Rural Health | Environmental | Rural Youth
TORC Working Groups are made up of like-minded people who meet on a consistent basis to focus on specific areas of rural interest and develop research and/or event strategies to provide all of us with a better rural perspective.
Read on to learn more about what we do…and how you can get involved!
Rural Health | Environmental | Rural Youth
For decades, Canada has been universally recognized as having one of the best health care systems in the world. It is a system based upon the principle that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right. So tightly woven into our collective psyche is this highly-coveted concept that Tommy Douglas, the “Father of Medicare” in Canada, was recently voted the “Greatest Canadian” of all time. (source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
And yet…
Today’s healthcare issues are among the most contentious in the country. Here in Ontario, quality healthcare - and most notably access to it – has reached crisis proportions in many communities. The five basic principles of healthcare as outlined in the Canada Health Act of 1984 – universality, comprehensiveness, accessibility, portability and public administration – are not considered to be uniformly applied across our province. And nowhere is this more apparent than in our rural and remote communities. Shortages of physicians, nurses and specialized care highlight significant health care delivery challenges.
It is within this climate that the TORC Rural Health Working Group continues to work toward a better understanding of the changing landscape of our healthcare system and how it impacts rural Ontario. In addition to the ongoing exploration of new health delivery models and consolidation of available health information, this Group works to ensure a rural voice remains heard at the table of decision makers.
Under the TORC banner, the Rural Health Working Group has published and made available to all rural interests the Rural Health Strategy: A Community Planning Guide . Borne out of a desire to assist rural communities in their efforts to tackle the ominous health care issue, the Guide proves through its hands-on approach that communities really do have the expertise, ability and confidence to confront their own challenges!
Rural Health | Environmental | Rural Youth
Rural Ontario plays a key role in stewarding the quality and quantity of natural resources that impact all Ontarians as they go about their daily lives. This includes the quality of the air we breathe and the water we consume. Woodlots and crops provide natural “carbon sinks” which play a key role in reducing the levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. The headwaters of streams, fish-spawning areas and acquifer recharge (which ensures the steady flow of groundwater for our consumption) are all located in rural areas.
When the quality of natural resources is threatened, either through events like Walkerton’s tainted water supply, threats of increased greenhouse gas emissions or funding cuts to conservation groups, it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of actively addressing our province’s environmental concerns.
Given this vital role of rural with respect to natural resources, and the conflicting, competing nature of its maintenance, improvement and use, there exists a need for dialogue and discussion among rural interests. The TORC Environmental Working Group fills this gap. Through an assets-based approach, this group aims to capture success stories that illustrate strong stewardship activities, working toward balance and inclusiveness as a means to forward environmental issues in the rural context.
Rural Health | Environmental | Rural Youth
TORC is committed to the development and meaningful involvement of rural youth. Recogniziing that strong communities require investment in technology, resources, infrastructure and people, TORC has, since its inception, sought the input and inclusion of young people in its member activities.
Initially, youth participants focused discussion on keeping and attracting young people in rural areas. Following TORC's involvement with a series of federally-funded "Rural Dialogue" sessions (2001), the notion of rural assets as a means of attracting young people gained prominence and, in turn, formed the basis of a TORC Youth Forum in July, 2001: "Rural Youth: Leaving, Staying or Returning?" Some of the issues emerging from that Forum included:
TORC followed with an exploration of rural careers, more specifically how communities can better prepare young people to return home and pursue rural careers. Communication, mentorship, job training and cross-sector collaboration were all identified as necessary ingredients to making this happen. It was observed by youth that young people who have a stake in their community before they leave are the same youth who are more likely to return to rural careers.
More recently, research and practice has shifted from keeping and attracting youth, to engaging youth. It is recognized that young people will likely leave their community for educational or experience opportunities, and that can be a benefit for the individual. The process of engaging young people to develop competencies and avoid risky or harmful behaviour is carried out with youth, not for youth. We have witnessed a change in perception from youth as 'assets' to youth as 'agents of change' (Ginwight and James, 2002). While many of the youth issue areas have remained the same over time, what has emerged is an increased emphasis on serious social issues. So, too, has a new sense of "ownership" by young people in affecting change.
The natural evolution of TORC's work with rural youth resulted in a second TORC Rural Youth Forum held in June, 2005. Emanating from that one-day event was the acknowledgement that young people would benefit immensely from a permanent group of like-minded individuals interested in keepig the dialogue alive and evolving. The TORC Rural Youth Working Group (RYWG), established in the months following the Forum, is comprised of a designated group of youth and non-youth stakeholders from across Ontario with a specific interest in rural youth issues who have come together to champion rural youth engagement. THE RYWG is poised to build on the momentum of TORC's past experiences and provide a venue for TORC to take direct action in addressing key issues moving forward.