There are no easy answers in how best to link urban and rural areas in Canada, a workshop discussing the issue found Wednesday.
And participants in one breakout discussion found the “us versus them” attitude between cities and towns and villages hinders any progress.
The group, part of a national “think tank” session on links between urban and rural Canada hosted by the College on New Caledonia and the University of Northern British Columbia, also found rural areas are disadvantaged when it comers to attention from provincial governments.
“Seventy per cent of the economy is generated in rural B.C.,” mayor Colin Kinsley told his group of 13, one of three the 50 participants were split into as part of the session. “But we can’t seem to get that through to the lawmakers, because only 19 of the 79 seats are in rural B.C.”