Rural Communities
Diverse areas that include rural settlement areas (towns, villages and
hamlets) as well as agricultural, natural and other resource areas
Provincial Plans
Regional Differences within the Rural Greater Golden Horseshoe
Lake Huron
Rural Central GGH
• Moderate population growth but
slower than urban areas (rural
9.9%, urban 19.0% from 20012011)G e o r g i a n B a y
• Lower proportion of seniors to
urban areas
• Main employer: Retail Trade and
Manufacturing*
COUNTY OF
BRUCE
COUNTY OF
SIMCOE
CITY OF
BARRIE
COUNTY OF
GREY
CITY OF
KAWARTHA
LAKES
CITY OF
ORILLIA
COUNTY OF
PETERBOROUGH
Lake
Simcoe
Rural Eastern GGH
• Slower population
growth than urban areas
(rural 5.9%, urban 7.3%
from 2001-2011)
• Higher proportion of
seniors to urban areas
• Main employer: Retail
Trade*
CITY OF
PETERBOROUGH
Rural Southwest GGH
• Similar population growth
rates to urban areas
(rural 8.7%, urban 9.0%
from 2001-2011)
• Similar proportion of
seniors to urban areas
• Main employer:
Manufacturing*
• Leveraging rural assets, including agriculture and other businesses, and protecting the
environment is the foundation for a sustainable rural economy.
REGION
OF YORK
• Rural areas and urban areas rely on each other in terms of markets (products and services),
resources, amenities (recreation and entertainment) and labour force.
REGION OF
PEEL
CITY OF
TORONTO
CITY OF
GUELPH
REGION OF
WATERLOO
REGION OF
HALTON
Understanding Rural Employment in the Greater Golden Horseshoe
Lake Ontario
This map was created to provide a broad sense of relevant geographical features and
should not be relied on at a precise scale. For more information, please contact the
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the relevant municipality.
LEGEND
CITY OF
HAMILTON
Rural Southwest, Central, Eastern GGH
Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
Greenbelt Area*
Settlement Areas
First Nation Reserves
CITY OF
BRANTFORD
COUNTY
OF BRANT
HALDIMAND
COUNTY
0
*2001 & 2011 Census of Canada
25
50
KM
Employment in the rural GGH is similar to the urban GGH in many respects.
1) Top industry employers by number of employees are the same for rural and urban areas.
These are: Trade - Wholesale and Retail (e.g. equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers,
food and beverage stores, and general merchandise stores) and Manufacturing (e.g.
transportation equipment manufacturing).
Projection: NAD83 UTM 17N
Data Sources: Ministry of Natural Resources and
Forestry, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
* Ontario Regulation 59/05, as amended
This map is provided for information purposes only.
REGION OF
NIAGARA
Lake Erie
• Promote regional economic development while balancing the needs of growth, including
tourism, cultural, recreational and resource management in keeping with rural character.
Strong rural communities in the GGH contribute to the region’s economic success, quality of life and
cultural fabric.
COUNTY OF
NORTHUMBERLAND
COUNTY OF
WELLINGTON
• Support diverse, healthy and prosperous rural communities as hubs for surrounding rural
areas; and
Rural Economy
REGION OF
DURHAM
COUNTY OF
DUFFERIN
The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine
Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan work together to:
100
¯
Rural Area Demographics across the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH)
Compared to urban areas, rural areas have a greater variation in population growth rates. On average, rural
communities have a larger portion of their population over age 65. While these differences are not uniform across the
rural GGH, they must be taken into account when planning for vibrant rural areas and economies.
2) Almost 25% of rural and urban employers are small businesses with 1 - 4 employees.
3) The number of jobs in rural and urban areas grew by 17% since 2001.
However, unlike urban areas, rural areas have more land based industries, such as agriculture.
While agriculture represents 7% of jobs in the rural GGH, it is the predominant land use outside of
rural settlements. This unique characteristic helps to shape land use planning in rural areas.
(2001 & 2011 Census of Canada)
View the public notice at ontario.ca/ebr (Registry # 012-3256).
ontario.ca/landuseplanningreview • 1-800-665-1120 • [email protected]