DIVERSITY IS A REALITY,  INCLUSION IS A CHOICE 

It is time to build better – municipalities supporting arts & culture

As the populations of rural Ontario municipalities increase, the fabric of these communities is diversifying. 

Recognizing our diversity is our new reality.

Our rural municipalities cannot meet the demand for services on our communities without the innovation of long standing provincial and federal funding systems to become inclusive and sustainable.

Investment in the arts is part of the solution towards innovation as the arts have always provided a diversified field of vision and it is this vison that will support governmental strategies for meaningful change.

A “rural lens” needs to be added when eligibility criteria is being developed for all provincial and federal funding streams.

“Rural Canada is extremely diverse in terms of population size, density and degree of remoteness or proximity to urban centres.  For example, a rural township of 11,000 in the Greater Toronto Area and a large municipal district of 13,000 in northern Alberta experience very different lifestyles, opportunities and challenges. Therefore, narrow definitions or a “one-size-fits-all” approach to rural policy will not work. Solutions to rural problems must reflect rural Canada’s diversity. 

Municipalities shoulder 60 per cent of Canada’s public infrastructure, with access to just eight–10 cents of each tax dollar. This fuels a f fiscal squeeze that peaks in rural communities with lower ratepayer densities and continuing youth out-migration. Local governments have a strong track record of delivering remarkable, innovative and cost-effective solutions to local needs.” 

— Federation of Canadian Municipalities: Rural challenges, national opportunity 

Our rural communities are already diverse and can easily meet the demand for increased diversity if the federal government works to equip rural Ontario with the transformative funding supports that are adaptable to rural needs.