This article describes various forces that influence the ability of Canadian rural and resourcedependent communities to manage, plan for and respond to future risks and uncertainties resulting from climate change. Taking as a case study the municipality of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal in eastern Ontario, the article illustrates the context in which local decision-making with respect to climate-related risks occurs, and how these decisions are linked to historical development trajectories, interactions with higher levels of government, and macro-level economic structures and processes. The success of future capacity building and planning will be strongly influenced by such factors as improved coordination across different levels of government, the provision of locally geared information about environmental and climate change, economic diversification, and the ability to adjust to and take advantage of rapidly changing demographic patterns in such communities.

Climate change, rural communities, resourcebased communities, adaptation planning, social capital