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This article presents a comprehensive multiple account evaluation (MAE) framework that is intended to inform public interest determinations in impact assessment (IA). Using MAE methodology; which involves separating impacts into government revenue, economic activity, environmental, social, health, and Indigenous accounts; the proposed 'Public Interest MAE Framework' seeks to inform senior government decision makers on all the positive and adverse consequences associated with a proposed project in a manner that allows for analysis of key trade-offs from the perspective of society as a whole. The proposed framework is applied to a case study to demonstrate how the framework functions in practice. Additionally, a survey is conducted with IA practitioners, experts, stakeholders, and Indigenous groups to evaluate the proposed Public Interest MAE Framework. The primary conclusion of this study is that the Public Interest MAE Framework has the potential to inform public interest determinations and overcome many of the limitations associated with other estimation methods used in IA. Finally, opportunities and challenges associated with integrating the Public Interest MAE Framework into IA are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

Municipal reform has accelerated since the 1980s, with municipalities learning to adjust to changes in responsibilities downloaded by senior governments. However, small municipalities struggle with outdated financial and jurisdictional structures as senior governments ask them to become more 'entrepreneurial' for a broader range of responsibilities. To date, little research has explored the influence of statutory settings that shape municipal powers, and hence, an understanding of the concept and associated processes pertaining to municipal entrepreneurialism. Drawing upon key informant interviews in four regions across Canada, this paper explores how small municipalities are generating revenue and other resources needed to address community and economic development priorities. Findings indicate that small municipalities are engaging in a variety of entrepreneurial activities, including municipal enterprises, social enterprises, and service contracts, while pursuing pro-active approaches to leverage place-based assets. These endeavours, however, are shaped by many dimensions of risk that underline the conceptualisation of municipal entrepreneurialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the socio-spatial and ethical politics of redistribution, specifically the allocation of natural resources rents from political and economic cores to the economic and geographical peripheries whence the resource originated. Based on a case study of the coal seam gas sector in Queensland's Surat Basin, this paper focuses on the operation of the Queensland State Government's regional development fund for mining and energy extraction-affected regions. Employing an environmental justice framework, we critically explore the operation of these funds in ostensibly helping constituent communities in becoming resilient to the worst effects of the 'staples trap'. Drawing on secondary demographic and housing data for the region, as well as primary information collected from key respondents from mid-2018 to early 2019, we show that funds were distributed across all of the local government areas, and allocated to projects and places primarily on a perceived economic needs basis. However, concerns were raised with the probity of the funds' administration. In terms of recognition justice, the participation of smaller and more remote towns and local Indigenous communities was hampered by their structural marginalisation. Procedurally, the funds were criticised for the lack of local consultation taken in the development and approval of projects. While spatially concentrated expenditure may be the most cost-effective use of public monies, we argue that grant application processes should be open, transparent and inclusive, and the outcomes cognisant of the developmental needs of smaller communities, together with the need to foster regional solidarity and coherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities and funding agencies are increasingly calling for collaborative research between community partners and academics. When combined with faculty roles in training the next generation of researchers, these collaborative frameworks can present a challenge to undergraduate students seeking experience with research activities--both in terms of the types of needed training and the timelines involved. The quality and effectiveness of student research experiences, however, will have longstanding impacts on their future research careers, as well as repercussions pertaining to the community experience with the research process. The purpose of this study is to provide primarily undergraduate students with information about how to get the most out of their community-based research experiences. Given geography's traditional strengths as a field-engaged discipline, community-based research is a natural fit for geography and brings renewed vitality to the discipline. Key topics to be addressed include finding community research opportunities, identifying what you should know and what you should ask before engaging with a research team, how to obtain a breadth of research skills and experiences, researcher etiquette and demeanour in the community, budgeting, time management and developing long-term, meaningful relationships with communities. (Contains 1 table and 4 notes.)

The purpose of this paper is to examine the efforts of a seven-year partnership project, the Rural Policy Learning Commons (RPLC), to raise the profile of rural development policy in Canada. Substantive and effective rural policy has long been a challenging prospect. Issues of distance and density, which define the rural condition, present barriers to galvanizing policy attention, understanding rural issues, and designing appropriate interventions. The RPLC project experienced several policy impact successes related to specific policy windows. The project also experienced capacity challenges--at all levels of the rural policy process--and offers insights related to complex systems and the challenges associated with seeking to elevate the role of evidence within policy processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In current policy discourse, rural decline is often described as an inevitable process associated with such broader structural trends as globalization and urbanization. The purpose of this paper is to challenge the supposed inevitability of rural decline in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada. We argue that rural decline in northern BC has been facilitated through an intentional policy program that views hinterland areas as a "resource bank" from which to fund provincial infrastructure and services, without adequate attention to rural reinvestment. We highlight the potential discrepancies of this approach through a comparative study of two development eras in the province. In the first era, we examine the policies and development approach adopted by the W.A.C. Bennett provincial government, which governed from 1952 to 1972. We argue that the Bennett regime confronted the complexity of the post-war era with a comprehensive vision and coordinated policy program for "province building" through intensive investments in industrial expansion and community infrastructure throughout the BC hinterland. By comparison, the post-1980s era in BC has witnessed a continuation of the resource bank approach, minus a concomitant commitment to hinterland investment. Reversing the inevitability of rural decline requires a renovation of the investment orientation witnessed during the Bennett era through an appreciation of the role of place in economic development. Our recommendations for renewed rural development in northern BC are drawn from a synthesis of the Bennett lessons with those emerging within place-based development literature. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

Research in contentious and fluctuating political and economic conditions presents many challenges. Given the potential for the politicization of research in an era where information is rapidly changing, there is pressure to consider pathways to ensure quality and transparent research. This perspective builds upon a tradition of considering the methodological implications associated with conducting research within volatile settings. The paper reflects on the research process associated with interviewing mobile workers at BC Hydro's Site C Project (hydroelectric dam) in northeast British Columbia, Canada. Based on these reflections, we explore opportunities to extend the transparency of research in volatile settings by considering the broader political and subjective influences that shape credibility and validity as universities, industry, and labour engage with the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role of place-based philanthropy in rural community development through a case study of the Skeena watershed. The Skeena is an ecologically significant region in Northwest British Columbia that is confronting the complex and layered forces of change being experienced by many rural regions in Canada. Through qualitative interviews and document analyses, the article illustrates how a robust ecosystem of environmental community-based organizations (CBOs), funded by philanthropic capital, is extending beyond traditional environmental advocacy to fill important structural gaps in community development. Though pressed by capacity issues, the sector is shifting towards highly integrated and collaborative responses to development pressures and is charting alternative pathways for development in the region. The complexity and scope of pressures in the Skeena offer insights for other rural regions and the dynamic potential and challenges associated with place-based philanthropy in community and regional development processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper recounts findings drawn from extensive community-based research conducted across northern British Columbia designed to find out what ideas northerners have for improving economic development opportunities where they live. [...]

Abstract The following paper examines the role of government policy in rural restructuring and community stability in Canada. Three objectives are pursued: 1) to provide a better integration of the [...]

In resource-based communities, housing can be a contributing asset or challenge to attracting and retaining workers and families. In Kitimat, BC, Canada, a housing crisis threatened vulnerable, low income, and middle income residents during a period of rapid growth associated with renewed industrial investments. Even though housing policy and public housing provision falls under provincial government jurisdiction, the crisis response was largely mobilized by local stakeholders. Drawing upon a five year tracking study, this paper traces the rise of new governance arrangements to address local housing pressures. These governance arrangements fostered greater community awareness of housing issues; strengthened relationships across community, industry, and some senior government stakeholders; and renewed local housing assets. This collective capacity to manage housing pressures, however, remains vulnerable due to public policy incoherence that undermines or fails to adequately support local governance initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurship and Community Economic Development, M.C. Diochon. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queens University Press, 2003, 258 pages. This is an important text. Diochon addresses a variety of shortcomings in the Community [...]

Changes in rural service provision have been shaped by a shift from state to private and nonprofit service delivery, driven by a neo-liberal policy orientation. As senior governments continue to offload the delivery of services to nonprofit stakeholders in rural regions, state policies often fail to address deficiencies with aging and inappropriate built capital assets. The infrastructure and service deficit undermines the capacity of the nonprofit sector, and threatens the overall resilience of rural communities. At the community level, nonprofits have been pursuing new institutional/structural arrangements and exploring opportunities to address infrastructure deficiencies in order to strengthen their resilience within neo-liberal public policy approaches. Building upon 51 key informant interviews in 35 small communities in British Columbia, Canada, our research addresses gaps in understanding how senior government policies are developing conditions necessary to support the renewal of infrastructure assets in the nonprofit sector. Our findings suggest that senior government policy and funding structures may not provide the conditions necessary to enable nonprofits to renew their built capital assets that could strengthen the long-term viability of rural service provision. These findings reinforce the need for post COVID-19, or similar recession response stimulus, initiatives to include wise infrastructure investments that enhance the capacity and efficiency of rural nonprofit service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of mobile workforces to support diversified resource extraction activities, compared to historically single-industry towns, represents a key change in rural and remote resource landscapes that has accelerated since the 1980s. Mobile workforces can present many opportunities to rural communities and economies. However, the capacity, viability and competitiveness of rural-based businesses to engage in supply chains serving mobile labour may be undermined by limited attention to how businesses manoeuvre downturns while maintaining a level of readiness to recover and scale-up in order to meet emerging mobile workforce needs. Drawing upon interviews with businesses in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, our research uses the concept of resiliency to examine challenges and strategies associated with business capacity and agility to scale-up and scale-down in response to changing economic conditions associated with large-scale mobile workforces and related economic sectors. Our findings suggest that the capacity to scale-up and scale-down is shaped by capital, human resource and infrastructure strategies, inventory management and contract management strategies. Industry and state policies may also play a role supporting the conditions that will improve the agility, capacity and readiness of businesses operating in volatile resource-based economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The political economy of labour landscapes in resource-dependent regions continues to transform with important implications for workers, families, communities, service providers, businesses, and industries. Over time, mobile work has created a new form of worker-employer dependence where some elements of traditional local labour relationships exist, but other elements have shifted. In this paper, we focus on evolving mobile workforce practices and their associated implications for workers in the construction sector. In particular, we look at how the changing demand for mobile labour in Canada has shifted the negotiating power of both industry and workers. Within this context, we find that underdeveloped industry policies and weak senior government regulatory regimes have not kept pace with the realities of these changing mobile work landscapes. Drawing upon our case study of BC Hydro's Site C dam project in British Columbia, Canada, we situate new institutionalism within the political economy of mobile work to expand understanding of how stakeholder behaviours are affecting labour practices. Among our key findings are that industry stakeholders have failed to renew workplace policies and processes to reflect mobile labour practices. The result has been a dis-orienting environment for mobile workforces where many of the impacts or externalities associated with mobile work have been transferred to workers, their families, and their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural resource-based regions are increasingly accommodating large mobile workforces to support renewed industrial investments. As large-scale resource development projects are mobilized, however, industries' use of mobile work camps and outsourcing with established global supply chain networks may exclude rural businesses and communities from associated economic benefits, particularly in the absence of local content policies. To date, however, research has largely focused on supply chain opportunities pertaining to the construction or operations of resource development assets, with limited consideration of the issues that must be considered in order for local businesses to capture benefits from mobile workforces. Drawing upon interviews with businesses in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, we use issues unfolding in the new institutionalism discourse to explore the roles of senior governments in strengthening local benefits related to mobile workforces, as well as some of the challenges that existing policy roles and debates present to better position rural businesses in these resource-based regions. Our findings suggest that underdeveloped and under-resourced senior government policies, regulations, and processes are entrenching the role of rural regions as resource banks instead of creating a competitive playing field for rural businesses to capture, and locally anchor, economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increasingly political environment developing in western, industrialized resource sectors, the purpose of this paper is to explore Indigenous governments' ability to assert sovereignty over their territory as it pertains to resource development. Utilizing a relational self-determination framework, we present a case study of the Stk'emlupsemc te Secwépemc Nation and their role in governance over mineral development in their unceded traditional territory located in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. This article adds to the growing case examples that suggest that First Nations governments in Canada are exerting their selfdetermination strategically, transitioning the role of negotiated agreements from an Impact-Benefit transaction to gain greater participation in resource extraction decision-making. Utilizing tools such as cultural heritage studies, legal action, and developing community-based processes of consent, First Nations governments are gaining more negotiating leverage and influence over decision-making processes for resource development projects. These insights are particularly relevant for Indigenous communities that are considering their options regarding resource development as a path to autonomy and self-governance over their territory, resources, and economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Plan Canada is the property of Canadian Institute of Planners 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.)

The increasing prevalence of mobile workers who travel long distances to work presents opportunities and challenges for communities in the new political economy of resource-dependent regions. In an era where workers can increasingly choose where they wish to work and live, this paper explores the efforts of two northern communities, in British Columbia, Canada to capture benefits from resource development by attracting and retaining mobile workers and their families. The findings suggest that several complex problems – research, planning, infrastructure investments, housing, education, amenities – must all be addressed in order to facilitate a sense of place attachment in an otherwise mobile world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the process of local development within the context of restructuring in hinterland British Columbia, Canada. The role of local development in the reconstruction of hinterland space is attracting considerable research attention, building upon an existing body of work from Canada and elsewhere, which is steadily refining our understanding of the local development process. Through a case study of two communities, this article seeks to enhance the theoryupractice coordination of this work by using a regulation approach to examine the process, organizational structures and relationships inherent in local development. The communities in this study used local development both to pursue economic diversification and also to offset the uncertainty caused by economic and political restructuring. The findings illustrate that the case communities responded to restructuring in a systematic manner. This shows that the practice of local development may be related to theoretical interpretations of institution-building. Regulation theory provides a framework within which to forge a link between the practical dimensions of the local development process and the concept of building local institutions. Specifically, the development of a local mode of social regulation is dependent upon the stability and coordination of a locally based development institution.

This paper investigates the extent that new regionalism has been employed in the planning of rural drinking water systems as a strategy to support rural regional resilience. Through a content analysis of policy documents, this paper explores the question of whether current approaches to the planning of rural drinking water systems reflect a transition towards regional resilience. While there is potential for drinking water systems to support or enhance rural regional resilience, this potential is emergent at best. Policy documents reveal the adoption of regionalist practices is challenged by a lack of regional cohesion and barriers from existing institutional structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We would like to start by stating our gratitude to Etienne Nel and Sean Connelly for providing us with the opportunity to review the articles in this special issue, and to provide these summary comments. Regional development policy and practice has undergone many evolutions and iterations as it has responded to global conditions, political trends, and perhaps even the findings of dedicated researchers. Indigenous policy-making and attention to holistic interpretations of health and well-being again offer interesting insights and strategies for reconciling the policy incoherence currently gripping regional development policy internationally. [Extracted from the article]

The objectives of this research are to provide a better understanding regarding whether organic food producers produce more or less waste than nonorganic food producers, if food waste management practices differ between organic and conventional food producers, and what role producer food waste practices play in agricultural sustainability. This qualitative study found no conclusive differences between organic and nonorganic food producers regarding volume and management of on-farm food waste; however, different farm characteristics were found to intersect in numerous ways, resulting in a variety of impacts associated with on-farm food waste. Additionally, all research participants indicated that the factor most likely to encourage them to address on-farm food waste is cost savings. To fully address food waste, actions oriented toward minimizing and sustainably managing food waste must be undertaken in a collaborative manner across all stages of the food supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a new approach to managing drinking water at a regional scale, incorporating best practices related to regional development, new regionalism, regional resilience, water management, and sustainable infrastructure. The feasibility of the proposed approach was explored in two rural case study regions in Canada, where key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted with municipal, regional, and provincial officials. From a theoretical perspective, the proposed approach to managing drinking water has the potential to leverage the benefits of regionalism to address many existing challenges in rural drinking water systems by improving efficiencies, fostering collaboration, and helping to build regional resilience through an enhanced infrastructure foundation. We outline a variety of potential strategies to enhance rural drinking water systems using the proposed regional water management model. However, the appropriateness and feasibility of the approach in rural settings remains to be seen. The research reveals gaps among stakeholders in their understanding of drinking water systems generally, and further knowledge gaps associated with the potentials for the application of a regionalist approach more specifically, which hindered a more robust assessment of the approach in the case regions. The research adds to the discourse on rural regional development and provides in-depth case study findings on the potential application of regional development approaches in addressing infrastructure challenges in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In resource-dependent boom and bust economies, accelerating change has been one of the defining attributes of rural community and economic development research. These patterns of change become more complex as rural stakeholders pursue new development pathways in efforts to diversify and strengthen the resiliency of their communities and economies. But what happens when nascent economic development initiatives are interceded by a renewed resource development? Using the concepts of regional waves and institutionalism, this research examines how civil, civic, and economic sector actors intersect to chart new development pathways in the remote mining town of Tumbler Ridge, BC Canada. We start with a review of Staples theory and the challenges for local and regional economies associated with dependency and truncated development. This is followed by the introduction of regional economic waves that are set against a context where communities, as a result of the neoliberal policy transition, are increasingly on their own to react to the pressures of change. With successive fluctuations in the coal mining sector, stakeholders in Tumbler Ridge have pursued new opportunities in a variety of sectors. We examine how these new economic development initiatives were either abandoned or strengthened by civil, civic, and economic stakeholders in the context of renewed mining activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to trace community and regional responses to the economic downturn of 2008/2009 in Northern British Columbia, Canada. Our research during this period (2009-2011), the Northern Economic Vision II (NEV II) project, sought to investigate whether communities in the region were incorporating some of the core findings, lessons from an earlier project, the NEV I project (conducted in 2002-2005), in terms of preparing for both economic uncertainty and opportunity through place-oriented community planning and enhanced regional collaboration. Findings suggest that in the face of economic hardship, many communities continued to pursue community and regionally-oriented strategies in an attempt to preserve services and quality of life for local residents, and did not engage in reactive budget cuts in the face of economic decline, as experienced in previous bust periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural drinking water systems face a number of challenges, not the least of which is a growing infrastructure deficit. While age and investment are typically highlighted as key factors influencing the infrastructure deficit, other pervasive challenges remain for rural drinking water systems in British Columbia, Canada. This raises the question of whether factors influencing the infrastructure deficit extend beyond those typically captured in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between rural regional development and drinking water systems in order to provide a historically and theoretically informed lens on the relationships between the two and how these links influence present day challenges. The authors aim to temper the presentism that often characterizes current debates surrounding the infrastructure deficit and to frame current drinking water system challenges within a more contextually-informed and regionally integrated framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labour and economic development patterns in rural regions have shifted substantially as a by-product of both economic and political restructuring. An important manifestation of this restructuring has been the growth of long distance labour commuting (LDLC) associated with increased labour flexibility and worker/family preference. In this article, we draw upon research in Mackenzie, British Columbia (BC), Canada, to explore the broader impacts of LDLC on a home community from a series of different perspectives. Our findings focus on two core themes: (1) family and community dynamics; and (2) the capacity of community organizations. Numerous negative outcomes associated with LDLC were found, including family stress and volunteer burnout. Our research also revealed a variety of positive dimensions associated with LDLC, including the ability to continue to call Mackenzie home and a strengthened sense of community. The experience in Mackenzie offers important themes for research in other communities and places experiencing LDLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamics of a (new) regionalist development process that sought to enable communities, within a rural region of British Columbia, Canada, to chart a new strategic direction for their future development. We highlight the case of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition (C-CBAC), which formed in response to the mountain pine beetle infestation that has destroyed much of the province's pine forests. Spurred by this crisis, the C-CBAC formed to create community and economic transition strategies to cope with long-term economic restructuring and environmental change. While the coalition has achieved many admirable successes, internal governance struggles and the reliance of senior governments on traditional vehicles to distribute supports have severely hindered any regionalist potential for implementation. Ultimately, government trumped governance in this attempt to construct a new regional ideal. The paper highlights the need for 'co-constructing' new regional governance, which entails both bottom-up and top-down responsibility and coordination in the implementation of new regional development processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how concepts of territory and scale are used to create places of benefit from resource activities in remote rural regions. Our case study of mineral development in northwest British Columbia compares the experiences of First Nation, municipal and regional governments in accessing economic benefits from mineral development. Territorial land claims are changing the multi-scalar jurisdictional hierarchy and the socio-spatial relations between senior levels of government, resource companies, and local communities. The territorial rights of First Nation governments provide the political leverage to negotiate with companies seeking to 'earn a social license' to operate within their territories. Municipal and regional governments, however, are restricted by their role in the multi-scalar jurisdictional hierarchy. In response, municipal and regional governments are devising strategies to capture economic benefits. We discuss three economic development strategies used to access benefits from mineral development activities: negotiating commitments during the environmental assessment process, investment attraction strategies, and lobbying the provincial government for a share of the resource revenues generated from mining. These strategies reflect the political and economic context for local government in remote resource-dependent regions and the changing socio-spatial relations between senior levels of government, resource companies, and First Nation, municipal and regional governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to explore the increasingly dynamic relationships between government policy, private corporate social responsibility (CSR), and local efforts to secure benefit from mineral exploration and mining activity in northern British Columbia. We propose that senior levels of government are integrating private-sector CSR into rural development policy as part of the ongoing process of neoliberalizing resource development. Our research reveals the uneven application of CSR practices by mineral exploration and mining companies to communities in northwestern British Columbia. Companies are selectively applying CSR principles to communities that have political leverage to impact project development. In the absence of jurisdictional control over mineral development, local governments must find methods to compete with neighboring communities to attract secondary benefits from resource development occurring within the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]