A newly released report from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) highlights the significant contribution rural communities make to the national economy and some of the challenges facing those same communities.
The Rural Challenges National Opportunity report was released at the recent FCM conference in Nova Scotia.
Al Kemmere is a Mountain View County councillor and the president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA). He attended the conference on behalf of the RMA.
“When it comes to providing the infrastructure necessary to support a strong economy and high quality of life here in rural Alberta, we’re faced with two key problems that small communities across the country also encounter,” said Kemmere.
“We have the challenge of serving a spread out population coupled with the fiscal and administrative limits we bump into that larger communities don’t.”
The report’s authors encourage the federal government to take action to support rural communities.
Key recommendations include having the federal government consider rural communities when formulating and adopting policies and programs, and committing longterm resources to expanding broadband Internet access to remote communities.
“This report tells the story of the significant contribution rural municipalities make to the nation’s economy, but it also highlights the fiscal squeeze they face due to low population densities and the exodus of younger generations,” said Kemmere.
“As a key driver of economic growth, we know that investing in rural Canada means building a better country for everyone.”
According to the report, more than four million Canadians are now employed in rural communities, generating 27 per cent of the nation’s GDP.
The population of youth age 15 to 19 in rural Canada declined by 10 per cent between 2011 and 2016.
While rural populations continue to age, with the number of potential retirees increasing from 1,015,940 to 1,701,549, the number of potential workers decreased from 1,475,220 to 1,131,830 between 2001 and 2016.
“Rural municipal leaders are working hard to address this demographic shift,” the report states. “They recognize that strategies to promote economic development require new approaches to attract people to rural communities.
“To secure the talent and skills needed to generate local economic growth, these communities must attract and retain new residents, including young people, immigrants and Indigenous people.”
Continuing to provide essential community services such as libraries, public transit, childcare, recreational facilities and affordable housing is also a must, the report states.
Regarding rural Internet, the report states that it is “crucial to doing business and running local public services. In rural Alberta, municipalities say they local physicians have difficulty accessing health records and electronic data due to unreliable broadband at hospitals, clinics and patients’ homes.”
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has represents more than 90 per cent of the Canadian population.
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta Association represents 69 communities, including Mountain View County.
