Government of Canada and Rural Canadians Exploring Innovative Approaches to Rural Development (February 7, 2005)

Ottawa, Ontario – February 7, 2005 – The Honourable Wayne Easter, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food with special emphasis on Rural Development, today announced funding for a research initiative that examines and documents ways of working differently to the benefit of rural communities. This is an example of the Government of Canada working with communities to improve its programs and services to better meet the needs of rural Canadians.


“Through the Models for Rural Development and Community Capacity Building Program, the Government of Canada is investing $966,600 in a research initiative investigating an integrated approach to services in rural communities,” announced Mr. Easter. “This model is already working well in Manitoba. We will now be working with the Childcare Family Access Network (CFAN) to test it in other rural communities in Canada. Port au Port, Newfoundland and Labrador is the first community in which we will test this model.”


The Integrated Hub Model focuses on building a seamless blend of supports and services. Communities achieve service integration through housing similar services in one location, delivering services through interdisciplinary staff teams, or through many other community-driven innovations and initiatives.


“If you live in rural Canada, you know how hard it can be to find and access services—whether it’s services for children, families, youth, adults or seniors,” says Carol Gott, Principal Consultant for the Integrated Hub Project of CFAN. “Even if social services are available to you, they are often not available in your own community, during the hours you need them or in a way that responds to your needs. The Integrated Hub Model is a collective way of providing services to rural communities.”


The research activities the Rural Secretariat is undertaking under the Models for Rural Development and Rural Community Capacity Building Program (Models Program) will contribute to the understanding of what approaches (models) to community development and capacity building work in rural, remote and northern communities. The information we collect will be useful for all levels of government to support their decisions on programs and services for rural Canadians, as well as future policy directions.


“The communities most likely to thrive in our changing world, are those who are willing to try new things, work with partners they’ve never before worked with, in ways they’ve never tried, and invest a lot of hard work and enthusiasm,” said Mr. Easter. “The Integrated Hub Model is an excellent example of an innovative approach to overcoming challenges rural Canadians face. I am excited to see the results we will achieve together.”


In addition to helping governments with their decision making, the information collected in this research project will benefit the individuals, organizations and communities involved with the models and with other projects aimed at community development and capacity building.


Funding for this research initiative comes from the five-year, $55-million renewal of the Canadian Rural Partnership, announced in June 2002.


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For more information, please contact:
Rural Communications
Rural Secretariat
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa
Phone: (613) 759-6509