People who live in rural areas and complain politicians pay them too little attention can have their say soon.
Locally, they will have two opportunities, with events in Marden and Fergus.
The Rural Voices Network is launching a series of public forums to examine what enables rural citizens to participate in the common life of their community, and to identify barriers to rural civic engagement.
Coming on the heels of an election that demonstrated that there is a clear urban and rural divide in Ontario, the study is designed to tell local and city politicians what people in rural parts of the province think.
Project manager Manon Germain said in an interview on Tuesday that it was just happy timing that the election fell when it did, because the research project has been operating since April.
In conjunction with the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario, the project received a one year grant for $140,200 to find out what rural people are thinking and to be able to demonstrate how they become engaged in their communities.
“There is a huge value in building a bridge of communication between the rural citizen and organizational and municipal leaders of every community across Ontario,” said Germain
The network invites everyone to participate in a Let Your Voice Be Heard public forum to have conversations about community participation, and to voice opinions, life experiences and ideas.
She said the forums are designed so people’s community voice will be heard from a public survey to be distributed to over 10,000 rural citizens in Ontario.
“Sometimes there is a difference from urban to rural – particularly urban centres my have more formal roles.”
She said in cities people might tend to become engaged in the community by sitting on boards and committees, while a more informal network can exist and function well in rural communities.
Germain said it is critical that rural people become involved in order have their voices heard.
She added that the data can then be given to such people as provincial politicians as well as municipal, so they can see what is important to the rural community.
Public forums will be held in seven communities across Ontario to understand why and how people participate in the rural life of their communities. All community members are welcome to participate. The pilot meeting in Marden if free. All the others have a fee of $10 that includes a supper.
The meetings are:
– Marden, at the community centre, Nov, 10, from noon to 4:30pm;
– Dryden, Nov. 18;
– Rosslyn, – Nov. 19;
– Fergus, at the Fergus Legion, Nov. 27 noon to 4:30pm,
– Perth, Nov. 29;
– Ridgetown, Dec. 2; and
– Innisfil, (the FWIO annual general meeting) on Jan. 4.
The Rural Voices Network is for rural citizens – whether a small business owner, long-standing resident or a newcomer, a member of a local charity, or someone who wants to get more involved in your community.
