For Immediate Release
February 28, 2007

STRENGTH FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES

Being the MPP for Haliburton-Victoria-Brock provides me the chance to spend a great deal of time visiting our many wonderful rural communities and residents.

This past week I was pleased to welcome many representatives from those same communities to Toronto for the annual conference of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA.)

ROMA is a great setting for rural representatives to network, debate and explore creative opportunities to address the ongoing challenges facing our communities.

One aspect of which I am always reminded is that there simply is no such thing as a “one size fits all” solution for rural Ontario. In order for communities to thrive, it is vital that the provincial government acknowledge not just the differences between urban and rural communities, but also the differences between rural communities themselves. Our foremost consideration should be the uniqueness of each town and the necessity of providing them the flexibility to properly meet their needs.

I agree that Ontario must be a vibrant province in order for all of us to succeed and grow. But I would add that the very sustainability of our province depends on a stable, healthy and thriving rural Ontario.

It is time to re-think how we approach infrastructure and investment for our rural municipalities. Many of those types of projects are currently funded by Infrastructure Ontario. Funds are often awarded without adequate opportunity for input by local communities. As a result, many are simply overlooked for this much-needed infrastructure investment. Local councillors and representatives have provided me heartbreaking examples of this.

Small communities are not able to plan properly with this type of hit-and-miss funding schemes. The proper way to plan and to ensure that investments fit the need of the community is through the use of agreed upon, long-term contracts. Determining proper need and investment is based on partnership. The type of partnership where all parties can join the discussion and all parties are given the chance to provide input towards a fair, respectable and prioritized agreement.

My time as MPP has not only provided a deeper and more meaningful respect for our communities and way of life, but also a desire to capitalize on the opportunities our rural towns present. Haliburton-Victoria-Brock and its rural communities are the foundation on which this province is based. When it comes to quality of life – rural Ontario is an essential part of the solution.

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