Time Use in Rural Canada

It's a topic we don't often think about as an independent issue, but time in rural communities is a major contributor to our wellbeing.   The Canadian Index of Wellbeing identifies the time domain as including four main components as time, timing, tempo, and temporality.  How we spend our days in rural communities, when we are able to complete certain tasks, the speed at which we live our lives and how these rhythms work together is important and different than what is experienced in an urban context.  Join us to discuss the differences, challenges, benefits, and strategies with time use  in rural communities.   Read the biographies of our two discussion leaders below.

Kevin Gangel is CEO and Co-Founder of Unstoppable Conversations, which exists to cause leadership for a transformed world.

Unstoppable empowers teams to produce seemingly impossible results, tackling disruptive growth, innovation, culture, leadership, and change in times of pressure and uncertainty. The underlying paradigm that is driving all current challenges and opportunities is surfaced, articulated, and tested against the desired future…only to be found wanting.  Teams then co-create a custom-designed new world view, live and in real-time, to go after something bigger than they ever thought possible. 
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Kevin is the source of Unstoppable being a certified B Corp, a 1% For The Planet Member, and a fierce champion for the environment and for Justice and Equity. He has a passion for organizations that are committed to impacting the UNSDGs, the world’s to-do list, and you can frequently find him at sustainability and social impact conferences.
In addition to extensive training in Ontology, Phenomenology, Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Governance, Kevin is a Certified Mediator and Negotiator. Thanks to this rigorous and comprehensive formal training, he occasionally wins arguments with his teenage children.

Scott MacPherson owns and operates a cow/calf ranch operation. Happily married to his wife Rachel for 21 years with five children ranging in age from 11-20. They run about 400 mother cows and background calves as well.  The operation is a certified organic farm and ranch and has been since 1999.  Scott did not live on a farm but met his wife Rachel at college in 1997 where he attained my red seal in cooking.  After finishing school the pair moved back to her family’s farm to help with their operation which is a legacy operation.  Their family staked their claim in 1909 when land in the west was opened up to development.  Being a certified organic farm/ranch, sustainability and good environmental practices have been key.  

Over the years Scott has sat on many different boards and committees.  Chair of Big Stone community club, member of the Big Stone volunteer fire department, leader in our local 4-H club for four years, various roles on our school parent council including chair and vice chair, director on the Friends of Youngstown School Society, sat on various community enhancement boards and currently a school board trustee with the Prairie Land Public School Division for one and a half years.   Realizing rural areas are fading away he went in to public service with ideas to grow and bring together community revolving around the schools in our communities.  They have started a school of excellence with a 5500 square foot greenhouse being the focal point.  This has enabled connecting community leaders all across the school division into one organization that meet quarterly to share ideas.  Rural sustainability and growth has always been a driving force in everything he does.  

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