Punching above our weight: Rural Canada key to building economic prosperity
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It is not an understatement to say that the world needs more Canada and that position of strength flows from its rural communities.
Rural Canada holds energy, food, critical minerals, clean technology capacity, and the space for infrastructure to connect it all. It is the source of nearly 53 per cent of Canada’s exports, drives 25 per cent of national GDP and powers our supply chains across every province and territory. From trade corridors and energy grids to AI-powered agriculture and data centres, rural regions are critical to the prosperity and sovereignty of our country. Rural Canada is at the core of Canadian industries and the values we represent as a country.
As Secretary of State (Rural Development) Buckley Belanger has said, “Rural Canada is ready to prove to the rest of Canada that we're punching far above our weight.”
He added: “We want absolutely every aspect of our economy pumping on all cylinders.”
During a time defined by global instability, strained affordability and the urgent need to rebuild Canada’s economic foundations, rural Canada is key to unlocking our country’s economic prosperity.
A recent survey by the Rural Prosperity Group with rural leaders and stakeholders reinforced this reality. Respondents overwhelmingly described rural Canada as foundational to the country’s identity, economy and food system — deeply connected to land, community and national resilience. Rural Canada is essential to delivering on each of the objectives set out by the federal government: strengthening trade partnerships, building nation-shaping infrastructure, reducing costs for Canadians, growing skilled trades, leveraging AI, and catalyzing private investment.
As Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer has noted: “Everything that exists in urban Canada originated from rural Canada, first and foremost. Whether it is food, building materials or the energy used to heat and cool homes, it all originated in rural Canada.”
Unfortunately, many stakeholders we’ve engaged have expressed a persistent sense of being undervalued or overlooked. This tension — between importance and invisibility — is a defining feature of the rural experience today.
The Rural Prosperity Group reiterated the importance of rural Canada in our submission to the House of Commons Finance Committee’s consultation in advance of budget 2026. We made the following recommendations:
Recommendation 1
That the government heed the voices of rural Canadian leaders, stakeholders and residents and commit to visiting, listening and learning from them in a deliberate way so as to ensure rural Canada is not an afterthought but an equal partner in building Canada strong.
Recommendation 2
That the government review existing policy, program and regulatory decisions, and trade negotiations and agreements through a rural lens in order to determine how they impact rural communities today — and how they can be retooled on a priority basis to support rural economic success and thriving communities.
Recommendation 3
That the government apply a rural lens to all future policy, program and regulatory decisions, and trade negotiations and agreements to ensure that no future federal regulation, program or policy — domestic or international — harms rural Canada. This requires the institutional and consistent application of a rural lens at all stages of federal decision-making, ensuring that new programs or initiatives account for rural needs, challenges and opportunities.
