Rae Announces over $270,000 in Local Economic Development Funding
[Perth-Wellington] – Matthew Rae, MPP for Perth-Wellington, announced over $272,802 in funding for local projects through the Rural Economic Development program.
“It is important that we continue to invest in our rural communities, ensuring they continue to thrive,” MPP Rae said. “Our provincial government recognizes the importance of our small and rural communities through targeted programs like RED. I will continue to advocate for local investments that improve our communities.”
The RED program supports projects that diversify rural economies, retain skilled workers, and create jobs in local communities. The province is investing over $4.3 million in cost-share funding through the 2023 intake, which will support up to 80 projects across the province.
“Our government values rural communities throughout the province, and this program provides municipalities, Indigenous communities, and not-for-profits with the funding they need for projects that contribute to local economic vitality,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “The Rural Economic Development program is another example of how our government is ensuring small towns and communities across Ontario continue to share in the province’s growth and economic prosperity.”
“The Town of Minto is thrilled to receive $20,000 from the Rural Economic Development Fund to assist with the Move to Minto – Your Business Belongs Here – Business Attraction Campaign,” said Minto Director of Economic & Community Development, Belinda Wick-Graham. “Together with our partners from the Minto Chamber of Commerce, County of Wellington and Saugeen Economic Development Corporation we will take the information we have gathered to identify targeted businesses to attract to our downtowns and will amplify our marketing efforts to attract these businesses in unique and creative ways such as the Tour the Town Business Opportunity Open House.”
“I’m passionate about North Perth’s commitment to the flourishing of agriculture and agricultural technology in our community,” said Mayor of North Perth, Todd Kasenberg. “North Perth has invested in the development of an innovative Farm and Food Forward strategy, which will nurture our agricultural excellence and create sustainable innovation for our long-term future. I am proud of our team that has advocated for funding to push forward our leadership. I am grateful that the province of Ontario has, through this RED project award, seen our commitment and innovative spirit and can partner with us in this important initiative that will garner reliable input from stakeholders and provide practical supports to both agriculture novices and those who have anchored our farming community over their long commitments.”
“The Lynes Blacksmith Shop is a unique cultural heritage asset in Wellington North,” said CAO of Wellington North, Brooke Lambert. “This funding is a wonderful contribution to the community-led restoration activities that will ensure it can continue to teach us about our past, present and future.”
“Perth County and investStratford with the financial support of RED funding hired a firm who specializes in Human Resources who developed the FREE Workforce Attraction and Retention Employer Toolkit,” said Perth County’s Manager of Economic Development & Tourism, Meredith Forget. “This toolkit is an interactive, online portal with templates, instructional guides, best practices and other resources that have been tried and tested by other employers from across a variety of sectors. We developed this toolkit to help local employers attract and retain employees amid the ongoing labour shortage.”
Employers can register for access to the toolkit by completing the online form at www.perthcounty.ca/employerregistration & https://www.investstratford.com/waret
The RED program seeks to create strong rural communities through initiatives like funding assistance to build local capacity and improve job prospects. The program aligns with the government’s priorities of removing barriers to investment, opening doors to rural economic development, and creating good jobs across the province.
Local funding as provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs:
| RED Funding Recipient | Project | Funding Amount |
| Drayton Entertainment | Modernizing Operations | $ 49,403 |
| Town of Minto | Downtown Revitalization | $ 20,000 |
| Municipality of North Perth | Agriculture Excellence Action Plan | $ 136,799 |
| Township of Wellington North | Lynes Blacksmith Shop Restoration | $ 16,600 |
| Perth County | Workforce Attraction and Retention Employer Toolkit (WARET) | $ 50,000 |
| Total | | $ 272,802 |