Question Period Note: Support for Rural Communities

What is the Government of Canada doing to support and promote rural economic recovery and a better future for rural communities?

• Canada’s rural communities are a driver of economic growth, and home to a wide range of industries.
• Budget 2023 proposes a series of measures that will make life more affordable for Canadians living and working in rural and remote communities.
• These include expanding student loan forgiveness for doctors and nurses in rural and remote communities, as well as investments in agriculture and forestry, and the new Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.
• The new Canada Growth Fund and Oral Health Access Fund will also benefit communities of all sizes.

Rural communities are found across every corner of the country and are reflective of the diversity that exists within Canada. They include coastal villages, farming communities, small towns built around mining, forestry, tourism, and other sectors, and can be Northern, Indigenous, near-urban, or remote. This diversity contributes to unique ways of life where local opportunities, needs, and challenges can vary significantly. Given the unique needs and realities of rural and remote communities, Canada developed the Rural Economic Development Strategy: Rural Opportunity, National Prosperity, which was released in June 2019 and followed by a progress report in August 2021.

In line with this strategy, and further to the local needs and priorities identified by rural stakeholders, the Government of Canada is pursuing a number of ongoing measures to support rural Canadians. This includes the $3.225 billion Universal Broadband Fund, the $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund and enhancements to the GBA Plus framework to better reflect rural realities.

In addition to the important initiatives that are currently underway, Budget 2023 announced additional measures to support Canadians living in rural and remote communities, including:
• $45.9 million to expand the reach of the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness program for eligible doctors and nurses who choose to practice in rural and remote communities;
• $368.4 million to renew and update forest sector programs, which will support jobs in the forestry sector in rural and remote communities;
• Tax credits and funding for clean electricity to build Canada’s clean economy and support major projects, jobs, and help expand Canada’s electrical grid to more rural and remote communities;
• $4 billion over seven years to advance the Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy;
• $250 million for an Oral Health Access Fund;
• $333 million over ten years to establish the Dairy Innovation and Investment Fund;
• $108 million over 3 years to the Regional Development Agencies for projects and local events to increase local tourism opportunities for businesses and communities;
• $57.5 million over five years, with $5.6 million ongoing, to the CFIA to establish a Foot-and-Mouth disease Vaccine Bank to ensure early vaccination of livestock;
• $34.1 million over three years for a top-up to the On-Farm Climate Action Fund;
• $13 million in 2023-24 to increase the interest-free limit of loans under the Advance Payments Program to provide additional cash flow to farmers in need; and,
• $10 million in 2023-24 to top up the Local Food Infrastructure Fund to strengthen food security in rural and Indigenous communities across Canada.

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