Alberta Rural Development Network

The Rural Development Network (RDN), formerly the Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN), is an Alberta-based organization purposed towards supporting development in rural communities in Canada.^[1]

Rural Development Network

Founded	2009
Focus	Rural communities
Location	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Area served	Rural Canada
Services	Rural development, research, rural homelessness, affordable housing, immigration, agriculture, food security
Members	9
Key people	Dee Ann Benard, Executive Director
Employees	16
Website	ruraldevelopment.ca
Formerly called	Alberta Rural Development Network

Established in 2009, RDN was created as a partnership of Alberta's 21 public post secondary institutions.^[2]

ARDN publishes a newsletter, The RTAB, at least once a month.

History

ARDN began operations in 2009 with a grant from the Rural Alberta Development Fund (RADF)^[3] and in-kind commitments from its post-secondary members.

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]

More recently, ARDN administered the Homelessness Partnering Strategy's Rural and Remote Homelessness funding stream for Alberta.^[9] So far, this has resulted in the funding of seven rural homelessness projects, including projects in Drayton Valley,^[10] Chestermere,^[11] Fort Macleod^[12] and Cochrane.^[13]

Members

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