The Becoming of an Ontario Shared Rural Vision: A New Narrative from Rural Ontarians

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to gather the perspective of rural Ontarians regarding their collective priorities for the future of rural Ontario. This Shared Rural Vision 2021 is like a tapestry woven with strong bold threads of sustainability, capacity development, and building. The research is supported by the pillars of place- and asset-based development principles, anchored with self-determination, communication, and socio-economic growth. This project used a mixed-method data collection through online surveys and offers an empirical understanding of the application of strategies for perspective measurement to manage contributions of shared vision in rural contexts. It also devises a set of complementary tools to support categorizing and analyzing the emergent correlations of information shared by rural citizens about their vision for their rural conditions through their desirable rural realities. The study opens many doors for the validation of the Shared Rural Vision from rural Ontarians.