Statement made on 14 December 2009 by Senator Robert Peterson
Hon. Robert W. Peterson:
Honourable senators, rural Canada is at a crossroads, to say the least. Over the years, its fabric has slowly started to unravel. It seems that no matter in which region of the country we find ourselves, stories of the demise of rural Canada can be heard loud and clear. More and more young people are choosing to move away from the country and into the city. Some leave to go to college or university, some leave to find work, and others simply leave, wanting to see what else is in store for them.
My point is not to fault those who decide to leave. On the contrary, my point is to ask how we can assure a high quality of life for the millions of people who have decided to remain in Canada's smaller centres. My point is to ask how we can guarantee that the young family who recently took over the family farm or the senior citizen who has lived in small-town Saskatchewan all her life will not be penalized because of where they choose to live.
Living in rural Canada should not mean having to accept hospital bed closures and the shutting of schools. It should not mean having to drive three hours to see their doctor or having to travel five towns over to bring their children to school, but this is exactly what many people have had to do over the years. To say it more plainly, too often rural Canadians are asked to give up things that we would never ask of people living in cities.
People will not stay in rural Canada unless we all agree to support rural Canada. Communities throughout this country are struggling to stay together, and they need to know that the government is contributing its share to help them out. Rural communities have not felt that over the last four years. During that time, they have observed the closure of 42 rural post offices and 55,000 rural mailboxes. This is unacceptable and must stop today. That is why this motion and the legislation that will follow is so important.
Honourable senators, we in this place, know that shutting down a post office is not about bricks and mortar; it is about taking away a piece of the community. It is about weakening the ties that bind people in town to people in surrounding farms. It is about accepting that yet another part of rural Canada is allowed to fall by the wayside.
Senators, we have an opportunity here to show real leadership. We have an opportunity to stand up for rural Canada.