The Rural Voice, 1994-01, Page 30TOWARDS 2000
Building a Better Life in Rural Ontario
ESSAY WINNERS
Globalization, Free Trade and GATT,
the electronic revolution, it's all
changing the way we will live in rural
Canada whether we want it or not. As
we hurtle toward the turn of a new
century, a new millenium, we have
the choice of acting or being acted
upon. That was the challege issued in
our essay contest Towards 2000 —
Building a better life in rural Ontario.
The environment seemed the focus of
our entrants. There was a
disappointing lack of vision from
active farmers. Some farmer -readers
may dismiss the solutions offered as
trying to return to a time gone, not
looking forward to the future. You can
decide for yourself.
Thanks to the entrants who took the
time to put their thoughts on paper.
First prize winner
BY SUSAN HAY
RR 1, CLINTON, ONTARIO
Having lived the first 27 years
of my life in a nonrural
setting gives me a different
perspective on the advantages and
disadvantages of rural life. One of
the things I was most excited about as
I said goodbye to my city friends nine
years ago was: "Clinton has only one
stop light!" You don't appreciate the
lack of traffic in rural Ontario until
you've lived in a big city, and I have
lived in three.
Living in rural communities
carries many other advantages. Clean
air, water, space to lead healthy
lifestyles, community identity and
cohesion are values associated with
rural communities that arc sometimes
forgotten as we are caught up in the
treadmill of our daily lives. Lower
population density infers less crime,
stronger community pride and
loyalty. Again, these arc qualities
appreciated by one who has lived in
the anonymity of the city.
I believe the preservation of small
community values and lifestyle is
linked to the concept of
sustainability. Sustainability,
30 THE RURAL VOICE
whether in relation to economics,
agriculture or personal lifestyles,
means existing without degrading the
ecosystem, so that we do not reduce
the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs. In order for
this to happen, we need to have an
awareness of sufficiency in meeting
needs: knowing when enough is
enough. Every human being should
have the means to exist in dignity,
and this means that our consumeristic
society may have to learn how to live
with less.
Do our consumeristic, wealth -
accumulating goals contribute as
much to our quality of life as our
personal relationships, communities
and the health of our environment?
An eminent theologian, John B. Cobb
Jr., explains: "An environment less
contaminated with toxic wastes
would be a healthier one. Our
psychological health would benefit
from a reduction in economic
pressure. Relationships within
families could be improved with
greater focus on quality of life rather
than on increasing wealth. With less
emphasis on material possessions,
there would be less need for both
parents to work and more time to
nurture families." What we need, is a
shift from "standard of living", to
"quality of life".
If we are to rediscover ways to
exist in a healthy way, both in the
urban and rural settings, we will have
to find ways to make our lifestyles
and attitudes more sustainable. The
Brundtland Commission suggests that
sustainable development is more
likely to be realized through
community based economics than
through present approaches, such as
large corporations. Small companies
may be better able to respond to
rapidly changing needs and economic
conditions than larger ones and
community based businesses are
more likely to be concerned with
local issues and promote the interests
of the community.
The idea of "person in
community" is another important
concept in redirecting our lives
towards a sustainable future.
Individuals are important: their
rights and freedoms contribute to the
richness and diversity of a society.
Groups are important too, but it is in
the combination of these two entities
that the answer is found. Our quality
of life is dependent in large part on
our relationships, such as with
families, church, workplace and
community. If we are to make our
communities stronger, we must put
more energy and commitment into
policies that improve the lot of the
community rather than the individual.
The wealth of a community is its
people and their development.
Communities need to create an
environment which encourages self
esteem, identity, loyalty, and