R2R16

Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2016 Rural Talks to Rural Conference.

Next R2R:  September 2018

Schedule below is archival information only.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016 pre-conference tour of sites and attractions in Huron County

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 20168:00AM – 9:00AM

Registration

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 20169:00AM

Opening Ceremonies

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 20169:20AM

Setting the Table:  The State of Rural Canada ~ Al Lauzon In the fall of 2015 the Canadian rural Revitalization Foundation released the report The State of Rural Canada 2015. In this session I will provide an overview of the findings in this report, noting both the commonalities and differences across rural Canada. I will also highlight some of the conclusions and recommendations made in the report, and contemplate the question “so what and where do we go from here? “

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 20169:50AM

Storytelling | moderator: Wayne Caldwell Many rural communities aspire to be resilient and  healthy with diverse and sustainable economic activity.  While some communities struggle to make progress in this area, others have made important strides to maximize their local resources and work towards controlling their own destiny.  Following a brief presentation, this interactive session will invite participants to share successes from their own communities.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 10:30AM

BREAK

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 10:45AM

The Huron County Rural Lens ~ An interactive tool to promote rural equity and inclusion is presented by Jim GInn, Mayor of Central Huron and Sheila Schuehlein, Project Lead, Peer Health Support Program at the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health. Suzanne Ainley from the Rural Ontario Institute will present how this local project fits into their Measuring Rural Community Vitality Initiative

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 10:45AM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016  11:35AM

A Story about Intelligent Communities  ~ Dan Mathieson, Mayor of Stratford

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 12:00PM – 1:00PM

LUNCH Catering by Eddington’s of Exeter Chef James In Conversation with Jess Votary from the Red Rabbit, Stratford

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 1:15PM – 2:45PM (EVENTS IN COLOURED BOXES OCCUR CONCURRENTLY)

ART & CULTURE “Out in the Country…” Why we need to give voice to rural stories to celebrate our way of life and help young and old value their work and lifestyle. MODERATOR: Keith Roulston PANEL: Paul Thompson, James Roy, Anne Judd

FOOD & FARM SEIZING THE DAY, SEIZING NEW OPPORTUNITIES:        MODERATOR: Claire Carter PANEL: Martin Vanderloo, Dr. Gordon Surgeoner, Charlie Hoy

COMMUNITY REVIVAL / DEVELOPMENT APPS, NETWORKS AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES:  Internet access is fundamental to modern life, and has the power to transform rural communities.   What do we need to do?   MODERATOR: Leanne Perreault PANEL: Brian Beaton, Dan Mathieson, Rob Van Aaken, Geoff Hogan

SUSTAINING & GROWING OUR POPULATION WHERE R U NOW?  Engaging, supporting & retaining youth       MODERATOR: Katrina McQuail PANEL: Jason Smith, Thian Carman, Emily Morrison, Grant Sparling

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 2:45PM – 3:00PM

Hospitality Break

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 3:00PM – 4:30PM                                                           (EVENTS IN COLOURED BOXES OCCUR CONCURRENTLY)

REPEAT OF 1:15PM SESSION                                                           ("Thank God I'm a Country …")

REPEAT OF 1:15PM SESSION                                                           ("SEIZING THE DAY, SEIZING NEW OPPORTUNITIES")

REPEAT OF 1:15PM SESSION                                                           (APPS, NETWORKS…)

REPEAT OF 1:15PM SESSION                                                           ("WHERE R U NOW?")

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 4:30PM

Bar Opens at Belgrave Arena for Evening Dinner & Events

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 5:00PM – 6:45PM

THE PITCH THE CATCH Innovation meets investment

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 6:45PM

PIG ROAST & KEYNOTE ~ Amy Cronin Amy Cronin is a mother of 6, runs an international farm operation, is chair of Ontario Pork, and – along with her husband Mike – is Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers (2015). How does she do it all?

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 9:00PM – 11:00PM

AFTER HOURS More Cowbell, Maelstrom, music by the Irish Cowboys. Keep the conversation going.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 7:00AM – 8:30AM

BREAKFAST Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 420, Legion Ladies Auxiliary to Branch 420 and Blyth Lions Club Eggs, Sausage, Hashbrowns, Toast, Muffins, Fruit, Juice, Yogurt, Coffee or Tea

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 9:00AM – 4:00PM

FASHION ARTS & CREATIVE TEXTILES / FIBRESHED | Jennifer Triemstra-Johnston                                                       Interactive/Open Studio ~ Discover more about this rapidly growing industry with leaders in the field

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 9:00AM – 10:30AM                                                               (EVENTS IN COLOURED BOXES OCCUR CONCURRENTLY)

ART & CULTURE FROM FIBRE TO FABULOUS: fashion from the ground up! MODERATOR: Jennifer Treimstra-Johnston PANEL: Peggy Sue Deaven-Smiltnieks, Thea Haines, Jennifer Osborn

FOOD & FARM THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED: Overcoming roadblocks on the way to Market.  MODERATOR: Keith Roulston PANEL: Fred deMartines, Warren Ham, Don Nott

COMMUNITY REVIVAL / DEVELOPMENT WHAT’S UP DOC? Rural Health & Well-Being: Why it’s different, how we move forward. MODERATOR: Peter Smith PANEL: Karen Davis, Gwen Deveraux, Lars Hallstrom

SUSTAINING & GROWING OUR POPULATION CRICKETS, BIRCH SYRUP & ICE CREAM:  Stories of innovation from across Canada. MODERATOR: Wayne Caldwell PANEL: Naomi Finseth, Heather Campbell

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 10:30AM – 10:45AM

Hospitality Break

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 10:45AM – 12:15PM                                                           (EVENTS IN COLOURED BOXES OCCUR CONCURRENTLY)

REPEAT OF 10AM SESSION                                                           ("FROM FIBRE TO FABULOUS")

REPEAT OF 10AM SESSION                                                           ("THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED")

REPEAT OF 10AM SESSION                                                           ("WHAT'S UP, DOC?")

REPEAT OF 10AM SESSION                                                           ("CRICKETS, BIRCH SYRUP & ICE CREAM")

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 12:15PM – 1:30PM

LUNCH & KHOR II Catering by Blyth Inn, Blyth | And a story by a unique theatre design told by our guests from the Netherlands, Breg Horemans & Benoit Vanraes

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 1:30PM – 3:00PM                                                           (EVENTS IN COLOURED BOXES OCCUR CONCURRENTLY)

ART & CULTURE THE RURAL VOICE – evolving ways of telling your story from newsprint to the electronic highway. MODERATOR: Gil Garratt  PANEL: Simon Brothers, Bojan Fürst, Shawn Loughlin

FOOD & FARM Not Your Mom & Pop Farm anymore …Creating jobs through processing local food and farm products MODERATOR: Rick Sickinger PANEL:  Liz Irhig, Paul VanDorp,  Amanda Bekkers, Shep Ysselstein

COMMUNITY REVIVAL / DEVELOPMENT RURAL ROUTES: Stories of Community Revitalization / Reimagining Rural Tourism and measuring its Return on Investment. MODERATOR: David Peacock PANEL: Zac Gribble, Heather Mair, Anej Strucl

SUSTAINING & GROWING OUR POPULATION RE-IMAGINING RURAL ASSETS:  Smart growth strategies can help rural communities achieve their goals for growth and development while maintaining their distinctive rural character.   MODERATOR: Al Lauzon PANELISTS: Ron Gaudet, Shauna Janssen, Kate Procter

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 3:00PM – 3:15PM

Hospitality Break

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 3:15PM – 4:45PM                                                         (EVENTS IN COLOURED BOXES OCCUR CONCURRENTLY)

REPEAT OF 1:30PM SESSION                                                         ("THE RURAL VOICE")

REPEAT OF 1:30PM SESSION                                                         ("Not Your Mom & Pop Farm anymore")

REPEAT OF 1:30PM SESSION                                                         (""RURAL ROUTES"")

REPEAT OF 1:30PM SESSION                                                         ("RE-IMAGINING RURAL ASSETS")

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 20165:00PM – 6:30PM

HOPS, GRAPES & APPLES Cowbell Brewing Company, Maelstrom Winery, Cider, Cheese Tasting/Reception BIRD'S VIEW  Folk Art Exhibit by local artist Ray Bird, curated by Rachel Thompson and Heather Morton.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 20166:30PM – 8:30PM

CHEF'S DINNER by Peter Gusso (Part II Bistro) and Jason Rutledge (Blyth Inn) KEYNOTE Leona Dargis  Sharing a personal story of her passion for succession planning and organic gardening in the Yukon. The Pressure Cooker  Eight delegates will report to the assembly about how to deal with a single rural issue.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 20169:00PM

AFTER HOURS Bon Fire, Music, and S’mores

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 7:00AM – 8:30AM

BREAKFAST Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 420, Legion Ladies Auxiliary to Branch 420 and Blyth Lions Club Ham, Eggs, Toast, Hashbrowns, Muffins, Fruit, Juice, Yogurt, and Coffee or Tea 8:45AM  –  Greetings From Peter Smith & Rick Sickinger

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 20169:00AM – 10:30AM                                                           (EVENTS IN COLOURED BOXES OCCUR CONCURRENTLY)

ART & CULTURE GOING FORWARD:  what does leadership look like? And how can we create an ongoing dialogue and build a National Network?   Moderator: Mark Crawford Panel: Jerry McGrath, Peter Smith, Savannah Barrett

FOOD & FARM GETTING 'ER DONE:  Building Vibrant Rural Communities:  Co-ops, crowd-sourcing and raising capital for your business venture and The Rural Social Enterprise Constellation   Moderator: Cathy Lang Panel: Linda Best, Mary Ferguson, Chris Lee, Simon Berge

SUSTAINING & GROWING OUR POPULATION ARE WE READY FOR IMMIGRANTS?  Are we welcoming?  Are we friendly?:   What  we need to know, Moderator: Gemma Mendez-Smith  Panelists:  Lena Gahwi, Shetha Roomi, Oliver Pryce, Naomi Finseth

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 10:30AM – 10:45AM

Hospitality Break

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 10:45AM – 12:15PM                                                     (EVENTS IN COLOURED BOXES OCCUR CONCURRENTLY)

REPEAT OF 9:00AM SESSION                                                     ("GOING FORWARD")

REPEAT OF 9:00AM SESSION                                                     ("GETTING 'ER DONE")

REPEAT OF 9:00AM SESSION                                                     ("ARE WE READY FOR NEW IMMIGRANTS?")

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 12:15PM

LUNCH  Catering by:  Cait's Cafe of Goderich

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 1:00PM – 2:30PM

CLOSING Reflections on the R2R Conference Closing Words by RIck Sickinger, Peter Smith, Karen Stewart

Thank you for joining us for Rural Talks to Rural, our first R2R conference at the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity.

 

Check out the Video Recaps from R2R16

Information below this line is detail of our 2016 Rural Talks to Rural Conference.
For more archival information check out the links under "Blyth 14/19; events"  _________________________

“Tell your story and hear the inspiring stories of others, as we seek to gather solutions for healthy sustainable rural communities.”  – Keith Roulston, publisher/editor The Rural Voice.

​

Thanks to those who participated in the September 2016 R2R conference.

Watch for dates for the next full Rural Talks Conference in 2018. 

CONFERENCE AGENDA                                   
In the autumn of 2016, the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity in partnership with the County of Huron, invite you to join with creative thinkers and community builders for three days of dialogue, workshops, and exploration. You will be in the company of rural leaders, artists, elected representatives, food producers and distributors, policy researchers and scholars, entrepreneurs and small business owners.

R2R is an invitation to share ideas, establish new partnerships, to network, inform policy, and create innovative strategies for rural health and well-being.

What are your rural challenges? An aging population and youth migration? Reinvigorating the town centre?  Job creation? Communications?  R2R is your opportunity to connect with creative problem solvers who are making a difference.

Employing the latest technology the symposium will have uplinks for interactive dialogue throughout and be recorded by a professional team of documentary filmmakers for viewing and posterity following the conference.

Our partners:

 

LOCATION:  The largest gathering space will be in a tent located at the Blyth & District Community Centre at 377 Gypsy Lane, Blyth, Ontario  N0M 1H0.  Breakout sessions will be in the arena, the Trinity Anglican Church Hall and the Royal Canadian Legion.   Please dress accordingly with comfortable footwear.  

MAP

AUDIENCE

Rural Citizens & Community groups; Entrepreneurs & Farmers & Artists; Local Leaders; Provincial & Municipal Staff; Academics.

CONFERENCE FORMAT

Rural Stories
An opportunity for delegates to share their stories and hear the stories of others.  It is the beginning of building relationships between delegates – to network, spark connections and gather ideas.

Kitchen Table Conversations
Great ideas often come from around the kitchen table – an informal setting for conversations on rural challenges – success stories will mingle with disaster tales. This will be an opportunity to drill down into each issue and to arrive at possible solutions or refine the questions.  Plenary sessions to share highlights will follow.

In Conversation Sessions
With the help of a moderator, real life examples of rural solutions to rural challenges will be discussed to reveal how big notices small, how small works with big, and how work is created.

The Pitch & Catch
This session is about an innovative idea meeting a financial opportunity.  Entrepreneurs are invited to pitch their unique idea to a small group of investors.

"Afters" Evenings
A late night opportunity for delegates to connect, exchange ideas, and be entertained in a more relaxed setting.

R2R Pressure Cooker
A think tank will take place in a local kitchen during the conference.  Eight delegates will tackle a rural issue and over four hours will come up with an implementable action plan.

HOSPITALITY
An array of accommodation options are available including a limited number of billeted lodgings at local residences for another chance to get to know some of the creators and innovators of Huron County.

Delegates will enjoy world class meals prepared by chefs featuring locally-sourced ingredients.

Registration, Accommodation and other Logistics:

Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity
197 Dinsley St., Box 279
Blyth, ON  N0M 1H0
(226) 523-1419

Peter Smith, Project Director, Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity
519.955.4594 | peter@blyth1419.ca

Rick Sickinger, Cultural Development Officer, County of Huron
519.482.5457 ext. 8  | rsickinger@huroncounty.ca

ADDITIONAL READING

State of Rural Canada (2015)

Cross-currents: Art + Agriculture Conference (North Carolina 2014 – Report by Peter Smith)

Local Prosperity Conference: New Economies for Rural Canada (Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia 2015 – Report by Peter Smith)