NISKU, AB, July 2 - Rural representatives from across Canada will gather in Edmonton, Alta., from July 5 to 8 to discuss the many challenges facing rural communities at the "Rural Matters!" national symposium.

The meeting at the Shaw Conference Centre is being hosted by the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts & Counties (AAMDC), which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The AAMDC has partnered with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and rural organizations across Canada to develop an engaging program of national relevance.

Keynote speakers include: Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Arctic climate change activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee; Senator Joyce Fairbairn, chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry; Mike Harcourt, former Premier of British Columbia; Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band; Rex Murphy, broadcaster and writer; Dr. Patrick Moore, founding member and former president of Greenpeace; and Dr. Mark Partridge, lead investigator on an Infrastructure Canada grant examining rural-urban interactions.

For conference details, visit the website at www.ruralmatters.ca


For further information: Gerald Rhodes, AAMDC, (780) 893-3783