Summit offers economic hope for small towns gŏđŏ editionap.ca
ulations throughout the province during the next decade as more people emigrate either within Ontario or outside of the prov- ince in search of work. “As we can see, times are changing, and changing fast,” said Candie. “Basically, we must change too. “We hope that by hosting this three-day summit, we can provide the right tools to shift this (population) decline. The empha- sis of the summit will also be on leveraging opportunities.” The Rural Economic Summit will host workshops and seminars on a variety of is- sues and topics, from promising economic sectors for future growth to the challenges of Ontario’s agricultural sector in staying competitive. Close to 300 guests are expected to de- scend on Rockland next spring for the summit, which will also coincide with the 10th anniversary banquet celebrating the decade of success of Groupe Convex as an agency dealing both with the community and employment needs of its clients. The conference is also an open drop-in event for the public and summit organizers hope that both schools within the Clarence- Rockland area and other neighbouring mu- nicipalities will take advantage of the event as a field trip opportunity for students. “There will be sessions on youth entrepre- neurship,” said Candie. “The youth are defi- nitely welcome to attend.”
GREGGCHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
ROCKLAND | The present and future eco- nomic well-being of rural municipalities in Prescott-Russell and other parts of the province are the focus of the Rural Eco- nomic Summit of Ontario taking place in Rockland next spring. “Today we are announcing a unique event,” said John Candie, director-general for the Prescott-Russell Community Fu- tures Development Corp. (PRCFDC), during a Dec. 5 press conference at the Clarence- Rockland Arena. The PRCFDC is one of the four regional sponsors for the three-day conference scheduled for April 30 to May 2. Partnering with the regional economic development agency are the United Counties of Prescott- Russell (UCPR), the Eastern Ontario Training Board (EOTB), and Groupe Convex Prescott- Russell. The federal government is also pro- viding $25,000 through the Eastern Ontario Development Program for event expenses. The goal of the summit is to address key economic development concerns and is- sues for rural municipalities in Ontario. The arena will serve as the conference site for a gathering of representatives from all across the province along with renowned and ex- pert national and international speakers on economic affairs. While Canada in general, along withmany other nations, is now recovering from the impact of the recent global recession, Can- die noted that for many mid-sized and small rural communities there is still an ongoing struggle to get their economies back in or- der. Some of the problems are the result of failing or reduced markets for local prod- ucts, aging infrastructure making it hard to attract new growth, or declining popula- tions as families and individuals move away in search of jobs. “We don’t have to look far to see the im- pact of the global recession,” he said. Candie observed that while large urban areas may offer more employment oppor- tunities, they also depend on outlying com- munities as sources for both employees and consumer spending. “It is important to state that the mid-sized and small communities plan an important role,” Candie said. “They are the economic
Photo Gregg Chamberlain
Representing both the East and West of Prescott-Russell, Mayors René Berthiaume (front) and Marcel Guibord of Hawkesbury and Clarence-Rockland are front and cen- tre for the announcement of the Rural Economic Summit of Ontario announcement.
drivers.” Many rural municipalities and county governments in Ontario are now looking for ways to “kick-start their economies” and both the federal and provincial government are offering assistance through various sub-
sidy, training, and development programs but even that help has limitations as senior governments start cutting back on their own budgets to reduce or avoid deficits. Candie noted that the Ontario Finance Ministry projects“a major shift”in rural pop-
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