Platinum Sponsors

Community Futures (CF) provide services to small and medium-sized businesses paving the way for diversified local economies and job creation. CFs take a grassroots approach to community and economic development, sustaining and improving communities by creating long-term sustainable businesses. Each CF delivers a variety of services ranging from strategic economic planning, technical and advisory services to businesses, loans to small and medium-sized businesses, self-employment assistance programs and services targeted to youth and entrepreneurs with disabilities. Supported by Western Economic Diversification

The Rural Policy Learning Commons (RPLC) is a $2.5M partnership grant funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) with the Rural Development Institute (RDI) and Brandon University. Major objectives of the RPLC are to build rural capacity and strengthen relationships to inform rural research and policy ranging from local to international scales. RPLC is built on working relationships amongst rural institutions and individuals from the practitioner, policy-making and academic sectors.

Gold Sponsors

Selkirk College provides an accessible post-secondary experience that prepares talented and effective citizens for fulfilling careers perfectly meshed for today’s in-demand job market. First opened in 1966, BC’s first rural community college created through referendum currently has 60 nationally recognized programs and more than 2,500 full-time students in five campuses and three learning centres across the West Kootenay and Boundary region.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development administers the BC Rural Dividend Program. The Program’s goal is to assist rural communities in B.C., with populations of 25,000 or less, to re-invigorate and diversify their economies.

Silver Sponsors

PlanH, implemented by BC Healthy Communities Society, facilitates local government learning, partnership development and planning for healthier communities where we live, learn, work and play. www.planh.ca

The Rural Development Institute is a regional research centre with a mandate to support decision-making through the information provision, applied research, and extension support.