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Celebrate the power of rural Canada

You’ll find the Township of West Lincoln in Ontario’s Niagara Region. It’s not a large township and it’s home to about 15,000 people. Inside that township, you’ll find the hamlet of St. Ann’s—my home.

We’re a farming community. There aren’t that many of us, just like there aren’t that many people in any one village in Canada. But taken together, rural Canada is an enormous presence in our country. Our impact is often unseen, especially in urban Canada—yet our impact is deafening.

Take my home province as just one example. In towns and villages across the province you’ll find some 49,000 farms, building Canada’s food sovereignty and feeding generations of Canadians.1 You’ll find this in every Canadian province—a rural economy that punches above its weight.

Canadian agriculture is essential to the vibrancy of our rural communities and our country. In fact, in 2014 alone the sector provided one in eight Canadian jobs.2 And with egg farming contributing over 18,500 of those jobs, we’re proud to be part of this flourishing and growing sector.3

Agriculture and rural life have always been at the heart of Canada. For generations, agriculture fueled the growth of our nation. The Canada that Sir John A. Macdonald and others united in 1867 depended heavily on local agriculture for subsistence. Today, millions of Canadians and others around the world depend on rural Canada’s capacity to produce high-quality food. So, for Canada’s 150th birthday don’t forget to raise a glass to rural Canada. We’re doing our work quietly, but Canadians are feeling the impact every day.

Crop art design courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
1 2016 Census of Agriculture
2 An Overview of the Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food System 2016, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
3 Kevin Grier Marketing Analysis and Consulting Inc., The 2018 Economic Impact of the Poultry and Egg Industries in Canada, November 2019