PRINCE ALBERT, Sask., – The federal government wants rural people’s suggestions on rural development issues, but many want to know the government’s opinion of rural.
The House of Commons standing committee on natural resources and rural development made a stop in Prince Albert at the end of October to hear from rural development officers, farm, business and community leaders and native groups.
“We are hearing that decisions on training, education and rural development are best made at the local level … rather than by a bureaucrat in Ottawa. Each area is unique,” said Liberal MP Andy Mitchell, chair of the panel hearings.
Read Also
VIDEO: Agritechnica Day 4: Robots and more robots, Nexat loves Canada and the trouble with tariffs
Agritechnica Day 4: Robots and more robots, Nexat loves Canada and the trouble with tariffs.
“Just what is rural? Is rural Ontario rural? By our standards in Western Canada that is urban. Swift Current (Sask.) is rural by federal standards but very urban by ours. One prescription for funding and development will not fit across the country,” said Neil Ketilson of Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, in an interview following his presentation.
The contributors to the panel of MPs targeted duplication of services as an area they find especially frustrating.
“Every government department at all levels has at least a small portion of its mandate for rural development. We need to concentrate these efforts and dollars into one department so that everyone involved is focused on the issue,” said Linda Pipke, from the Saskatchewan Council for Community Development.
Single goal needed
“Instead of cutting government services we should be cutting duplication of existing services and channeling the money into a single window system of rural development. We all have to buy into a single goal and a goal that cannot be shifted at the whim of government for politics sake,” said Mitch Ozeroff, a Langham, Sask., farmer.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture agreed with Ozeroff and other participants attending the Prince Albert hearing. In the Ottawa version of the hearings the farm group suggested all issues of natural resources be placed under a single minister and that a single secretariat for rural issues be created within that department.
Presenters told the panel that conflicting messages in rural development have interfered with successful transitions from export only economies. Agriculture Canada was criticized for encouraging a “bigger is better mentality” in farming which has depressed rural business growth and helped consolidate communities to larger centres.
Social services departments were also blamed for being inflexible and too focussed on preventing abuse of the system rather than performing the task of aiding the “rural underemployed” by providing support while they attempt to receive training or start small businesses.
