Politicians, industry leaders propose ways to boost prosperity in rural Canada
Thought leaders from across Canada exchanged their perspectives on the rural socio-economic landscape at Wednesday’s discussion on Parliament Hill.
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Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutching spoke at the Recognizing Rural Event.
Parliamentarians and industry leaders discussed a range of challenges for Canada’s small and remote communities - from broadband access and the high cost of living to labour shortages and a lack of public services – and proposed ways to address them in an event hosted by Means & Ways.
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Former Conservative Leader Candice Bergen emceed the event.
Thought leaders from across Canada exchanged their perspectives on the rural socio-economic landscape at Wednesday’s discussion on Parliament Hill.
Participants in the “Recognizing Rural Canada” event agreed that “one-size-fits-all” policies designed primarily with urban Canada in mind often leave rural Canadians behind. The event, which also drew online participants, was presided over by former Conservative leader Candice Bergen.
Federal Minister of Rural Economic Development Gudie Hutchings reminded the audience that one in five Canadians live in rural or remote communities and they contribute 30 per cent of the country’s GDP.
She noted that 2.5 million people work in fishing, farming and forestry and the chief challenge is figuring out how to unlock the “opportunities” in those sectors, as well as in the highly valuable operations of other sectors such as tourism, mining and seafood.
She said rural Canada will have a huge role to play as the world transitions to renewable energy. For example, Atlantic Canada’s abundant wind energy is crucial to the development of green hydrogen, which is in great demand in Europe. Renewable energy will create thousands of jobs in the Atlantic region, she said: “And, as the world races to secure other supplies of critical minerals, it is the small Canadians towns that are going to benefit, because that is where the resources are.”
Dan Mazier, Conservative Shadow Minister of Rural Economic Development, said that when it comes to building a stronger and more prosperous rural Canada, the focus of government is key.
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Dan Mazier, Conservative Shadow Minister of Rural Economic Development, pictured at the Recognizing Rural Event.
“Too often, decisions are made from cities far removed from rural communities. Too often, rural Canada is an afterthought in the minds of politicians here in Ottawa,” he said.
Mazier said rural Canada is the country’s economic bedrock but, to reach its full potential, Canada must unlock abundant resources, including energy and agriculture, for domestic and international consumption.
“And to succeed, rural Canadians aren’t asking for government hand-outs,” he added. “All they want is a government that will get out of the way and allow them to thrive.”
This won’t happen unless Internet connectivity is improved for the millions of rural Canadians that “are left stranded in the digital divide,” Mazier said.
In a keynote address, Forest Products Association of Canada CEO Derek Nighbor stressed how the country’s forestry sector is engaged in addressing many of Canada’s most pressing issues. These include Indigenous reconciliation, climate action and biodiversity, economic growth in rural Canada, safe and affordable housing and forest fires. He said the divide between rural and urban Canada is extremely concerning.
In terms of forest management, the extent of forests burned by wildfires in 2023 was many times more than the land that the forestry sector harvests and manages in a year. This trend needs to be recognized by government and environmentalists, Nighbor said.
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Forest Products Association of Canada CEO Derek Nighbor said the divide between rural and urban Canada is extremely concerning.
Addressing what he described as extreme environmentalists who are against all industrial activity in the forests, he said Canada has experienced a decline in the amount of timber harvested over the last 20 years but “fires are getting worse and worse.” Nighbor urged parliamentarians to remind their colleagues that forestry is a key economic sector and that polling shows that the sector is appreciated by the public.
In a panel discussion narrated by Means & Ways Managing Editor Kathleen Harris, NDP Transport Critic Taylor Bachrach said small communities are struggling with a lack of doctors, public transport and internet access, as well as the impacts of climate change such as drought and forest fires. He said rural people want government intervention to support them.
Liberal MP Francis Drouin, parliamentary secretary to the Agriculture and Agri-food Minister, stressed the need for Canadians in urban areas to pay attention to rural problems. He also noted some small communities are struggling to stop the exodus of young people to cities.
Conservative MP Lianne Rood, Shadow Minister for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Eastern, Central and Southern Ontario, said the federal carbon tax is a hardship for farmers and others living in rural areas with little public transportation. Other challenges, she said, are the high prices of farmland for young farmers and the shortage of housing for seasonal workers.
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Means & Ways managing editor Kathleen Harris moderated a panel discussion titled Putting Rural Canada on the national agenda. Panellists included Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Francis Drouin, Conservative Shadow Minister for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Eastern, Central and Southern Ontario Lianne Rood and NDP Transport Critic Taylor Bachrach.
In a panel discussion hosted by Means & Ways Publisher Theo Argitis on business and investment in rural Canada, Cathy Jo Noble, VP of policy and government relations at the National Cattle Feeders’ Association, said a main challenge in her sector is a chronic labour shortage. This arises from outdated notions of farming and issues around community amenities such as job opportunities, transport and health care.
She said in the livestock industry, foreign workers are vital. She also noted that many urban dwellers moved out to rural areas during COVID, causing increased tensions with farmers over road-sharing, farm odours and other issues.
Robert Ghiz, CEO of the Canadian Telecommunications Association, said his sector is making progress on bringing internet connectivity to all Canadians. But today only 67 per cent of rural Canada is connected to home internet, and among First Nations it’s just 50 per cent.
The cost for continuing expansion of connectivity runs in the multi-billion-dollar range and governments need to help out “where it doesn’t make economic sense.”
Still, he said the federal government goals of 98 per cent home Internet connectivity by 2026 and 100 per cent by 2030 can be reached if there is a government regulatory and policy environment that encourages investment.
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Means & Ways publisher Theo Argitis moderated a panel discussion titled Business and Investment in Rural Canada. Panellists included Cathy Jo Noble, VP of policy and government relations at the National Cattle Feeders’ Association, Robert Ghiz, president and CEO of the Canadian Telecommunications Association and FPAC president Derek Nighbor.
Argitis noted that Means & Ways will be hosting future events to foster dialogue on top issues of the day, including a June 6 discussion around artificial intelligence (AI) policy and its impact on creative industries. Another discussion around rural issues with a focus on Indigenous communities is planned for the fall.
