Canadian Rural Partnership
Rural Dialogue
Town Hall Meeting Report



"Building strong urban and rural communities"

Steinbach, Manitoba
March 28, 2003

Publication 2175/E
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2003
Cat. No. A22-305/2003E-IN
ISBN 0-662-34049-3

A successful nation is one that is built upon both a strong rural and urban Canada. The Government of Canada is committed to working with Canadians, organizations and other levels of government to ensure the long-term sustainability of our rural and urban communities. Our success will ensure that our youth will see rural Canada as a place of opportunity, where they can have access to a high quality of life and have a future for themselves and their families.

I recently had the pleasure of hosting the town hall meeting entitled "Building strong urban and rural communities" on March 28, 2003 in Steinbach, Manitoba. This was the last of a series of five town hall meetings which were held across the country in 2002-2003.

The event provided a forum for local and regional community leaders and members to discuss how rural and urban Canadians can work together to build a better quality of life. The meeting featured a question and answer session in which participants had a chance to discuss the challenges they face and future opportunities for their communities.

A common theme throughout the meeting was the need to build trust between cities and surrounding rural areas. It was pointed out that the way to build trust is to build understanding and awareness between urban and rural communities. Partnerships were cited as an excellent means of creating recognition and awareness, and it was said that there is tremendous opportunity for rural and urban to partner in tourism, the world's biggest industry.

The themes and issues discussed at the Manitoba town hall are consistent with those heard through the Rural Dialogue initiative. Since its launch in 1998, several Rural Dialogue activities involving over 15,000 citizens from rural, remote and northern regions have been held across the country. These activities provide a forum for communities to identify their goals and assets, as well as help the Government of Canada understand and react to local and regional issues.

Our rural and urban communities share many common priorities and can together create unique and innovative solutions to address issues that are important to them. The Government of Canada is committed to providing the necessary tools that will allow citizens to build strong and vibrant communities.

Andy Mitchell
Secretary of State (Rural Development)
Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario)

1. FOREWORD

This report is a summary of discussions that took place at the town hall meeting entitled "Building strong urban and rural communities" held in Steinbach, Manitoba, on March 28, 2003. Following brief presentations by panellists and the Secretary of State for Rural Development, the Honourable Andy Mitchell, participants were invited to share their comments and questions. The report also includes comments provided by participants on the town hall's evaluation forms. In order to present a true report of the free-ranging discussions, recommendations made by participants that fall outside federal jurisdiction are also included. Views expressed by participants do not necessarily represent those of the Government of Canada. The report also provides selected examples of existing Government of Canada initiatives that address some aspects of the issues raised.

2. INTRODUCTION

The Manitoba town hall meeting was part of the Rural Dialogue, an ongoing, two-way discussion between the Government of Canada and Canadians from rural, remote and northern regions. Launched in 1998, the Rural Dialogue is a key citizen-engagement component of the Canadian Rural Partnership Initiative. The Dialogue process helps the Government of Canada to understand local and regional priorities, and provides rural, remote and northern citizens with an opportunity to influence Government of Canada policies, programs and services that affect them. The town hall meeting was designed to continue this dialogue and expand it to include citizens from urban communities. The objective was to increase the understanding of (1) the contributions of urban communities to rural; (2) the contributions of rural communities to urban; and (3) the collaborations between rural and urban communities.

The town hall meeting in Manitoba stemmed from the commitment made by the Honourable Andy Mitchell, Secretary of State (Rural Development) (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario), to host a series of five town hall events across Canada in 2002-2003 to identify common priorities for urban and rural communities, and to discuss opportunities for collaboration on community development.

The town hall brought together rural, urban and northern citizens and stakeholders, members of community organizations from the Steinbach and Winnipeg area, and municipal, provincial and Government of Canada representatives to share their views on the quality of life in their communities. The event was sponsored by the Rural Secretariat and Rural Team-Manitoba, which includes representatives from several federal departments and provincial ministries.

The event was moderated by Rolland Marcoux, co-founder of Marcoux Hince Consultants (MHC), and included presentations by the Honourable Andy Mitchell; Les Magnusson, Mayor of Steinbach; David Angus, President of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce; and Carl Cunningham, a rural development practitioner from Nesbitt, Manitoba. In his opening remarks, the Secretary of State emphasized the importance of the interconnections and interdependencies between rural and urban communities and the need for dialogue between the two types of communities. "I believe that if Canada is to be a successful nation, then both of its component parts - urban and rural - need to be strong." The Mayor of Steinbach spoke on the success of south-eastern Manitoba as being one of the fastest growing regions in Manitoba. He credited its success to the diversification of the agriculture sector and of urban and rural communities working together. David Angus urged rural and urban communities to work together as regions. "The perimeter is not a barrier, it's a bridge that we have to use as a foundation to develop a regional approach." He stated that it is important that elements and resources that exist in urban centres are leveraged in rural communities and looked upon as strengths and are a part of the rural/urban strategies (e.g., learning institutions, the economy, transportation, infrastructure, etc.). Carl Cunningham expressed the need to recognize that a significant portion of the economic activity in rural communities is generated by the food, energy, minerals and lumber sectors, which are produced in rural areas and supplied to urban areas. "Urban areas rely on the rural areas for essential contributions to Canadian livelihood, for example the stewardship of the air, water and land."

3. COMMON RURAL AND URBAN ISSUES LINKED TO THE RURAL PRIORITY AREAS

The Manitoba town hall attracted a total of 82 participants coming from rural and northern areas (70%) as well as urban (30%) areas. Many participants took the opportunity to ask questions, share suggestions, and provide input and comments regarding the quality of life in their communities.

Topics raised at the town hall meeting are consistent with several of the 11 priority areas identified by rural Canadians through the Rural Dialogue and outlined in the Federal Framework for Action in Rural Canada. The following is a summary of the discussions related to the priority areas and selected examples of government initiatives that currently address some aspects of the issues raised. These examples are boxed to set them apart from the information shared at the town hall meeting.

(A) Access to Government of Canada programs and services

• Acknowledge that citizens living in northern rural communities feel a disconnect with other parts of Manitoba. They would like to be more involved in opportunities like the Manitoba town hall event and have increased access to government programs and services.
• Programs developed should apply equally to urban, rural and northern areas, and thus, contribute to improving the relationship between those areas.
• Urban and rural communities may have consensus on development objectives, but programs should be developed and implemented in a way that recognizes different approaches.
• Programs should be delivered at the local level instead of regionally.
• A more collaborative process when approaching the Government of Canada for funding is required.
• Internet access and Community Futures Development Corporations are examples of tools that communities can use.
• It was expressed that all Canadian citizens have the right to access post offices regardless of whether or not they are profitable, especially in rural communities. The Government of Canada should maintain its moratorium on the closure of rural postal offices and ensure that it is adhered to by the Canada Post Corporation.

(B) Opportunities, programs and services for youth

• Equal access to transportation among urban and rural youth is needed. Recognize that the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program can create barriers for rural youth.
• It was noted that youth's talent and skills are under-utilized. Ways to encourage or assist the establishment of businesses that could employ youth should be explored.
• Youth, as leaders of today - not just tomorrow, should be engaged in public policy-making.
• Greater efforts to find solutions that address the "out-migration" of youth in rural areas are required.
• Youth interested in becoming self-employed should be encouraged and helped to establish businesses.

(C) Community capacity-building, leadership and skills development

• Tools and resources should be provided to communities to assist them in developing their own solutions. Existing tools and resources include: the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program; investments in municipal infrastructure; and Community Futures Development Corporations who provide access to capital.
• Community capacity-building and leadership should be part of the communities' and governments' mandates.

(D) Infrastructure for community development

• It was noted that Winnipeg, as a transportation "hub" through its airport, rail and trucking systems, is an inlet for rural communities to access affordable goods. Thus, such a transportation hub is very important to a region in the provision of goods.
• Infrastructure, and the ability to leverage resources to properly plan for roads and highways, sewers and pipes, electricity and transportation are all assets that urban centres offer rural areas and that need to be shared with surrounding areas.

(E) Knowledge-based economy/society and use of the technology

• Rural communities should be provided with much needed cellular phone services.
• Citizens living in smaller rural communities are spending much more time with information technology than those living in urban communities due to dial-up speed connections, etc.
• Recognize that providing high-speed broadband in rural communities gives access to healthcare, education and life-long learning, and also contributes to nurturing a competitive business environment.
• It was suggested that the government's approach should be to enhance and add to private-sector investment. For example, investment revenues could be collected from a number of interested rural communities, and the government could make up the difference between the private sector's investment and the actual capital cost to provide high-speed broadband.
• Acknowledge that electronic e-learning is the way of the future and it will provide many opportunities as technology capabilities increases to its full potential throughout Manitoba.

(F) Strengthen economic diversification

• Recognize that many people leave their communities for economic reasons, but return as more opportunities become available to work from their home.
• In order to keep the amount of taxes raised greater than the amount invested in Winnipeg, a dynamic and growing economy is needed.
• Acknowledge that the ability to develop world-class arts and culture attractions, which other communities can then leverage, is very important to a community.
• There is a concern that the Government of Canada's Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) will reduce the number of farmers and that these farmers would move to an urban area.

(G) Access to education

• Education is fundamental as a priority. Government help is required to increase educational opportunities for citizens in rural Manitoba.
• Recognize that over 50 percent of the students enrolled in the distance education programs are from Winnipeg. It was noted that the distance education option is one that is good and it is predominantly scheduling and convenience that attracts young people to it.
• The future workforce and ability to compete globally is largely tied to the quality of education offered in post-secondary institutions. Recognize that universities that are weak within urban centres have a negative impact on how the province is viewed internationally.
• Rural youth who move to urban centres for post-secondary education have additional expenses (e.g. living and tuition).
• Partnership opportunities that could make greater use of educational facilities (e.g., cooperative education, work placement) may be available within rural communities and should be explored.
• The social aspects of education and the ability for youth from rural communities to be able to participate in post-secondary institutions were identified as being very important. It was mentioned that the best learning is when individuals can come together as groups and learn with their peers.
• Some educational opportunities for citizens in rural communities exist. For example, the Red River Community College has four campuses located in Steinbach, Winkler, Portage la Prairie and Gimli, and similarly, the Assiniboine Community College has regional campuses in Dauphin, Swan River, Russell and Neepawa.
• Cooperative programs should incorporate education into communities. It was noted that a cooperative system of part-time in the community and part-time in the classroom would be quite advantageous.

(H) Partnerships for community development

• Within the province, 80% of economic activity is in one major urban centre. Rural communities should take advantage of the economic opportunities that are offered by urban centres and develop specific economic strategies.
• As a result of the active trading activities in Winnipeg, the city has become more globally recognized and should leverage this opportunity to attract tourism.
• Tourism is important to both rural and urban, therefore more collaboration efforts are needed to support each other.
• Recognize that the rural/urban divide can result in a lack of growth which is harmful to a region.
• Trust between cities and surrounding rural areas should be built.
• It is important that collaboration between urban and rural communities exist and that both types of communities develop respective structures in order to reach common goals such as: having a successful economy, a future for our youth, a good education system, and a good health system.
• In order to have accomplishments, there needs to be more effective communication between local politicians and local citizens.
• Organizations should include economic development in their mandate.
• Partners should also be approached on a level playing field. Partnerships are only successful when each party brings the same amount of benefit to the partnership. It forces an understanding of the strengths of such partnerships and encourages people to work hard to create new partnerships.

(I) Promote rural Canada

• More ways to educate people of the attractions in rural and northern Manitoba (i.e., Discover Manitoba) should be explored.
• Because the dynamics of the rural population is changing every day, an ongoing dialogue that develops a common understanding between urban and rural communities is needed.

4. CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS

The unique demographic and geographic nature of Manitoba (one large urban centre) was a determining influence in the Dialogue. Many participants commented on the difficulty in raising the profile of rural and northern issues in public policy and program discussions. They were very interested in identifying the common areas of interest that would begin to bridge the rural/ urban divide. Many participants appreciated the fact that the town hall was held in a small urban centre close to the city of Winnipeg where these issues could be identified and communicated to the Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba.

Participants expressed that while it is important for government departments to break down barriers to better support rural communities, the "boundaries" around rural communities and rural organizations should be eliminated as well. They also indicated that rural is not a vertical component of government but rather a horizontal one across all areas of government.

This last town hall meeting in a series of five was an important step in the discussion between urban and rural citizens on their quality of life and on related issues. An analysis of priorities shared by rural and urban communities and strategies for collaboration suggested by participants who took part in the town hall series will be prepared and will be available on the rural Web site: www.rural.gc.ca.

To obtain printed copies of town hall reports or for further information on the Rural Dialogue, please call 1-888-781-2222 (toll-free number).

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