Urban expansion continues across Ontario

May 02, 2017

Rural Ontario Institute highlights changing demographics

Brian Hess
Farms.com

Rural Ontario’s population continues to climb at a slower rate than cities, according to the Rural Ontario Institute’s (ROI) recently-released Consensus.

Non-metro Ontario residents comprised 19 per cent of Ontario’s population in 2016 – down from 20 per cent in 2011.

Ontario still has the largest rural population of all Canadian provinces, according the ROI.

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The province’s rural residents totalled 2.5 million last year.

Non-metro areas have grown 2 per cent since 2011. Numbers have continued to rise since 1966.

Other key statistics include:
• Approximately one in five Ontarians live outside of a metropolitan region.
• Rural areas tend to grow more slowly than urban areas.
• Population growth in large rural areas over time results in some of these areas being reclassified as urban.

The Consensus, released every five years, has become an eagerly anticipated document.

“The value of this report is that people interested in how their area is doing can compare themselves to overall trends,” Norman Ragetlie, Director of Policy and Stakeholder Engagement at the ROI, said in the release.

“We see regional differences in rates of growth and decline and differences within regions, where some communities next door to one another are growing and others declining.”

Video: Women in Ag. The Promotion of Female Farmers through Social Media | Madalyn Thayer | TEDxBGSU

Less than 1% of Americans are farmers. The majority of those farmers are men. Many people have minimal experience with farms and agriculture. High schools are getting rid of their FFA programs and many colleges, including BGSU, do not have agricultural programs or classes. There is a new social media phenomenon where women are making content based on their farming endeavors and gaining lots of traction. Education is the one of the most important parts of agriculture, because the more people know the more they will emphasize with farmers and create policy that benefits everybody. Female farmers have taken to social media sharing their experience in the agricultural world. These women are breaking stereotypes and educating everyday citizens about farming which is extremely important for the future of agriculture. Madalyn is 19 years old and will be gradated with her bachelors degree in communication on December 2024. She lives on a farm and have spent lots of time working in agriculture. She has her own farmers market and love learning about all subjects, especially agriculture. She was on the BGSU Firelands Student government from 2021-2023 as a CCP Ambassador and was awarded the 3&1 communication excellency award in April of 2024. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.