Recent Faculty Publication, Tamara Krawchenko

Brooke Hayes (PhD Candidate, Geography, UVic; Manager of the EcoSoil Lab) and Dr. Tamara Krawchenko (Associate Professor, SPA, UVic) have recently published a jurisdictional review of Rural Economic Development approaches with the Canadian Rural Revitalisation Foundation.  This report examines rural economic development approaches in six jurisdictions and identifies leading practices from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Sweden and Scotland. Each of these places are either currently responding to, or have recently responded to, a change in its economic and/or demographic context. It is found that legislation provides the strongest framework for action, followed by a clear common strategic framework that is built on an understanding of regional needs, and connected cross-sectoral strategies that are oriented towards the strengths and opportunities of specific regions. It is notable that almost all strategies reviewed in Canada and internationally neglect the needs of Indigenous Peoples, and almost all regions struggle with implementation and monitoring, unless it is legislated and results in formal resource reallocation and governance structures.