Rural Life in Canada

Issues Facing Rural Populations

• Depopulation

• Fluctuations in the global price of commodities

The History of Rural Life

• Rural life was the norm in the 19th century

• Rural settlements are very sustainable as long as their needs and wants are modest

• Rural settlements are very expensive to maintain if they expect to have modern infrastructure and social programs

• Much of rural life in Canada today is heavily subsidized in one way or another

Locations of Rural Settlements in Canada

Why Rural Areas Are Good

• Urban economies continue to rely on rural areas for natural resources, food, water, waste management, carbon sequestration, and recreation

• If Canada is to be competitive globally, we need to unlock our vast stock of natural resources

• Many people already live in rural areas

Reasons for Rural Depopulation

• Immigrants don’t come to rural populations due to difficulty integrating

• Distance from healthcare facilities, especially for older people

• Unreliability of services, e.g. mail service, internet, snow removal, school, etc.

• Lack of developed and diversified culture

• Little opportunities aside from core industries

• Just nothing to do! (in some people’s opinions)

This are all serious issues for rural places to contend with

Results of Rural Depopulation

• Depopulation feedback cycle

• The tax base of rural settlements is often too small to support them, meaning they must rely on subsidies

• Depopulation can completely wipe out a rural settlement

• Many rural settlements across the country risk being completely depopulated and abandoned

Economic Risks to Rural Areas

• Precarious rural settlements are further threatened by sudden fluctuations in commodities

• Rural communities are like an undiversified investment portfolio

• Makes planning difficult, makes populations fluctuate

Boom and Bust Cycles

“When the construction industry falters in the USA, we feel the effects on our forest industry;

when their manufacturing sector declines, so does the demand for our metals; and when their

economy shrinks, our energy producing industries face declining demand and revenues. All of

these global changes have direct rural impacts.”

• 75% of Canada’s exports go directly to the USA

“Economic diversification is most frequently suggested as a means to avoid the negative impacts

of boom and bust cycles. This is particularly difficult for rural areas since they are often

dependent on one or two resources – tied to geography and technology.”

Conclusions

• Rural settlements in Canada face two major challenges: depopulation and the swings in commodity prices

• Depopulation is a feedback loop

• Rural communities have all their eggs in one basket, economically speaking

Exit ticket

On a blank piece of paper write down the name of a rural settlement you’ve visited and state the economic and social

challenges it faces.

Based on these challenges, predict what will happen to your settlement in the future.