Rural Initiative - Draft Guidance

Government has released the Rural Initiative - Draft Guidance (PDF, 0.5MB) to ensure government initiatives consider and deliver economic growth and benefits for rural and urban communities.

Close to 1 million British Columbians live in rural, remote, or First Nations communities – covering 98% of the province’s land and contributing over $84 billion annually to the economy. These areas are home to key sectors like forestry, mining, energy, agriculture, seafood, and tourism.

While contributing significantly to B.C.’s economy, rural communities may face unique challenges with accessing services, infrastructure, transportation, workforce capacity, and economic disruptions from disasters and shifts in resource sectors. Yet, rural communities remain resilient and continue to be an essential part of BC’s economic landscape.

Building on StrongerBC: Good Lives in Strong Communities (PDF, 13.5MB), this new draft guidance supports Ministries to assess how provincial policies impact rural areas, improve service accessibility, and strengthen relationships with rural partners and communities.