Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Summit held?
What happened at the Summit?
What happens now that the Summit is over?
What is the mandate of the Rural Summit Task Force?
When will recommendations be implemented?
How have the Rural Council of Ottawa-Carleton and the Ontario Rural Council been involved?
Now that the Summit is over, how can I be involved in activities relating to rural issues?
When was the Summit held?
Ottawa’s first Rural Summit took place on November 15 and 19, 2005.
What happened at the Summit?
Over 400 people attended Ottawa’s first Rural Summit.
Day One focused on promoting an overarching discussion of broad issues surrounding the rural-urban relationship and included presentations and panel discussions, followed by question-and-answer sessions.
Day Two focused on strengthening public satisfaction in rural areas and used a workshop format based on the six major issue themes identified during the consultation process:
- Access, Communication and Consultation
- Agriculture
- Governance
- Policy Issues
- Rural Business Issues
- Service Issues
Day Two addressed concerns that are specific to how the City of Ottawa works with its rural communities. Rural Summit participants were active members of the workshops at the Summit, putting forward their experience and ideas to develop concrete solutions. In the afternoon, following the workshops, a list of recommended solutions was presented for each major issue theme.
What happens now that the Summit is over?
A Rural Summit Task Force was established at the end of Day Two. The Task Force is made up of ten rural leaders, five City Councillors representing rural wards, one Councillor from the City’s urban area and supported by senior City management. Participants at Day Two highlighted many proposed solutions that were considered by the Rural Summit Task Force for implementation.
Task Force membership:
Community members
- Dave Baxter, rural Kanata Ward resident
- Glynn Chancey, Task Force Vice-Chair and Cumberland Ward resident
- Shirley Dolan, West Carleton Ward resident
- Susan Fleming, Cumberland Ward resident
- Richard Fraser, Goulbourn Ward resident
- Rich McDonald, Rideau Ward resident
- Bob McKinley, Task Force Chair and past Chairman of the Rural Council of Ottawa-Carleton
- Terry Otto, Osgoode Ward resident
- Anne Robinson, Rideau Ward resident
- Nick Tilgner, Goulbourn Ward resident
City Council members
- Councillor Glenn Brooks, Rideau Ward
- Councillor Eli El-Chantiry, West Carleton Ward
- Councillor Rob Jellett, Cumberland Ward
- Councillor Maria McRae, River Ward
- Councillor Janet Stavinga, Goulbourn Ward
- Councillor Doug Thompson, Osgoode Ward
Senior City staff (support)
- Philip Clarke, Director, Client Services and Public Information
- Arlene Grégoire, Director, Building Services and Chief Building Official
- Susan Jones, Director, By-Law Services
- Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager, Planning & Growth Management
- Michael Murr, Manager, Economic Development
- Wayne Newell, Director, Infrastructure Services
- Rick O’Connor, Manager, Council Support Services/Deputy City Clerk
- Moira Winch, Rural Summit Project Manager
What is the mandate of the Rural Summit Task Force?
The Task Force reviewed and refined the solutions brought forward from Day Two of the Summit, setting priorities and worked with staff to put in place practical and realistic implementation strategies.
On December 9, the Chair of the Task Force, Bob McKinley, made a presentation to members of Ottawa City Council as part of their 2006 Budget deliberations. On behalf of the Task Force, Mr. McKinley provided recommended spending priorities for the fund earmarked for rural initiatives in the City’s Draft Budget. The recommendations included:
- Creation of a Rural Affairs Bureau, led by a dedicated Rural Affairs Director and reporting directly to City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick, to provide an executive-level focus for rural affairs within the City
- Broadening the mandate and increasing staff support of the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Standing Committee
- Reinstatement of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee, to provide better linkages to rural community and business groups and to provide regular advice to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Standing Committee
- Training programs for City staff to provide better responses to rural inquiries and requests for service
- Funding and promotional support to rural fairs and farmers’ markets
- Increasing access to broadband in un-served rural areas within the city so that residents and businesses can affordably and efficiently access the Internet and new Internet-based services
- Improving rural ditch inspection and maintenance programs
When will recommendations be implemented?
The Rural Summit’s list of short, medium and long-term solutions provided the basis for an action plan that has resulted in many items being completed, and others initiated.
A report approved by Council on April 27, 2006 contains a status update on all initiatives arising from the Rural Summit.
How have the Rural Council of Ottawa-Carleton and the Ontario Rural Council been involved?
Both of these groups were involved in the development of Ottawa's Rural Summit and their members provided significant input with respect to the Summit agenda and the subsequent action plan. The Ontario Rural Council has been involved in successful Rural Summits elsewhere in Ontario, and was enthusiastic about being involved in Ottawa's Rural Summit. The Rural Council of Ottawa-Carleton, which has representation from many community groups in the rural area, had many members participate in the Day Two Sub-groups to ensure rural voices were heard and concerns were addressed.
Now that the Summit is over, how can I be involved in activities relating to rural issues?
The Rural Affairs Office was established as a champion for rural issues at City Hall and to support the implementation of solutions identified at the Rural Summit. For information on the implementation of recommended solutions and additional rural initiatives, you can visit ottawa.ca/rural or contact the Rural Affairs Office at ruralaffairs@ottawa.ca.
