Diversity Snapshot RURAL RESIDENTS — Equity and Inclusion Lens Diversity Snapshot RURAL RESIDENTS Ottawa has the largest rural area of any city in Canada. Eighty per cent of the city is made up of rural area, with ten per cent of Ottawa’s population living there. Amalgamation has brought changes in the ways that our communities are organized, goods and services are delivered and the land is used. 1. Who we are . 3 2. Contributions we make . 4 3. Barriers and inequities. 5 1) Access to information. 5 2) Urban perspective . 5 3) Distances . 5 4) Transportation . 6 5) Access to services. 6 6) Infrastructure priorities . 6 7) Changing character of rural areas . 7 8) Land use. 7 4. We envision – a rural-friendly city. 8 What can I do?. 8 5. Council Mandates and legislation. 9 6. What’s happening in Ottawa. 9 7. Relevant practices in other cities. 11 8. Sources. 11 9. Acknowledgements . 12 This document is one of 11 Diversity Snapshots that serve as background information to aid the City of Ottawa and its partners in implementing the Equity and Inclusion Lens. To access, visit Ozone or contact us at [email protected]. A City for Everyone — 2 Diversity Snapshot RURAL RESIDENTS — Equity and Inclusion Lens 1. Who we are IN OTTAWA Ottawa has the largest rural area of any city in Canada. 80 per cent of the city is made Since amalgamation in 2001, Ottawa up of rural area, with ten per cent of Ottawa’s has become the fourth-largest city in population living there (City of Ottawa, Ottawa Canada. Counts). Some of us live in densely populated villages (42 per cent), while others choose to Since 2001, Ottawa’s rural population live in isolated communities (53 per cent) and has grown faster than the city’s a small number of us live on farms (5 per cent) overall average growth (8.5 per cent (City of Ottawa 2004). vs. 6.5 per cent). Some of us are established farmers or Residents in each population group “estate lot” residents… others are village living in rural areas: residents, and some others live in the new low- ~ 13.9 per cent of Aboriginal peoples income housing developments. For those of us ~ 12.8 per cent of Francophones; dedicated to agriculture, our lives are closely ~ 10.5 per cent of people with linked to the agricultural cycles. Our social life, disabilities work, interaction with neighbours, and the time ~ 4.2 per cent of visible minorities and capacity to engage in community initiatives ~ 3.3 per cent of recent immigrants. or City activities are largely determined by these cycles. Rural Ottawa includes the geographic townships of Fitzroy, Huntley, In recent years, more of us are migrating Torbolton, Marlborough, North Gower, from the urban and suburban areas in search Osgoode, rural Goulbourn, and rural of a quieter lifestyle and closeness to nature. parts of the former cities of Kanata, The east end of the city has traditionally had Nepean, Cumberland and Gloucester. a significant Francophone presence, whereas the west and south ends have been mostly Manotick, Richmond, and Greely Anglophone. account for 40 per cent of the population of all the rural villages. The character of the rural areas has changed over the past generation from Roughly 43 per cent of the rural the predominantly agricultural, closely-knit area’s land is farmland. communities to a more diverse group of residents. The amalgamation of the City of Ottawa has greater farming revenue Ottawa has brought changes in the ways that than Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, our communities are organized, goods and Edmonton and Calgary combined. services are delivered and the land is used. As many as 10,000 jobs in Ottawa’s The diversity of our communities is expanding overall economy are associated with as urban in-migration increases. agriculture. Those of us who are youth often face lack of There are 16 industrial parks in rural local part-time jobs in rural areas; we have to Ottawa look for opportunities in the urban areas and face difficulties finding transportation to and from (City of Ottawa 2004; SPC 2008-b; work, school and social activities. As women City of Ottawa; City of Ottawa) in rural areas, we are more likely to experience isolation, face conservative views or experience difficulties accessing services. Those of us who A City for Everyone — 3 Diversity Snapshot RURAL RESIDENTS — Equity and Inclusion Lens are visible minorities face lack of culturally appropriate services, and a long commute to access these services. Those of us who are members of the GLBT community face cultural and social barriers, deal with isolation, confront traditional views, and lack services, much more so than those living in the urban area. Some of us question whether Ottawa’s political leaders take our views and lived realities into account. Many of us lack basic services such as child care, social services and programs, medical facilities, grocery stores and pharmacies. 2. Contributions we make As rural residents, we contribute to our city in many ways. Volunteerism and participation in the community is an integral part of our life. We offer a wide range of tourism and recreational activities that are unique to rural areas. Heritage buildings and museums, provincial parks, mazes in cornfields, horseback-riding ranches, and pumpkin patch rides are some examples. Four rural villages Carp, Navan, Metcalfe and Richmond) hold annual fairs, attracting many people from the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Rural areas are also a destination for those who wish to escape the urban environment and enjoy the green space in rural Ottawa. Our work contributes to the overall health of Ottawa. Farmers’ markets offer a supply of locally grown food, providing a fresh alternative to food transported to Ottawa from afar. Savour Ottawa Initiative connects Ottawa-area farmers with local farmers’ markets, restaurants and grocery stores. The rural communities have developed, in partnership with the City, a creative model to provide services to the community. This hybrid model combines City-based resources and the local resources and venues, volunteer commitment, and the strong sense of ownership from community groups and organizations. Some examples include fire stations serviced by volunteer firefighters and one full-time paid Chief; recreation facilities managed by a volunteer board with the support from one City employee; the use of private swimming pools for lessons staffed by City employees; and the use of facilities built and maintained by community associations. A City for Everyone — 4 Diversity Snapshot RURAL RESIDENTS — Equity and Inclusion Lens 3. Barriers and inequities 1) Access to information As a result of the Rural Summits in 2005 and 2008, the City has made an effort to provide Internet access to rural areas – to date, 95 per cent of rural residents have access. However, access to information is still a barrier faced by many rural residents. For those who do not own a computer, the Internet is available at local libraries – but libraries in rural areas have sporadic hours and may be far away for some residents. The City has three rural Client Service Centres in Metcalfe, Kinburn and North Gower, however with limited open hours. Amalgamation in 2001 has brought many changes to rural life. However, lack of access to information about the City has led to misinterpretations among the residents as to how the City runs programs, delivers services and collects and invests taxes. For example, in rural areas where public transit or water and sewage systems are not provided, taxes are not used to pay for these services. However, some residents may mistakenly think that the City spends their tax on the services that they do not have access to. This confusion has contributed to some of the unfavourable views of the City among rural residents. The overlapping of jurisdictions between the City, the National Capital Commission and the Province of Ontario is also a source of misinterpretations. It is difficult for rural residents to get sufficient information to understand the different responsibilities of these three bodies. As a result, when there are changes to their lives and the environment, residents often view the City negatively as the main force behind them. Such misunderstanding can strain the relationship between the rural residents and the City. 2) Urban perspective In the past, many services in rural communities were run on a volunteer basis, staffed by local people from the area. Following amalgamation, City employees now staff some of these services. The urban perspective brought with this change – the “one size fits all” approach – has been criticized as not always reflecting the realities of that particular community. For example, the City has partnered with private businesses to distribute important community information throughout the city. Yet, some of these businesses are only urban-based and not capable of reaching the rural communities, thus leaving rural residents without access to key community information. An “urban city” mindset may still prevail among City staff. However, the City has worked to ensure a rural perspective to decision making. 3) Distances In rural areas, distance plays a large part in people’s lives. It affects the residents’ relationship and interactions with the urban core. Generally, the farther away people are from the urban core, the closer their links are to the neighbouring townships. In some cases, people’s postal codes may be linked to the next township, even though they live inside the City of Ottawa. Yet, most public services are offered to them through the City of Ottawa, not the surrounding townships. This can leave rural residents in a complex and often frustrating situation, because they are too far away from City services, yet cannot access services from the townships they are close to.