Committee updated on progress since 2024 Rural Summit

The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee today received a report outlining the City's progress in responding to priorities identified at the 2024 Rural Summit.

The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee today received a report outlining the City's progress in responding to priorities identified at the 2024 Rural Summit.

More than 250 residents took part in the November 2024 summit, sharing feedback on the challenges facing their communities and identifying opportunities to improve municipal services. Summit discussions were guided by consultations the City held in the lead-up to the event. The City consulted residents at six workshops where 450 residents attended to exchange ideas. The City also conducted extensive, four-month survey that produced more than 1,200 responses on a wide range of issues.

Since the summit, the City has advanced work across six key areas. 

Investing in rural infrastructure and protecting the environment

The City has increased funding and resources for ditch maintenance, doubling the annual budget to $3.6 million. The City has completed more than 86 kilometres of ditch maintenance in Rural Ottawa since 2025, including than 35 kilometres so far in 2026. We are also expanding staffing and equipment to improve service levels. Rural residents will benefit from significant infrastructure investments as well, with $80.4 million dedicated to roads, parks, buildings and other rural assets in 2026. That includes rehabilitating more than 77 kilometres of rural roads.

The City has taken steps to protect Ottawa's rural environment by expanding support through the Rural Clean Water Program, conserving natural areas through the Rural Environmental Land Acquisition and Stewardship Program, advancing wildlife management initiatives and continuing efforts to address flooding concerns in the Bear Brook watershed.

Improving rural parks, recreation and community spaces

Residents are seeing continued investment in rural parks and community facilities. Recent projects include the opening of the expanded Corkery Community Building, upgrades to recreation centres and museums, new pickleball courts in Vernon and improvements to parks across rural Ottawa.

To support local culture and community life, the City invested more than $1.36 million in rural arts, heritage and agricultural organizations in 2025. Participation in rural summer camps has also grown significantly, and the City has added more locations to help meet demand.

Strengthening emergency response in rural communities

The City has enhanced rural emergency services by dedicating paramedic response units to Kinburn, Richmond and Metcalfe and by implementing the Medical Priority Dispatch System. The new system has significantly reduced the amount of time Ottawa experiences Level Zero conditions, when no paramedic units are available to respond to new emergency calls.

The City also reclassified rural firefighters as City employees in 2024, supporting firefighter recruitment and retention. Future improvements are being explored through planned enhancements to fire station infrastructure and a new west-end paramedic deployment facility.

Supporting rural businesses and local economic growth

The City adopted its Economic Development Rural Plan in May to support business growth while also preserving rural character. New initiatives include the appointment of a dedicated rural business liaison and continued work to establish a Rural Business Advisory Group. The City also expanded access to business supports through a rural business services showcase in Carp this summer, with additional showcases being planned for the fall.

The City is exploring opportunities to attract film and television productions to rural Ottawa as well, helping showcase rural communities and support local economic activity.

Expanding rural access to social services

The City continues to improve access to social services for rural residents, supporting eligible residents with housing, food, health-related needs, household items and appliance repairs. Later this year, the City will launch a rural Ontario Works pilot to provide dedicated support for approximately 100 rural clients in east Ottawa.

Feedback from the Rural Summit also helped shape the City's Older Adult Plan, which recognizes the distinct needs of rural communities and supports initiatives such as affordable housing for rural seniors.

Making rural travel safer and more connected

The City continues to improve transportation options for rural residents through road safety investments, active transportation projects and transit improvements. Since 2023, nearly 41 kilometres of paved shoulders have been added to rural roads through resurfacing projects. We have updated traffic control criteria to better reflect rural conditions and are advancing several intersection improvement projects.

For public transit users, the opening of O-Train Line 2, the planned expansion of the Bowesville Park & Ride and the ongoing review of rural transit services are helping improve connections between rural communities and the broader transit network.

The City will continue reporting on Rural Summit progress through regular updates to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. City Council will consider the recommendations from today’s meeting on Wednesday, August 26.