Gregory Halseth

Renewing the foundations of small town Canada

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What does the future hold for rural and small town Canada? Can resource-based, one-industry towns in rural Canada reinvent themselves?

Dr. Greg Halseth, Canada Research Chair in Rural and Small Town Studies, is attempting to find answers to these questions and on the impact of community and economic restructuring on the future of rural and small town Canada. Halseth is looking at how the assets and aspirations of small towns and rural areas can serve as the foundation for more flexible local and regional responses to ongoing change.

Rural areas and small towns around the world are struggling to find success in the new rural economy, which is linked to changes in resource economies and to the increasingly fast-paced and connected global economy. Halseth is identifying the local, regional and global interlinkages that affect small town communities, and the strategic options they can use to respond to the challenges and opportunities created by change.

Halseth is examining how changes in global-local links create both challenges and opportunities. He is also looking at how prepared rural and small town Canada is for changes in employment in resource industries. In addition, he is exploring rural success stories where local assets and leadership have combined to reduce problems and take advantage of opportunities.

Halseth’s research on rural and small town renewal will provide rural and small town Canada with tools to improve their policy- and decision-making.