Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for inviting Solidarité rurale du Québec to take part in your consultations.
Solidarité rurale du Québec, or the SRQ, is a coalition of major organizations, national agencies, and local and regional organizations in the province of Quebec. For nearly 23 years, the SRQ has been an advocate for rural populations, promoting the revitalization and development of rural life, towns and communities. We advocate that rural communities have a right to be different, that their differences should be recognized and that, despite those differences, they are entitled to prosperity.
We are so active, in fact, that in 1997, the Government of Quebec asked us to become its advisor on rural issues affecting the entire province. A number of the opinions provided by the SRQ have shaped key policies, including the National Policy on Rurality. In Quebec, this policy is slated for renewal next December, for another 10 years.
The SRQ has always maintained that the development of rural communities cannot be achieved solely through sector-specific policies, such as forestry and farming policies. We believe that rural development hinges on a broad vision of rural life and on an understanding of what rural communities are and how the various realities of rural living make those communities different.
In short, we want a federal policy on rurality. In our view, that is the first step the Canadian government must take if it wants to create the conditions that will foster prosperity throughout the country's rural regions. One of the things a federal policy would do is make it clear that the rules and standards applicable to cities and urban centres do not work for rural regions. The difference between them makes that evident.
It is also important to keep in mind that 95% of Canada's land mass is rural. In Quebec, only 6% of the rural population works in farming. That means that almost 95% of rural residents follow other occupations. So, there is no question that having a comprehensive view of Canada's various rural regions would allow the government to focus and adjust its efforts more effectively.
Some 25% of Quebec's population lives in rural communities but generates 30% of the GDP. It is clear, then, that rural populations are crucial to the prosperity of an entire nation.
The request has already been made, but we are again asking Canada to develop a broad vision that would underlie a federal rural policy that goes beyond mere policies on natural resource development. In developing such a vision, the government could give careful consideration to technologies that are suitable for rural regions, to environmental issues, to manufacturing jobs, to crops and so forth. It is important to view rural communities as places where people live and to develop a real vision for all of rural Canada. Rural communities have multiple functions; not only do they contribute economically, but they are also places where people live and travel. Not to mention, they provide goods and services. And the situation varies greatly from one place to another.
After the initial step of developing a vision, the government must then take a second to ensure prosperity for rural Canada. It must invest in a structure dedicated to building partnerships to focus on rural issues, discuss rural concerns and provide rural support.
The government recently announced the elimination of Canada's Rural Secretariat, and it followed through on that announcement. The secretariat's mandate was, in fact, to build these kinds of partnerships, networks and alliances intended to facilitate discussion and find solutions to major rural problems. We fear this loss of expertise will hurt our capacity to innovate, adapt and compete, even internationally. We want to see a Canadian rural secretariat in place.
The third step we encourage the government to take, in its efforts to ensure rural Canada's prosperity, is to give rural communities the tools they need to foster their development. It is time to fully recognize that our society's economic, social and environmental future depends on citizen engagement, each in their own community.
The examples of Wallace and Moonbeam mentioned earlier are clear evidence of that. Going forward, rather than imposing measures on communities and controlling them, the government should support them and trust them by giving them the right tools. That's what Quebec's National Policy on Rurality does; it gives rural communities the tools and resources they need to foster their development.
We recommend that the Canadian government implement a similar policy that provides similar tools. In 2010, the OECD called Quebec's National Policy on Rurality the most advanced rural development approach in the world.
I want to stress that, short of introducing a number of measures supporting rural life, particularly regarding Internet coverage, the government will be unable to ensure the economic success of these communities under current conditions.