Canada’s rural population grew at four times the average pace of the past two decades. Source: Statistics Canada

‘If you look at the Canadian experience, mainly because of a decline in the pulp and paper sector, the annual timber cut has declined by 25 per cent in the last 20 years – but our fire impacts are going up because many of our forests are simply dying,’ says Forest Products Association of Canada CEO Derek Nighbor.

Rural communities are key to Canada's prosperity and high-speed internet access is critical for economic growth