rural life in canada - mr. johnston's social studies...
TRANSCRIPT
Rural Life in Canada
Issues Facing Rural Populations
• Depopulation
• Fluctuations in the global price of commodities
The History of Rural Life
• Rural life was the norm in the 19th century
• Rural settlements are very sustainable as long as their needs and wants are modest
• Rural settlements are very expensive to maintain if they expect to have modern infrastructure and social programs
• Much of rural life in Canada today is heavily subsidized in one way or another
Locations of Rural Settlements in Canada
Why Rural Areas Are Good
• Urban economies continue to rely on rural areas for natural resources, food, water, waste management, carbon sequestration, and recreation
• If Canada is to be competitive globally, we need to unlock our vast stock of natural resources
• Many people already live in rural areas
Reasons for Rural Depopulation
• Immigrants don’t come to rural populations due to difficulty integrating
• Distance from healthcare facilities, especially for older people
• Unreliability of services, e.g. mail service, internet, snow removal, school, etc.
• Lack of developed and diversified culture
• Little opportunities aside from core industries
• Just nothing to do! (in some people’s opinions)
This are all serious issues for rural places to contend with
Results of Rural Depopulation
• Depopulation feedback cycle
• The tax base of rural settlements is often too small to support them, meaning they must rely on subsidies
• Depopulation can completely wipe out a rural settlement
• Many rural settlements across the country risk being completely depopulated and abandoned
Economic Risks to Rural Areas
• Precarious rural settlements are further threatened by sudden fluctuations in commodities
• Rural communities are like an undiversified investment portfolio
• Makes planning difficult, makes populations fluctuate
Boom and Bust Cycles
“When the construction industry falters in the USA, we feel the effects on our forest industry;
when their manufacturing sector declines, so does the demand for our metals; and when their
economy shrinks, our energy producing industries face declining demand and revenues. All of
these global changes have direct rural impacts.”
• 75% of Canada’s exports go directly to the USA
“Economic diversification is most frequently suggested as a means to avoid the negative impacts
of boom and bust cycles. This is particularly difficult for rural areas since they are often
dependent on one or two resources – tied to geography and technology.”
Conclusions
• Rural settlements in Canada face two major challenges: depopulation and the swings in commodity prices
• Depopulation is a feedback loop
• Rural communities have all their eggs in one basket, economically speaking
Exit ticket
On a blank piece of paper write down the name of a rural settlement you’ve visited and state the economic and social
challenges it faces.
Based on these challenges, predict what will happen to your settlement in the future.