Overview

Every two years, we bring together community, business and government leaders to discuss key issues in rural Ontario – economic and community development, job creation and more.

The one-day event includes workshops and panel discussions, as well as learning and networking opportunities. After each summit, we summarize the highlights in a report that you can use to get an in-depth understanding of the discussions and key insights from the day.

2018 summit

Building a stronger rural Ontario

The 2018 rural Ontario summit took place on February 15, 2018 in Newcastle, Ontario.

Highlights

  • speakers specializing in rural economic development – hear from rural Ontario leaders, employers, business and community organizations on the challenges, opportunities and success stories of rural economic development
  • discussions about opportunities to build a stronger rural Ontario
  • Rural Ontario Leaders Awards announcement

We summarized the 2018 Rural Ontario Summit in a report:

Read: 2018 Rural Ontario Summit - Building a Stronger Rural Ontario

Rural Ontario Leaders Awards

We created the Rural Ontario Leaders Awards in 2017 to recognize the contributions of rural Ontario to the provincial economy, and to celebrate the leadership that makes rural Ontario a great place to live, work and play.

The winners of the first Rural Ontario Leaders Awards were as follows:

  • Dr. Gezahgn Wordofa  - Individual award winner
  • Grant Sparling - Individual - Youth award winner
  • Eabametoong First Nation  - Community award winner
  • Freshwater Cuisine - Business award winner
  • The HUB (operated by the non-profit organization, New Vision Unlimited) - Not-for-profit/non-government organization award winner

Learn more about the winners of the Rural Ontario Leaders Awards

2016 summit

Building the future

The summit took place in Stratford, Ontario on June 29, 2016. More than 235 people from over 50 communities across the province attended.

We heard from youth aged 15 to 29 years old, municipal leaders, members of First Nations and Metis communities, and representatives from rural businesses and community organizations.

Highlights

We wanted to find out:

  • how government and rural communities can work together to encourage young people to work and study in rural communities
  • what local communities can do to attract young people

To come up with solutions, we discussed:

  • opportunities for education and training
  • creating jobs and entrepreneurship
  • building strong social programs, organizations and services
  • engaging youth in civic leadership

What we learned

  • quality education and training are keys for youth to build a bright future
  • job opportunities serve as a magnet for workers of all ages to move to a community, but attracting and retaining business owners is challenging at times
  • we need to improve mental health resources and services

We summarized the learning points in a report.

Read Building the Future: A Report on the 2016 Rural Ontario Summit

2014 summit

Toward a sustainable rural Ontario

The first rural summit took place in Cobourg on March 3, 2014, and brought together a cross-section of participants – municipal and business leaders, entrepreneurs, community organizations, academics, youth and representatives from Indigenous communities – to discuss social and economic issues in rural Ontario.

Highlights:

We wanted to find out:

  • what social and economic issues, organizations, services and programs were shaping the future of rural Ontario
  • how economic success is measured in rural Ontario

To come up with solutions, we discussed:

  • promoting innovative business development initiatives
  • providing opportunities to enhance our rural workforce; including youth, immigrants, and rural residents
  • addressing the challenges rural communities face in their attempts to create jobs and promote economic growth
  • the importance of rural health care to support strong rural communities

 What we learned

We need to:

  • encourage people to work in new ways – increase use of wireless internet and virtual offices
  • include rural health services in economic development plans
  • keep building and maintaining roads and bridges to attract and retain business

We’ve summarized the learnings from the summit in the report.

Read Towards a Sustainable Rural Ontario: A Report on the 2014 Rural Ontario Summit