Abstract
The increasing prevalence of mobile workers who travel long distances to work presents opportunities and challenges for communities in the new political economy of resource-dependent regions. In an era where workers can increasingly choose where they wish to work and live, this paper explores the efforts of two northern communities, in British Columbia, Canada to capture benefits from resource development by attracting and retaining mobile workers and their families. The findings suggest that several complex problems – research, planning, infrastructure investments, housing, education, amenities – must all be addressed in order to facilitate a sense of place attachment in an otherwise mobile world.
Notes
1. Project Comeback was supported through the BC Rural Network, the Fraser Basin Council, HRSDC, and the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism, and Skills Training.