Inter-Community Cooperation in the Micro-Region: A Saskatchewan Perspective on Rural Development

The application of the concept "inter-community cooperation" in rural development in Saskatchewan, Canada is explored. It is argued that there is an emergence of a new geographic unit of development which is referred to as the "micro-region." The micro-region represents the growing inter-dependence among neighboring, small urban-centered communities in optimizing rural development. Selected references to inter-community cooperation experience in the larger "macro-region" (province or multi-province area) are reviewed. It is concluded that emphasis on the macro-region is giving way to the smaller micro-region. Selected topics on the application of intercommunity cooperation in micro-regions are discussed, including some ground rules of application, circumstances that foster cooperation, harriers to cooperation, benefits from cooperation, and risks/costs of cooperation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the recent experiences in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, in applying inter-community cooperation as a concept in rural development. For purposes of this discussion, "inter-community cooperation" may be defined as "the presence of deliberate relations between otherwise autonomous communities for the joint accomplishment of individual operating goals" (Schermerhorn, 1975:847). The concept is treated in this paper as being largely synonymous with "inter-municipal" and "inter-organizational" cooperation.