Call to Action: Advocate for Rural Ontario’s Future

January 16, 2026

Canada’s shared prosperity is closely tied to the strength, resilience, and long-term sustainability of its rural communities. While the challenges facing rural regions are well documented, the real opportunity lies in turning strategy into action—and that moment is now. Your voice matters.

On December 15, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development), announced the launch of a national public consultation to help shape a new Rural Development Action Plan for Canada. This process gives rural communities, organizations, and partners a direct opportunity to influence federal policy, funding approaches, and how programs are designed and delivered.

The Action Plan is intended to:

• Make federal initiatives more inclusive of rural people and communities

• Improve program design and delivery so they reflect rural realities

• Strengthen engagement and collaboration with rural stakeholders

The consultation is open from December 15, 2025, to February 6, 2026.

You can access the consultation here:

https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2025/12/canada-launches-public-consultation-to-develop-action-plan-for-rural-communities.html

At the same time, FedDev Ontario announced a 15% funding reduction for the 37 Community Futures offices serving Southern Ontario, with contracts renewed for just one year. In contrast, FedDev also announced an investment of more than $6 million in downtown Toronto. This disparity underscores the growing imbalance between urban and rural investment and highlights why strong, coordinated rural advocacy is more important than ever.

This consultation is a chance to collectively push for:

• Sustainable, predictable long-term funding for rural service delivery

• Fair and balanced regional investment across Ontario and Canada

• Policies that recognize the economic, workforce, and community contributions of rural regions

We strongly encourage you to take part in the consultation and share your perspectives, data, and lived experience. Your input will help ensure that rural Ontario’s priorities are clearly heard and meaningfully reflected in future federal decisions.

Together, we can help shape a stronger, more inclusive future for rural communities.

Thank you for your leadership and continued commitment.