Research and Statistics

• Broadband as a Catalyst for e-Government - A report studying the use of broadband technologies to enhance the delivery of public services by rural municipalities in Alberta.
• Broadband as Catalyst for municipal e-Government presentation - Presented to AAMDC Spring Convention Broadband Workshop March 16, 2010, this presentation provides the context for and summarizes the results of a research project undertaken by the Rural Development Division on Broadband as a Catalyst for e-government.
• Broadband: An Effective Tool for Rural Development - An overview of the role of broadband in rural development, with examples from around the world.
• Rural Communities in Alberta and Broadband: Enabling a Culture of Use - Executive summary of a research reporton how rural communities use broadband technology.

• First Impressions Community Exchange Pilot Evaluation - Evaluations of the 2008 and 2009 FICE program in which a participating community is matched with another that shares similar demographics and has similar challenges and aspirations. Exchange teams visit each others’ communities to look for strengths and shortcomings as seen through the eyes of a first time visitor.
• Envisioning Rural Community Sustainability: Do You See What I See? - Summary of research studying community members' perceptions of the concept of sustainability in Viking, Alberta.

• Clusters: A Key to Rural Prosperity - An explanation of the cluster approach, a concept where firms and related businesses gain an advantage from their mutual proximity and connections.

• Local Food: A Rural Opportunity - A literature-review-based overview of the emergence of modern local food systems, the associated benefits, and potential strategies to develop a local food system.

• Impacts of Community Events and Festivals on Rural Places - A literature-review-based overview of the importance and associated impacts on rural communities of community events and festivals.
• The Economic Impact of Hunting and Fishing in Alberta (2008) - Summary of report on the impact of hunting and fishing on the rural Alberta economy in 2008.
• Rural Tourism: An Overview - An overview of rural tourism, types of tourism, its benefits for rural communities and some examples of rural tourism development in Canadian provinces and other jurisdictions of the world.
• Rural Tourism - Numbers, demographics and dollars spent on Alberta and Canada rural tourism.

• Rural Alberta Profile: A Fifteen-Year Census Analysis 1991-2006
• Rural Alberta Factsheets
• Alberta's Rural Demography - A statistical breakdownfrom the 2006 census showing population distribution and changes in rural Alberta.
• The Demographic Shift - A statistical breakdown from the 2006 Census showing a look at the aging population of rural communities and comparing Alberta with the rest of Canada.

• On the Bright Side: Rural Canada Works - Link to papers and presentations of the 2010 Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) annual policy conference where sessions focused on rural policy, immigration, education, food security, and other issues.

• More statistics and reports - Reports and statistics from earlier in the 2000s. Links to external sources of information.