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Rural Spark
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Rural Spark
Author: Rural Spark
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© 2023 Rural Spark
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Welcome to Rural Spark – the podcast that explores and celebrates rural innovation! Join Helen Murphy, rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, as she invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned in rural innovation.
64 Episodes
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Rural communities are benefitting from a new wave of urban-to-rural migration during the pandemic. Especially in coastal communities of Atlantic Canada and B.C., new families are providing a much needed boost to school populations and local economies. But are able to keep them? In this episode we explore the challenge of rural retention with Dr. Wayne Caldwell from the University of Guelph, an expert in issues of change in rural communities.
The recent federal election result builds on a trend in the rural-urban vote split in Canada. At what point is that cause for concern? Should our electoral system and political parties take any steps to address potential negative impacts of the divide? We talk with political science professors Zach Taylor and Jack Lucas about their research in this area and what the future may hold.
A group of medical students from Ontario medical schools are reaching out to those in urban schools to extoll the benefits of small town practice. Their efforts could be one part of the puzzle in solving Canada's rural doctor shortage. Current resident Kathleen Walsh joined us to share the story.
Scotland is about to host its first seaweed festival -- an artistic, culinary and environmental event on Isle Martin. Festival curator and environmental photographer Julia Barton shares the story and rolls out the welcome mat.
Test driving new, innovative ideas for rural communities makes sense. It's a low-risk, low-cost way of seeing what might work, what doesn't and what could be a success with a little adaption. That's the kind of work Mary Doyle does in her enterprise, Rural on Purpose. She joined us to share the Rural on Purpose story.
Young people from countries bordering the North Atlantic recently spent a weekend working in teams to tackle some of the urgent challenges facing our rural communities. We talked with Paula Haapanen with the Canadian partner organization -- the Cooperation Council of Ontario -- to find out how it went and what new ideas rose to the top.
While studying medicine in Ireland, Canadian Sarah Kaip is building a network of future doctors there, encouraging them to consider rural medicine back home in Canada. There's no shortage of Canadians studying medicine abroad, and they're sometimes overlooked as a possible solution to our rural doctors shortage. Sarah plans to practice in a rural community; hear her reasons why, and how she's mobilizing others to do the same.
Who could have predicted that videos of Bhangra dancing from the wilds of the Yukon would help so many of us get through COVID-19? Gurdeep Pandher had to step back and try to make sense of it all himself, as he tells us in this episode. Hear his inspiring story.
Got milk? In the small town of Almonte in Eastern Ontario, the Dairy Distillery is using a byproduct of the dairy industry to make vodka -- to rave reviews. It's a terrific example of rural business innovation that turns waste into valuable products.
The risk of mental illness among farmers is much higher than in the general population, with often devastating results for individuals, families and communities. DoMoreAg is a non-profit working to raise awareness, break down the stigma and build communities of support for farming families. Executive director Adelle Stewart shares their story.
Indigenous storyteller Mary Louise Bernard shares Mi'kmaw legends with Parks Canada visitors, to rave reviews. We talk with Mary Louise about the benefits of bringing Indigenous culture into rural tourism planning. New to the pod? Join Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, as she hosts guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
12 days from idea to implementation -- that's how long it took to get a new Virtual Triage Assessment Centre up and running in Renfrew County at the start of the pandemic. Dr. Jonathan Fitzsimon tells us how it happened and what it might mean for rural medicine.
Is there an upside to starting a rural business during the pandemic? That's what Anthea Taljaard did. And so far, so very good. Hear our conversation with her on this week's pod.
With some urban centres in Canada becoming COVID-19 hotspots, rural communities are seeing some city dwellers retreat to small towns. Ashleigh Wheeden, a PhD student in Rural Studies at Guelph, joins us today to help break down why this is happening and the affects it’s having on residents and rural health care.
Caremongering is a movement spreading across Canada in the face of COVID-19. Through social media, Caremongering works to promote kindness and share information and resources to help people cope. This week we check in with two Caremongering groups, in Nova Scotia and Manitoba, to see how they are connecting with their communities and why we all need caremongering right now.
Like many healthcare facilities across Canada, Glen Haven Manor experiences staff shortages. But in 2019, the Pictou County nursing home had an opportunity to find a solution at a refugee camp -- and they seized it.New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
A maker space in Trail, B.C. just became the first rural fabrication lab in Canada to house a 3D metal printer. Jason Taylor is an instructor & applied researcher at Selkirk College and he joins us today to explain how getting the right tools and resources -- combined with the right attitude -- equips colleges to help local businesses prosper. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and le...
This week we talk to the owner of a new 'ethical' business in Nova Scotia that has quickly gained an international clientele. Tara Milburn's keys to success include smart online networking and growing a team that can work from wherever they want. Hear her intriguing story. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural i...
Feel like escaping to the countryside? Rural life is seen by many as a happier alternative to long commutes and crowded cities, but what does the research tell us? We invited McGill professor Dr. Chris Barrington-Leigh to the podcast to share his findings and some valuable lessons. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all thing...
It’s old school meets modern technology, a tale that starts with a mule named Bub and ends (for now) with good-paying jobs, a reversal of outmigration and hope in Jackson County, formerly one of the most impoverished areas of the U.S. Keith Gabbard, CEO of the People’s Rural Telephone Cooperative helped make it happen, and he joins us this week to tell the incredible tale. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinki...
Yukonstruct, the first community innovation hub north of 60, believes in the power of synergy. When entrepreneurs, makers and innovators come together, good things happen – good things that create jobs and drive the economy. Executive Director Lana Selbee joins us today to share some innovative northern thinking on rural innovation. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. ...
Cowbell Brewing is located in Blyth, Ontario, a town of around 1000 residents. But in its first two years of operations, Cowbell has served hundreds of thousands. In this episode we talk to Grant Sparling from Cowbell Brewing about how this enterprise finds success, how they share that success with their community, and how they got on track to become North America's first carbon-neutral brewery. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guest...
This week we look into the gap in post-secondary education access and achievement for rural students. To help explain what's being done to close that gap, we're joined by Dreama Gentry of Berea College in eastern Kentucky and John White, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach in the US Department of Education. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure t...
This is a model worth replicating. The small town of Marathon, Ont. has a surplus of doctors. And that's benefiting not only locals, but also neighbouring communities that run short.New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
Physician shortages leave patients without family doctors and overwhelm emergency departments. Our guest today reframes the discussion around primary healthcare and the role of nurse practitioners in filling the gap. Deborah Hart highlights how nurse practitioners are especially equipped to address the needs of rural and aging communities. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories an...
With apologies to John Denver, country roads should indeed be able to take us home, to work, to school and shopping on two wheels. Cycling infrastructure isn't just for cities. Laurie Newton explains why, and shows us where it's done right.New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
Changes to news media are hitting rural Canada hard. From community papers closing or amalgamating to digital gaps limiting online solutions, access to stories about what's going on in rural communities is becoming increasingly difficult. This week we talk with Ryerson Journalism Professor April Lindgren about how we got here and what we can do about it. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success s...
Tiny homes have the potential to help address numerous challenges in rural Canada. But first, their proponents have to take on local bylaws. Terrilee Kelford of Cornerstone Landing in Lanark Co., Ont. is on the front lines and shares her story with us. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for...
A pilot project in N.S. is showing how our libraries can be so much more.New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening.
It's much more than food tours, and rural Canada has so many delicious experiences to offer. This week Jamie Reaume of Country Heritage Park tells us what we're missing. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
Historic Sherbrooke Village is a living museum, an interactive neighbourhood of the 1860’s – the era of tall ships and gold mining on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore. But today it has a bold new plan for the future, one that includes teaching rural skills. Today we speak with Executive Director Stephen Flemming about the potential for rural museum innovation to bring people closer to their roots and grow the local economy.
An innovative program in Ontario is reversing negative trends in one of Canada's highest youth unemployment areas.New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
This week we look at three isolated Acadian communities and their fight to protect, preserve and celebrate their cultural heritage. In recent years, technology is helping. Have a listen!New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
Many rural communities in Canada were originally established in response to a local natural resource. Since then, the natural resource sector has drastically changed due to technological advances, urbanization and market access. Today we talk to Rose Olfert from the University of Saskatchewan to answer the question: Why do some communities overcome these economic shifts, while others don’t recover? New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, inv...
Today we’re talking about creating opportunities and breaking down barriers through the social economy. Michael Toye from CCEDNET tells us how finding new ways to do business can empower people and lift up communities.New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
Milan Wall has discovered “clues” to rural community survival and prosperity through research done by the Heartland Center for Leadership Development in Nebraska. As co-director of the Center, Wall shares with Rural Spark how people can revitalize their small towns. You may be surprised by the best practices he's discovered. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure ...
A town of just over 4,000 in Southern Alberta is on track to become Canada's first solar-powered net zero community. Greg Robinson is the Director of Community and Economic Development in Raymond, AB. He joins us to shed some light on where the idea to generate solar power for municipal buildings came from, and how this project has put Raymond in the driver's seat of their electrical needs and their future. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and ent...
A young entrepreneur-turned-mayor is credited with driving the renewal of a historic town that's bucking the downward trends in Newfoundland and Labrador. In this episode we talk to Bonavista Mayor John Norman about how his small town transformed into a thriving economy with the fastest growing real estate market in the province. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learne...
Learn how the Prince Edward Island Connectors Program gets immigrant entrepreneurs and investors out into its rural communities to meet local innovators. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
This week we spoke with Dr. Felicity Kelliher to learn about how Ireland fosters rural innovation. Kelliher is a co-chair of the RIKON research group from the South East of Ireland that explores and nurtures growth for small businesses.New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
Many rural communities lack quality childcare options, and it's holding back families and communities. But whose job is it to solve the problem? This is something Sociology Professor Susan Prentice studies and this week she tells us why we should look at child care as an economic driver in our communities. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to sta...
The greater Petite Rivière area in Nova Scotia mobilized to save their elementary school, and thank goodness they did! Hear how they did it, and what an outstanding little school it is. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
This week our guests are Stacey and Geoff, professional DJs who traded in the Big Smoke for the Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
Peter Smith is the Project Director at the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity. On today's episode, Peter shares the story of revitalization through the arts in Blythe, Ont., and plans to take it national. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
A new college campus can transform a rural community, but it takes leadership and a strong case to make it happen. This week we talk with Jamie Bramburger of Algonquin's Waterfront Campus in Pembroke about the journey to success in the Ottawa Valley. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for li...
Is the carbon tax fair to rural Canada? We discuss this and other pressing issues with Ray Orb, Federation of Canadian Municipalities Chair of Rural Forum and President of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
Rob McMahon, co-founder of the First Mile Connectivity Consortium, tells us how some Indigenous communities are finding their own connectivity solutions. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for listening!
Modern coworking spaces can help meet the needs of remote workers and entrepreneurs in rural communities. But how does it differ from urban coworking models? Can coworking help attract new rural residents? Andrew Button shares his insights with us. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons learned. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things rural innovation! Thanks for list...
People experiencing hopelessness in rural communities will go to great lengths to hide it. That invisibility hinders awareness of the problem, and the action needed to find solutions. This week we talk to Terrilee Kelford of Cornerstone Landing in Lanark County, Ont., about rural homelessness and some innovative responses in her community. New to the pod? Every week Helen Murphy, a rural newspaper editor and entrepreneur, invites guests to share fresh thinking, success stories and lessons lea...
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