We don't live in rural Canada because we have to. Because we have no choice. We live here because we want to. I will argue long into the night that there is no better place to live and raise a family than Prince Edward-Hastings. I'm sure many of you would take me up on that and boost your own part of the country.
Rural residents are proud of being independent.
Of being able to do things for ourselves. But we're also proud of being inter-dependent. Last winter, when large parts of Ontario and Quebec were without electricity, both of these qualities were on display. Let me tell you, I was really moved by the way people coped on their own and how they came together to help each other. But as the ice storm showed, rural life has its unique challenges.