Bruce County is going to be sending its feedback to the Canadian government regarding the Rural Action Plan.
The federal government launched a Rural Action Consultation in order to get input on federal programs, building the 2019 Rural Economic Development Strategy and engaging over 4,000 rural communities.
Bruce County staff presented a report to council that would outline successes and challenges surrounding programs that are publicly funded, and offered suggestions for how to better improve programs such as child care, housing affordability, expanded broadband investment, immigration partnerships, rural transit, agri-food processing, clean energy, and community development.
During discussions at Thursday’s council meeting, there were topics that were suggested to be modified within the report before submission.
Councillor Chris Peabody said that after a deputation with a parliamentary assistant, it was found that there were inconsistencies with the way funding is given for childcare, particularly with the goal of the cost to parents and caregivers.
“We did learn that Bruce County is receiving an amount of money for the $10 daycare that is well below the provincial average, as well as Ontario is significantly below the average of what Quebec gets for $10 daycare. And quite specifically here on the ground Walkerton, we did lose out on a private-sector daycare, because of the withdrawal of $10 daycare spaces,” he said. “As well as the Brockton child care that the municipality owns is seeking to expand — we have a great partnership with the Catholic school board, and that expansion is in doubt with the restrictions on the $10 daycare. We also learned that a majority of daycare spaces in Ontario are not $10 daycare spaces. So the program is not universal, it’s not equitable… I don’t think in anyway that it can be viewed as a success.”
Warden Luke Charbonneau agreed, and added, “It’s been successful to the extent that the cost of daycare has come down, which is a good thing, but I hate to hand them the success, when they haven’t done the thing.”
Charbonneau had also commented that there were concerns surrounding broadband and digital infrastructure investment, as rural Ontario feels behind more populated areas.
He shared that it was particularly due to fewer companies providing 5G coverage, and cell phone coverage in general.
“I think the problem is that if there is a provider, providing service and it creates a network that covers a whole area, that works, but if you’re a Rogers customer, and you’re in Rogers territory and drive into Bell territory, that doesn’t help you very much when Bell doesn’t serve you. So although there may be mobile providers everywhere, unless there is open access, universal access from one network to another, you don’t have a working network. Also need to drive home the importance of mobile coverage for agricultural operations. Mobile is critical, and increasingly critical and 5G and probably AI and all of these things for agricultural operations.. The problem is that they talk about mobile coverage and look at population centres where people live, they have that coverage, but people don’t live out in the middle of farms, but those farms need mobile coverage across them, and even bodies of water. We need coverage across the geography of rural Ontario, not [just] at the homes of people in rural Ontario.”
Staff took comments from council’s discussions to provide within the report.