The Rural Voice, 1989-11, Page 31in Huron County, for example, work
off the farm. And the majority of farm
families earn more income away from
the farm than they earn on it.
Unfortunate as it may seem, the
reality of this so-called "multiple job-
holding" is likely a permanent fixture
LIKE IT OR NOT, RURAL AREAS
FUNCTION WITHIN A SYSTEM
THAT IS DOMINATED BY URBAN
INTERESTS ...
OUR SOCIETY TENDS TO
UNDERVALUE AGRICULTURE
AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT
RURAL AREAS MAKE TO
NATIONAL WELFARE.
of our agricultural industry, and the
communities that farming supports are
recognizing that job creation in rural
areas is a mutual concern.
Granted, those of us who live in
rural areas don't think life is so bad.
But small towns and rural communi-
ties do seem to be vulnerable. Like it
or not, rural areas function within a
system that is dominated by urban in-
terests. Our economic system favours
investment in larger centres at the ex-
pense of rural jobs. Our society tends
to undervalue agriculture and the
contributions that rural areas make to
national welfare. Our political system
designs policies that lack sensitivity to
rural conditions.
These are all concerns I hear
expressed when I speak to people in
my own community and from other
rural areas. But to top it off, the
people who live in rural communities
often feel they've lost the ability to
influence change, direct their own
affairs, and make rural concerns a part
of discussions. In a sense, the "rural
voice" is not being heard.
There is a solution to this rather
disheartening scenario. "Community
development" is all about enabling
rural communities to plan effectively
for change.
As a concept, community devel-
opment is rather nebulous, somewhat
easier to describe than to define. The
key word is "community."
The cornerstone of community
development is the participation of
local residents. Local people go
through a process of assessing what
they like about their community, what
they would like to see changed, and
how best to achieve those changes.
It's a way of making change work for
the rural community rather than
against it. Through the community
development exercise, rural commu-
nities can develop their own capacity
to initiate and control change, rather
than just react to it.
Skeptical? Well, it's happening.
An example of rural community
development comes from the south-
ern Grey -Bruce area. The "Saugeen
Community" is a largely rural area
composed of four towns — Chesley,
Durham, Hanover, and Walkerton —
the village of Neustadt, and the five
adjoining townships — Bentinck,
Brant, Elderslie, Glenelg, and
Normanby.
In 1986, these communities were
in a perplexing situation. The effects
of the farm debt crisis were hurting
farm families as well as the local
business community. Plant layoffs
and closures, particularly in the wood
and furniture industries, were a con-
stant threat. Local employment ran
high, in the 12 to 14 per cent range.
Faced with these economic
realities, the 10 local councils took the
initiative and formed an alliance based
on "co-operative regionalism." Since
then, the Saugeen Community has
been promoted as a region, the result
being an increase in new development,
the establishment of new business
ventures, and the creation of new jobs
in the area.
While focusing on business, devel-
opment in the Saugeen Community is
people -oriented. People make a com-
munity vital. People create wealth.
People support local businesses and
services, and maintain churches and
schools.
But the people who make rural
communities flourish must have jobs.
So plant closures, limited job oppor-
tunities, and the chronic migration of
workers and their families to urban
areas are concerns shared by many
rural communities, including the 10
municipalities of the Saugeen area.
The nexus of community
development activities in the Saugeen
Community is the Saugeen Business
Development Centre (SBDC). The
SBDC is undertaking a three -pronged
approach to community development
• An external function is geared
towards attracting business and in-
dustry into the Saugeen area in order
to create more jobs and assessment for
COMMUNITIES MUST KNOW
WHAT THEY WANT, AND HAVE
THE KNOW-HOW TO ACHIEVE
THEIR OWN GOALS. GOD HELPS
THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES,
AND THE FEDERAL GOVERN-
MENT SEEMS TO SHARE THE
SAME PHILOSOPHY WITH
REGARD TO RURAL AREAS.
the local municipalities. An economic
development officer is employed full-
time by a political committee of repre-
sentatives from each municipality.
• A second function has an internal
focus, emphasizing local entrepreneur-
ship. A business development corpor-
ation, directed by members of the
community, provides loans to business
ventures, farm -based or otherwise.
Advice is also provided by a staff of
two — a manager and a loans officer.
• Finally, the SBDC is undertaking
a long-term strategic planning process
for local communities. Strategic
planning allows community input into
future community-based development
initiatives. The community devel-
opment officer provides a vital link to
people who want to have a say in
activities that affect their community.
Workshops and forums are to be held
locally to discuss what the future of
the Saugeen area will look like, and
how the community can direct its
actions to keep the area a good place
to live. As the Saugeen Community
is largely a rural area, much of the
discussion will focus on agriculture
and prospects for that industry. Other
topics will include needs for labour -
force training and opportunities for
industrial, commercial, and residential
development.
Each of these three functions is
governed by a separate but associated
local body. The representation of
political, non-political, farm, and
community interest groups in these
NOVEMBER 1989 29