Challenges of community development corporations in Rural Manitoba, The

Community Development Corporations (CDCs), as part of a series of Manitoba government initiatives to develop rural areas through economic development, have acted as vehicles of change within their communities to create solutions. This thesis was undertaken to learn about this rural development effort. The research identified the active CDCs within Manitoba, determined factors that can limit their ability to operate, and identified the activities and functions in which CDCs are engaged. This study provides information on the current conditions and challenges that CDCs encounter. The data was collected through a two-phase method where all municipalities within the Province of Manitoba were asked to identify whether they were associated with a CDC. Once that information was obtained, the principal data collection instrument was utilized to collect detailed information about these organizations. One of the main findings was that the number of active CDCs has decreased over the past decade. The retention and funding of staff is a concern shared with other CDCs across North America. The lack of diversified funding sources was also identified as a key issue. Another theme concerned the operational challenges that are created in light of limited increases in funding. The findings indicated that CDCs undertake a wide range of functions and activities that need to be recognized. The Community Works Loan Program was also examined to assess the success and believed capacity of organizations to manage such a program. This knowledge is valuable for policy and decision makers when determining how they wish to utilize the rural development tool that was created.Includes bibliographical references (pages 102-105)."In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Rural Development.