Evidence gleaned from secondary sources, and local fieldwork reveals that creative enhancement (functional addition), rather than creative destruction (functional displacement) is the dominant process. This has given rise to a hybrid landscape, where quotidian businesses (i.e., those selling ordinary goods and services) accompany five non-quotidian (i.e., distinctive) product types (i.e., authentic heritage, infused heritage, heritage-enhanced, faux-authentic heritage, and non-heritage boutique), each relying in different ways on the town's heritage assets. Information gathered from 35 proprietors finds that counterurbanites, and other inmigrants, dominate the downtown core, with only six non-migrant proprietors represented. In-comers, including counterurbanites, sell both quotidian and nonquotidian products, with non-migrant vendors offering only ordinary goods and services. These findings reveal that by selling both product types, counterurbanites are contributing to the creation of a hybrid landscape in the city's countryside. Their attraction is thus an important ingredient for facilitating diversity and economic viability in small settlement areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Rural & Community Development is the property of Brandon University, Rural Development Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Understanding how we can best respond to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals requires a consideration of cases that strive, at least in part, to embody critical thinking and to challenge dominant power relations. The paper reports on a study with women involved with the 100 Mile Store in Creemore, Ontario, Canada, which sells predominantly locally sourced, organic, and fair-trade products to tourists and residents. We explored the origins of the store as well as participants’ involvement and perceptions of its transformative impact. Key findings include an understanding of how the store began as a women-only enterprise, which can be viewed as an effort to resist neo-liberal and patriarchal business models. We also gained insights into what participants described as a growing critical awareness about the impacts of industrialized food systems and issues of environmental and community sustainability, as well as a desire to develop and support alternatives. Importantly, participants engaged in critical thinking when they supported and challenged the store’s ability to address these issues in a meaningful way. We discuss the implications by engaging Epp’s (2016) notion of incremental radicalism and identify lessons for better understanding how locally-driven sustainable development initiatives can inspire more opportunities to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power is often promoted as an economical and low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels despite ecological concerns about animal mortalities and energy sprawl. Wind-power developments that are becoming commonplace in rural agricultural landscapes reduce the area of arable farmlands, but to date there have been few attempts to quantify their cumulative effects. This paper compiles data on recently completed wind developments in southwestern Ontario, Canada, in order to estimate how much agricultural land is being lost to wind developments, how much of the rural landscape is being modified, and what the implications are to carbon sequestration, sustainable agriculture, and Ontario's food security. Although the direct footprint of wind development is small relative to the total area and productivity of Ontario's farmland, the area of undertaking is many times larger and has already altered 6% of Ontario's total agricultural land base. Windpower development must thus be considered among the contributors to Ontario's projected food deficit, the ability to sequester carbon in agricultural soils, and must similarly be included in any policies aimed at protecting farmlands from nonagricultural uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farming is a well-known stressful occupation, with farmers facing a multitude of stressors and higher rates of mental health problems than the general population. Farming continues to change, with greater use of technology, changing ownership and management of farms, globalization of agricultural inputs and products, and climate change. Although there has been research to document these changes, to the researchers' knowledge there has been no qualitative studies, particularly within Canada, to understand farmers' perceptions of these changes and link them to their stressors and mental health. In this qualitative study, based on 16 in-depth interviews with small-scale farmers in Grey County of Southwestern Ontario, Canada, we explored farmers' perceptions of changing farming practices and their implications for their health as well as ways of responding and adapting to these changes. Thematic analysis using a social ecology framework revealed a number of major themes. Farmers' relationships to change were complex with both benefits and challenges of changing farm practices for health and well-being--a "double-edged sword." Technology changes were important new tools, while weather had become more extreme, rapid and un-predictable. Growing weather uncertainty generated brutal stress for some. Farmers described turning to ecological farming and the resilience that they experience from diversified farming which connects them to the land "essentially being at one with place." Their passion for farming connected to beliefs about protecting the land, even if most markets do not reward a farmer for doing so. Farmers also highlighted the lack of support they experienced from governments--dealing with bureaucracy, community--and experiences of isolation. Implications for policies and systems include increased support for farmers financially and administratively and interventions which build on their work with farm organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social capital has shown potential for its ability to improve physical and mental health, although findings about social capital’s impact in rural areas have been less promising. The aim of this study was to shed light on how adults in two small towns of rural Ontario experience social capital in their daily lives, and to contribute to the broader literature about the relationship between social capital and rural health. This qualitative phase of a sequential mixed methods study used interpretive description to explore community interactions, social and recreational opportunities, and issues of inclusion and exclusion in two rural Southern Ontario communities. Forty adults of varying ages were recruited using convenience sampling and participated in one of eight focus groups or 13 individual interviews. Data was collected between August and December of 2017 and was analyzed concurrently. The rural context influenced the experience of social capital and residents’ opportunities for accessing it. The structural context was relevant to the social capital experience due to rural residents’ reliance on cars, limited opportunities for young adults, and high rates of rural poverty. The social context influenced social capital by way of rural familiarity and friendly social norms, lack of privacy, and long-established social networks. While there is no single experience of rural social capital, these findings offer a picture of how the rural context can shape individuals’ experiences and opportunities for social capital in ways that benefit some community members while marginalizing others. Implications for health and strategies for building rural social capital are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural youth face many challenges and risks to their wellbeing. One means of mitigating the risks rural youth experience, is through the provision of afterschool programs. This study reports on adult perceptions of how participation in an afterschool program-Fusion Youth and Technology Centre-affects rural youth wellbeing. A qualitative study was undertaken in which nine staff members, three program administrators, and six knowledgeable adult community members were interviewed to determine how they perceived the impact that participation in Fusion had on the wellbeing of rural youth. Three broad themes were identified that contributed to enhanced rural youth wellbeing: (1) engaging youth through an eclectic mix of programs and activities; (2) building relationships and connections; and (3) a place for youth. The results of this study were then contrasted with an earlier study that examined the perceptions of youth who participated in Fusion. There was a corroboration of all themes between studies with the exception of enhanced community relationships. The conclusion is that participating in Fusion Youth and Technology Centre contributes positively to the wellbeing of rural youth. This then raises a number of questions that rural communities need to ask themselves if they are serious about promoting the wellbeing of the youth in their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of research has demonstrated that rural communities can achieve highly positive outcomes when they engage in local planning and development through the use of 'bottom-up' and place-based' strategies. However, many communities lack the capacity to do so for reasons such as a shortage of financial resources, an absence of local residents who understand how to initiate and carry out development projects, or even an absence of social cohesion that prevents the community from working together. At the same time, university-based researchers have increasingly been called upon to engage with communities outside the academy in order both to demonstrate the practical relevance of their research activities and to provide their students with hands-on experience that might help them secure employment after graduating. Thus, there is an excellent opportunity for universities to partner with rural communities to address their respective needs. This article documents one such initiative, a five-year project where the author and a total of seventeen Brock University Geography students worked with the Township of South Algonquin to create its first ever land use plan. Among other benefits, this initiative provided a much-needed set of formal land use policies for the municipality, a rich body of rural development research data for the faculty member, and career-oriented community planning experience for the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study analyzes the feasibility of building an affordable housing and community services complex in rural Ontario. Lessons were learned about project scope, task order and importance, financial feasibility and potential funding sources, the importance of professional expertise, relationships with key partners, and governance. While the concept of affordable housing and a community centre has appeal and would benefit the community, it is not, as currently envisioned, financially viable. The addition of government grants and a reduction in the proposed project size and scope have the potential to make the project feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]