Idyllic rolling pastures, inspiring natural splendor and cozy small towns are quintessential descriptions of rural life. Approximately 18% of Canadians live in rural areas. In Ontario, some rural regions curl along the waters of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and others span the northern areas of Ontario. However, as many rural people may tell you, defining what rural can be is challenging; it sometimes refers to anything outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
In 2020 with the closures of schools, workplaces and public spaces due to the COVID 19 Pandemic, many people went from the big city to small towns. Urbanites’ journeys ranged in scope: some visited and some moved. Travels included vacations in Muskoka and other cottage regions to enjoy the breathtaking outdoors. They picked up new hobbies such as hiking or baking bread. Many others decided to settle more permanently in small centres with their families. In some places, new rural residents discovered they had to drive to get anywhere and that restaurants closed at 8-ish in the evening.
Green areas and open space are two of the biggest draws for those coming to areas outside of big cities; rural areas have open spaces in abundance. In 2022 CBC News reported some rural community populations growing by over 21%.
This Urban Exodus created many opportunities and challenges for rural communities who were host to new entrepreneurs and skilled workers in tandem with accelerating issues of aging infrastructure.
There were also social conflicts that arose within these rural communities. As Dr. Epp describes, "there were complaints about traffic and losing the small-town feel”. She noted there was a sort of dualism in the impacts. A "small-town feel” was a major driver of those seeking to live in rural areas yet the increased number of new residents contributed to a loss of that feeling for many.
Webinar: “The Urban Exodus: The Impacts of the COVID 19 Pandemic in Rural Ontario”
On Tuesday, February 4th, 2025, from 12 – 1 PM ET via ZOOM Gateway (CERH) hosted an online webinar on “The Urban Exodus: Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Ontario”. The key speaker was Dr. Sara Epp, an assistant professor at the University of Guelph and Latornell Chair in Environmental Stewardship. Presentation slides were developed by Natasha Gaudio-Harrison, a recent graduate of the Rural Planning and Development program.
Dr. Sara Epp was joined by an expert panel to help interpret those results including:
Ellen Sinclair, Executive Director of the Rural Ontario Institute
Scott Taylor, Director Planning at the County of Grey
Dr. Christopher Fullerton, Professor Geography and Tourism at Brock University
Dr. Sara Epp shared preliminary research on a project from the University of Guelph that examines the migration to rural communities during the COVID 19 Pandemic whether it be from retirement, second-home ownership or new telecommuting opportunities.
Survey results showed that many municipalities perceived a change in the number of new residents. In the lecture, Scott Taylor remarked on the increased school enrollments and use of the sewage systems year-over-year that he has observed within the County of Grey. Next steps of the research include the creation of case examples of urban flight.
To watch this lecture in full, you can watch the video below:
Resources to Learn More
There are many different resources that can be used by community members, planners or academics to understand this issue.
The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) hosts a wellbeing dashboard that informs about the current states of housing, health and other factors that contribute to wellbeing in rural and remote areas. ROI have curated case study examples of rural resiliency during the pandemic.
Local Immigration Partnerships provide resources to both newcomers from within and beyond Canada. The Huron County Immigration partnership aims to be a welcoming community for many and can help people connect to community events and provide tools for integration.
Official Plans are the tools of municipalities to map and plan the development of their own community. The County of Grey’s plan includes a fun, interactive map that shows where everything from new homes to new schools would be built. It helps to plan for future growth, and anyone can contribute to its creation.
About Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health
Founded in 2008 in the community of Seaforth, ON, Gateway CERH is a not-for-profit rural health research organization run by a community-based volunteer board of directors. Gateway CERH's main mission is to better the health and quality of life of rural residents through research, education and communication. Learn more on the Gateway CERH website at: https://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca/ and follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube
A brief disclaimer: the views expressed in these lectures may not necessarily reflect Gateway CERH’s views or opinions, but we believe in providing a platform for a range of perspectives and thoughtful discussion.
Gateway CERH has a full library of lectures and information about the upcoming presentation that can be found on our website: https://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca/lectureseries
Or watch all past lecture online on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GatewayCERH/videos
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