February 8, 2008

Rural and Urban Stakeholders to Gather this Spring in Ottawa (GUELPH) – The Ontario Rural Council (TORC) will host rural and urban stakeholders from across the province in the nation’s capital this spring for the TORC Rural Development Conference 2008: “Leading the Rural Renaissance”, March 18-20th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Ottawa.

Building off the success of TORC's involvement with Ottawa's Rural Summit (November 2005) and the region's notable enhancements in rural/urban relations, the location was deemed a fitting one to focus on collaborative solutions for an evolving landscape.

For two and a half days this spring, rural/urban stakeholders and informed practitioners will come together to share key learnings and practical strategies aimed at empowering Ontario communities in this "changing climate and climate of change".

"Leading the Rural Renaissance" promises to engage delegates through a wide range of informative sessions, interactive and mobile workshops, skills development, table talks and engaging debates, each with an emphasis on real life success stories designed to inspire and ignite.

Program highlights include sessions on rural/urban linkages, downtown revitalization, broadband expansion into rural communities, healthcare recruitment, training and retention, supporting rural entrepreneurs, volunteerism and community engagement, effective leadership, and capacity building: what works and what doesn’t.

Conference Keynote Dr. Rob Greenwood of The Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development (Memorial University, St. John’s, NL) will kick-off the official Day One program with “Leading the Rural Renaissance: Lessons from Rural Canada for All Canadians”, an address of emerging best practices from citizens, communities and businesses learning to adjust to change…and making change happen.  Dr. Greenwood maintains today’s rural Canadians are harnessing their identity and commitment to ‘place’ with new approaches and a vision to make it work…for their families and their communities.

Youth and non-youth sharing an interest in the future of young people in rural Ontario will want to attend the special Youth Forum taking place just prior to general registration and the official opening of the conference.  From 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Day One (Tuesday, March 18th), a slate of sessions will be offered to this targeted group focusing on rural youth employment and entrepreneurship.  Session formats like “Speed Dialogue” and “Sweet Skill Development Stations” are designed to be innovative, fun and attractive to younger participants.

For full TORC Conference Program details and Online Registration, visit www.torc.on.ca or contact TORC Conference Coordinator Vicki Nash-Moore at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.