Alberta Rural Development Network

As stated on their website, "RDN supports the sustainability of rural communities. We work with communities to amplify the "rural voice". We collaborate to identify and bring focus to rural issues, build local capacity, and find innovative, rural-based solutions to unique issues."[2]

RDN focuses on four core principles to build community capacity:

1. Research
2. Education
3. Collaboration
4. Networking

According to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology, "The Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) has played a key role in helping communities across rural Alberta to flourish and thrive by strengthening links between Campus Alberta institutions, industry and community-based organizations."[3]

The Alberta Rural Development Network originated in Alberta, and was intended to be a partnership of Alberta’s 21 public post secondary institutions. With the support of these institutions and the dedication of rural communities in Alberta, ARDN has evolved and grown over the past 11 years, developing and delivering a wide range of projects, resources, and capacity building services. Since its inception, ARDN has worked with several of Alberta's colleges, universities and organizations on projects, including Lakeland College and Portage College on a Regional Innovation Network in East Central Alberta,[4] Mount Royal University on a Business Retention & Expansion Symposium,[5] the Alberta Academy of Art and Design on the Company of Albertans,[6] Pastor Tim Wray on the Young Adult Photovoice Project,[7] and Lethbridge College on Social in the South.[8]

With this evolution came an increased need to make the organization’s services and resources accessible to all rural communities. In 2020, the organization announced the shift from a provincial focus to a national scope by renaming into the Rural Development Network.

In recent years, the organization’s efforts to support and bolster rural sustainability in Alberta unearthed many similarities amongst communities across rural Canada. The RDN continued to delve into the issues, problems, and many successes of an increasing number of rural communities. With continuous engagement and learning, the organization has been able to create and provide open-source resources, provincial and national collaborative networks, and accessible services with a rural-based approach.  

According to their website: “Our focus will not be shifting away from our Albertan roots, but is rather expanding to allow changemakers across rural Canada to more easily interact with us and utilize our resources. We will continue to build upon and support the amazing work being done by other organizations across Canada, with the aim of filling in the gaps and not creating duplication.”[9]

The RDN currently administers rural and remote funding stream for Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy.[10] So far, this has resulted in the funding of twelve housing and homelessness projects over four years.:[11]

• Foothills Centre (Fort Macleod): $459,106 to operate five transitional beds for people who have completed the detox program and are waiting for in-patient treatment.
• Slave Lake Native Friendship Centre (Slave Lake): $300,862 to operate a seasonal emergency shelter mat program for homeless people in the area.
• Fort Macleod & District FCSS (Fort Macleod): $387,772 for community projects to help connect people struggling with instability with housing services.
• Municipal District of Greenview FCSS (MD Greenview): $225,840 for the region to develop supports for individuals including running a personalized success plan to get out of homelessness.
• Mountain Rose Women Shelter Association (Rocky Mountain House): $404,805 to launch a multi-year strategy to transition homeless and at-risk people into stable housing.
• Vulcan Regional Food Bank Society (Vulcan): $454,547 for a Housing First strategy for the community, including initiating short- and long-term supports in the Vulcan area.
• Camrose Open Door Association (Camrose area): $204,300 for supporting a rural outreach worker to connect with at-risk youth between the ages of 11 and 24.
• Hinton Adult Learning Society (Hinton): $290,052 for an overnight mat program, as well as supporting a resource room for homeless people that includes showers, computer access, food, clothing and a support worker.
• YWCA Banff (Banff and Bow Valley region): $359,450 for housing supports and case management.
• Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 (Central northern Alberta region): $22,500 for a homeless count and housing needs assessment.
• Lakeland Centre for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (Cold Lake): $337,500 for programming for FASD clients who are at risk of homelessness.
• Strathmore Overnight Shelter (Strathmore): $256,000 for renovation costs to the shelter and a full-time staff worker.

• Athabasca University
• Grande Prairie Regional College
• Keyano College
• Lethbridge College
• Medicine Hat College
• Northern Lakes College
• Portage College
• University of Calgary
• University of Lethbridge

ARDN publishes a bi-weekly newsletter, The Rural Connector.[12]

• RDN website