A Sustainable, Inclusive, and Digital Future for Rural Canada

On December 8th, Canada 2020 hosted the next in our series of discussions on how policies can support well-being, connectivity and innovation in smaller and rural communities in Canada.

Canada 2020 is convening researchers, stakeholders and policymakers with expertise in rural and community economic development to engage in policy discussions and identify solutions that can work on the ground. With a focus on COVID recovery and taking stock of changes and new opportunities produced during the pandemic, Canada 2020 is focused on how to make rapid progress on Canada’s rural economic development strategy.

Click here to read the discussion paper written by Matthew Mendelsohn, Jamie Van Ymeren, Noah Zon and Jasmine Irwin. 


Driven, vibrant, and innovative Canadian communities like Faro, Yukon; Churchbridge, Saskatchewan; Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec; and Clarenville, Newfoundland are integral to our economy, culture, and social fabric, making Canada the prosperous and successful country that it is. 

But as the last year has accelerated and revealed, rural and smaller Canadian communities face unique challenges and opportunities.

That’s why Canada 2020 is launching a new research project focused on identifying the best ideas and practices that support community well-being and inclusive economic growth in rural and smaller Canadian communities.

Featuring roundtable discussions, policy labs, events, and discussion papers, A Sustainable, Inclusive, and Digital Future for Rural Canada will work with local and community experts to develop a roadmap for well-being for smaller and rural Canadian communities. 

Click here to read the opinion piece, written by Matthew Mendelsohn, Mike Moffatt and Jamie Van Ymeren

@Risk: The Mother of All Risks with Brian Gallant

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On this episode of @Risk, host Jodi Butts is joined by the 33rd Premier of New Brunswick and now the CEO of the Canadian Centre for the Purpose of the Corporation, Brian Gallant, to discuss reputation as the mother of all risks (M.O.A.R.) in the corporate context. For a business, reputation is more than a comms issue, it’s existential, and Brian wants to see companies find their purpose in order to protect it.

To read the full transcript of this episode, click here.

Open to Debate: How are we managing late-pandemic anxiety?

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In March of last year, David Moscrop spoke with feminist theorist and friend Amanda Watson about managing life during the pandemic. The conversation included thoughts about compassion, care, inequity, resistance, and, of course, anxiety.

Just over a year later, as the end of the pandemic begins, the two revisit that conversation. This time the focus is on processing…all of this, with special attention given to the question: How are we managing late-pandemic anxiety and what will a return to “normal” look like?

As mentioned, on this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Amanda Watson, feminist theorist, lecturer at Simon Fraser University and author of The Juggling Mother: Coming Undone in the Age of Anxiety.