Expenditure Estimates for the Ministry of Rural Affairs (2025–26)
Summary
The Ministry of Rural Affairs (MRA) serves the needs of rural Ontario by supporting and helping build rural communities that are sustainable, resilient, trusted, innovative and thriving. Ministry programs and activities strengthen Ontario, its places and its people in rural communities, support and create good jobs, attract investment, and contribute to Ontario's overall well-being and economic growth. To achieve this, MRA:
- Supports rural communities through delivery of economic development programs, tools and training that help expand local business growth, stimulate investment and re-investment in traditional downtown districts, and identify strategies to welcome newcomers as residents and workers to enhance economic growth.
- Supports rural communities in diversifying and growing their local economies by providing access to economic data, fostering the adoption of economic development best practices, encouraging regional partnerships and providing cost-share funding to address economic barriers.
- Provides a rural policy lens for decision-makers across government and leads the development of rural economic policy, has oversight for the province’s Rural Economic Development Strategy and the Rural Ontario Development (ROD) program, to help rural communities take advantage of opportunities and help overcome economic barriers.
- Works with ministry partners to increase competitiveness, productivity and profitability and expand domestic and international markets through accessible tools, educational events, trade missions and market access advocacy, demonstrations, publications, and other services.
Ministry program summary
| Vote | Program | Estimates 2025-26 $ | Estimates 2024-25 $ | Difference between 2025-26 and 2024-25 $ | Actual 2023-24 $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5001 | Rural Affairs Program | 19,269,400 | 7,500,900 | 11,768,500 | 6,057,822 |
| Total operating expense to be voted | 19,269,400 | 7,500,900 | 11,768,500 | 6,057,822 | |
| Statutory appropriations | 65,014 | - | 65,014 | - | |
| Ministry total operating expense | 19,334,414 | 7,500,900 | 11,833,514 | 6,057,822 |
| Vote | Program | Estimates 2025-26 $ | Estimates 2024-25 $ | Difference between 2025-26 and 2024-25 $ | Actual 2023-24 $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5001 | Rural Affairs Program | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - |
| Total capital expense to be voted | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - | |
| Ministry total capital expense | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - | |
| Ministry total operating and capital including consolidation and other adjustments (not including assets) | 19,335,414 | 7,500,900 | 11,834,514 | 6,057,822 |
Reconciliation to previously published data
| Operating expense | Estimates 2024–25 $ | Actual 2023–24 $ |
|---|---|---|
| Total operating expense previously published | - | - |
| Government reorganization | ||
Transfer of functions from other ministries | 7,500,900 | 6,057,822 |
| Restated total operating expense | 7,500,900 | 6,057,822 |
Rural Affairs Program — Vote 5001
The objective of this program is to deliver a modernized Rural Ontario Development (ROD) program , which helps rural and Indigenous communities remove barriers to economic development, attract investment, create, retain, fill jobs and enhance economic growth. The ROD supports rural Ontario in addressing new challenges and taking advantage of new opportunities to grow in the areas of economic development and community infrastructure, workforce and employment, housing and investment in community facilities, economic development and innovation, sharing success stories and building capacity and resiliency. The ROD also creates a platform where communities can share success stories, fostering growth and innovation in areas where progress may have previously stalled for others.
The ministry leads the development of policies and programs for rural communities, ensures that rural interests are considered in policies and programs across government, and promotes economic growth and opportunities to support a high quality of life for residents.
Initiatives within this area support, facilitate, and strengthen rural Ontario communities by:
- providing cost-share funding to support activities that create strong rural communities in Ontario, and opens doors to rural economic development;
- delivering and managing strategic investment programs to support economic infrastructure improvements and economic development in rural Ontario.
- developing evidence-based policy and providing policy analysis and advice using long-term economic and sector forecasting for a range of subject areas.
- identifying emerging rural issues and opportunities to develop appropriate policy and program responses. This includes value chain sector strategies and rural community support programs, attract and retain rural businesses and support economic viability;
- providing a rural lens and policy support to other ministries at the provincial and federal levels in areas that affect the ministry’s mandate.
- identifying risks and addressing challenges or barriers faced by the sector, and supporting opportunities to maximize competitiveness, resilience, and growth.
Vote summary
| Item number | Item | Estimates 2025-26 $ | Estimates 2024-25 $ | Difference between 2025-26 and 2024-25 $ | Actual 2023-24 $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rural Affairs Program | 19,269,400 | 7,500,900 | 11,768,500 | 6,057,822 |
| Total operating expense to be voted | 19,269,400 | 7,500,900 | 11,768,500 | 6,057,822 | |
| S | Minister's Salary, the Executive Council Act | 47,841 | - | 47,841 | - |
| S | Parliamentary Assistant's Salary, the Executive Council Act | 16,173 | - | 16,173 | - |
| S | Bad Debt expense, the Financial Administration Act | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - |
| Total statutory appropriations | 65,014 | - | 65,014 | - | |
| Total operating expense | 19,334,414 | 7,500,900 | 11,833,514 | 6,057,822 |
| Item number | Item | Estimates 2025-26 $ | Estimates 2024-25 $ | Difference between 2025-26 and 2024-25 $ | Actual 2023-24 $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Rural Affairs Program | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - |
| Total capital expense to be voted | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - | |
| Total capital expense | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - |
Standard account by item and sub-items
| Vote- item number | Standard account by item and sub-items | Amount $ |
|---|---|---|
| 5001-1 | Rural Affairs Program | |
Salaries and wages | 5,648,000 | |
Employee benefits | 827,800 | |
Transportation and communication | 137,300 | |
Services | 2,564,700 | |
Supplies and equipment | 91,600 | |
Transfer payments | ||
Rural Ontario Development Program | 10,000,000 | |
| Total operating expense to be voted | 19,269,400 | |
| Statutory appropriations | ||
| Statutory | Minister's Salary, the Executive Council Act | 47,841 |
| Statutory | Parliamentary Assistant's Salary, the Executive Council Act | 16,173 |
| Statutory appropriations | ||
Other transactions | ||
| Statutory | Bad Debt expense, the Financial Administration Act | 1,000 |
| Total operating expense for Rural Affairs Program | 19,334,414 |
| Vote- item number | Standard account by item and sub-items | Amount $ |
|---|---|---|
| 5001-3 | Rural Affairs Program | |
Other transactions | 1,000 | |
| Total capital expense to be voted | 1,000 | |
| Total capital expense for Rural Affairs Program | 1,000 |
Footnotes
- footnote[1] Back to paragraph Total operating expense includes statutory appropriations, special warrants and total operating expense to be voted.