ABSTRACT
The trials and tribulations of infrastructure and service delivery in rural communities are well documented in Canada. Rural communities struggle to maintain the current suite of services in light of policy changes (Halseth and Ryser, 2006; Hanlon and Halseth, 2005; Kulig and Williams, 2012; Ryan-Nicholls, 2004). What if communities had an alternative source of funds to facilitate service delivery? Could these funds compensate for the challenges confronted related to large distances and low densities? Would the chronic challenges of service-withdrawal from the abdication of provincial and federal governments be overcome? How would access to alternative funding change the dynamics of rural sustainability, if at all?
