Sense of Community in the City\u27s Countryside: The Examination of Miner\u27s Bluff Rural Neighbourhood in Monte Creek, BC

A positive sense of place is an important part of a healthy community; however, this sense of place may be impacted by rapid changes in land use and population that are occurring in rural-urban fringe communities. This research intends to enhance understandings of the sense of community found throughout the rural-urban fringe, where differences in attitudes are known to exist. A case study is employed, focusing on the rural neighbourhood of Miner’s Bluff Road, located near Kamloops, B.C.. The methods involve a literature review, historical research, and in-depth qualitative analyses of interview information. The interviews—to be undertaken in February and March 2016—focus on demographic information, land use, sense of place, and the history of interviewees within the neighbourhood, which will help to develop a greater understanding of place identity and sense of community along Miner’s Bluff Road. Based on anecdotal information and existing literature, residents’ sense of place should vary, as a result of differing values, attitudes and behaviours in the local environment. These differences may also impact their identity with the local neighbourhood, leaving room for tensions to rise. In conclusion, the dynamic relationships among rural residents, the local landscape, and their relationships with the greater Kamloops community influences the collective sense of direction that the neighbourhood is heading, as it becomes more dependent on the greater city of Kamloops