News & Notices
Exploring Opportunities in Rural Pictou County: Conference in the Works
Pictou County, Friday, February 26, 2010.... Pictou County's first ever rural economic development conference is being organized. The full-day program is scheduled to take place April 10, 2010 in the village of River John. "This conference will enable us to work with rural communities to promote dialogue, information sharing, planning and community engagement to support sustainable development," says organizer Kelly McVicar. "River John is a prime example of effective community economic development; we think it is a fitting location for the inaugural conference."
Spearheading the initiative is the Pictou Regional Development Commission (PRDC), with the support of a steering committee drawn from a cross section of rural representatives, citizens and business people. The conference will offer the usual mix of key note speakers, trade show and seminars, but the theme will be focused on best practices in rural community development, local success stories, support services and youth leadership.
"We're looking forward to the opportunity to showcase rural living and to having organizations and communities, such as River John, share some of their best practices," says steering committee member and Warden for Pictou County, Ron Baillie. "I am pleased to see the conference taking shape. It's an event dedicated to making life in rural Pictou County even more attractive and that's definitely a worthwhile endeavour."
Delegates will move between locations for various parts of the program, all within a 1 km radius. Keynote speakers and meals will take place in the community's fire hall, while various workshops will take place at the legion, library, school and Anglican and Presbyterian church halls.
The "Rural Pictou County: Exploring Opportunities" conference in April will be the first annual. "We hope the conference will serve as a real exchange, where information flows in both directions between presenters and delegates. There is a lot of knowledge and capacity in rural Pictou County, this conference wants to showcase that and facilitate new connections," says McVicar.
Conference fees are $20, including all meals, sessions and delegate bags containing useful resources and samples of local products. Early bird registration is $15, delegates must be registered and payment must be received by March 19. Complete details on the conference are available by visiting www.prdc.com or calling (902) 752-6159. Vendors can contact Kelly McVicar, kmcvicar@prdc.com.
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For more information:
Kelly McVicar
Rural Community Development Officer
(902) 752-6159 x.224
kmcvicar@prdc.com
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January 2010 Newsletter(PDF 160KB)