Monday, December 17th, 2012 @ 2:00PM

Ontario is a rich, diverse province that is larger and more complex than many of the world’s countries. Along with boundless opportunities, our vast province presents us with unique challenges. No matter where Ontarians live, they share identical needs: rewarding employment, safe and healthy communities, and access to good health care and schools.

We must capitalize on the economic opportunities that exist across the province, recognizing that this will often demand a flexible, regional approach. To ensure economic progress that embraces all Ontarians, we must remember that one size never fits all.

Our plan for prosperity in rural Ontario hinges on regional flexibility. For a farm family in Niagara, this might mean greater access to world markets. To a machinist working in a small business outside of Cobourg, it could mean a steady stream of orders from an auto parts plant in Windsor. For guides working in a fishing lodge in northern Ontario, prosperity depends on a healthy tourism industry.

We will identify proven global best practices for local situations in rural Ontario. We will implement them quickly to deliver local results. To achieve this, we present a three-point plan to tap the tremendous potential of rural Ontario.

1: Prioritize Rural Ontario opportunities and challenges with a single access window into government for rural municipalities, rural businesses and farmers.

A single point of access into government will ensure that the unique opportunities, challenges and priorities facing rural Ontario are given the priority they need.

This rural-focused approach will support efforts to:

• Strengthen rural economic development funding programs.
• Expedite the infrastructure needed for economic growth in rural areas.

Create a specialized attraction model for rural communities (with local governments) to encourage more investment.

2: Capitalize on the unique opportunities offered by rural Ontario

Rural jobs strategy: We will develop and implement a rural jobs strategy to build on the economic advantages of rural Ontario – an action plan to maintain and create jobs for rural Ontarians. Innovation happens throughout the province, including rural Ontario. Our rural jobs strategy supports rural Ontario in innovation and helps harness the creativity and advantages of people in rural Ontario. Our jobs strategy will include support and resources for entrepreneurs in rural Ontario to create or improve their businesses, create jobs and attract new investments. We will also work with rural municipalities to be investment ready.

Ontario’s home-grown advantage: We will re-introduce the Local Food Act, and include opportunities to create unique brands for the foods our province produces. Whether it’s Millbank Cheese, Ontario Corn Fed Beef, or any of the hundreds of other uniquely Ontario food products, the bounty of our province’s farms is something we can celebrate and share with the world. We will enhance access to emerging markets (e.g. beef/pork to Asia) to take advantage of global opportunities. There are countless global opportunities we simply must explore.

Exploit agri-food and bioproduct opportunities: The agri-food and bioproducts sector is another area of tremendous potential for rural Ontario. Innovative companies in places like Sarnia and Chatham are building a local bio-economy, replacing some petroleum-based products with bio-based inputs to create new plastics, fuels and chemicals.

We will continue to create domestic and international opportunities for the agri-food industry, one of the two largest manufacturing sectors in the province. This wide-ranging sector (including farmers, input suppliers, researchers, processors, distributors, retailers and consumers) offers rural Ontarians great potential to innovate and enter new global markets.

Develop rural tourism potential: Among its many economic advantages, rural Ontario offers unique natural environments that are increasingly attractive in a crowded world. My government will partner with the tourism industry and rural communities to attract new tourist business to rural Ontario. In our vast province, every region has a unique opportunity to market their locale for new growth and development.

In addition to capitalizing on these identified areas of potential in rural Ontario, we will use the recommendations of the forthcoming Rural Roots strategy – being led by former MPP Lou Rinaldi – as a blueprint for further engagement and better delivery of services.

3: Bring regional flexibility to government policies and priorities

Localized solutions: Achieving broad government goals demands flexible solutions that carefully consider regional needs and conditions. We will ensure that the government applies a rural perspective to challenges across Ontario. This new approach will:

• Apply a rural lens to energy policy.
• Continue the one-third cost match infrastructure programs for rural infrastructure investments.
• Support the recommendations of the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel.
• Build on the success of Open for Business in Agriculture, Agri-food (and beyond) to ensure smart and effective regulation that supports business and protects the public interest.
• Give small towns a share of the gas tax to assist with local transportation issues.

Image: NapaneeGal

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Categories: Rural Ontario, The Plan Forward