By this time next month, the Ontario provincial election will be on our doorstep -- literally. No matter where you live, candidates will be knocking on your door, asking for your support.

They want your vote. Depending on what party they represent, they’ll play to your hopes, or your fears.

Some will ask for your vote on blind faith. They want you to trust that they’ll do the right things for rural Ontario, even if their party hasn’t really articulated them. On the flip side, others will ask how you can vote for a party with a leader who knows so little about rural Ontario.

Actually, they might all ask you that.

But after listening to the rhetoric, ask them specifics: what are your policies? How will your policies help rural Ontario? And what are you going to do differently to close the harmful gap between rural and urban Ontario?

This gap, in areas such as services, holds back rural Ontario. Granted, sometimes rural Ontario is happy being left alone to do its own thing.

But out of sight means out of mind. And that’s the way urban Ontario seems to be regarding rural Ontario right now. For example, take the recent Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) survey focussed on urban Ontario’s perspective of rural Ontario. Prior to the provincial budget being announced, the federation revealed results of a survey it conducted with more than 1,000 urban Ontarians in the Greater Toronto Area.

They results showed rural Ontario doesn’t measure up in the eyes of its urban counterparts. Survey respondents said they wouldn’t want to live in rural Ontario because they perceive that it lacks good paying jobs, access to health care and amenities. An overwhelming number of respondents also said they believe the quality of rural schools is inferior to urban Ontario schools.

However, those same urban respondents said agriculture is a way to stimulate employment. And they say they have faith in its ability to be an even bigger player in food production.

Their thoughts may be buoyed by the latest Canadian agricultural outlook report. It  says Canadian farmers are forecast to see record farm income levels when all the dollars are counted from 2017 and near-record levels in 2018.

Net cash income is forecast to reach a record level in 2017 and remain high in 2018. At the same time, continued growth in asset values is expected to raise average farm net worth to $3.16 million.

Does that sound like a sector worthy of government investment? No question about it.

The province has invested mightily in some areas that are a priority to farmers, such as research. In February, it committed more than $700 million over 10 years to a renewed research agreement with the University of Guelph. Areas covered through that support are huge to farmers and to the province. They include the bioeconomy, environmental sustainability, emergency management, highly qualified personnel, and plant and animal production, to name a few. 

Now, somehow, urban Ontario needs to be made aware rural Ontario is a progressive, economical and accessible place to do business. The chances of that happening improve if the province commits to helping glue the urban and rural parts of the province together better.

The OFA says strong small communities improve the physical and social infrastructure in rural Ontario, and open up new opportunities for working and living in communities all across the province.

“This is good for rural Ontario and alleviates the stresses in our urban communities,” it says.

I’m sure that’s true. Now, this upbeat culture really needs to be sold to urban Ontario. The government has a significant role.

So, candidates, how will you invest in rural Ontario?