Our Vision for Rural Development
We discuss the makeup, communities, and economies of the Rural Parishes and Prefectural Cities that we wish to create. This is about more than just development—it's about protecting the land for future generations while building thriving communities.
Our Goal: We wish to live on these lands not just to derive paradise from it, but to protect it for future generations, stopping subdivisions from being built on it.
Rural Parishes
We discuss the land, the economy, needs we can provide, and our desire to live on those lands responsibly and sustainably.
Communal Ownership Model
We discuss our ownership model, where farmland is owned communally by our parishes, and that it's not for sale. This ensures the land remains protected and productive for generations to come.
Agricultural Foundation
- We grow food, sell it, and eat it
- Derive our cultural identity from this activity
- Build our basic economy from agriculture
- Communal ownership protects the land
Economic Prosperity
- Food factories and processing
- Logistics and distribution
- Technical industries and professional services
- Rock mines and large industries
Downstream Economic Development
We talk about downstreaming this output—food factories, logistics, and the ability for our community to derive cultural and economic prosperity from our model.
Not everyone has to work on the farm 24/7, but everything we do rurally, from technical industries like logistics and professional services, to the more boutique and creative places like local restaurants and stores and home-based businesses, are derived from the prosperity that our farms, factories, rock mines and large industries bring to our people.
A Complete Rural Economy
Our rural model supports diverse livelihoods—from farming to technical work, from restaurants to home businesses—all connected to the prosperity of our agricultural foundation.
Land Selection & Priorities
We talk about the beauty of those parishes we wish to go, and select our first priorities.
What We're Looking For
Natural Beauty
Areas with really nice winding roads and scenic landscapes
Water Resources
Presence of water courses and waterways
Forests
Deep forests and the presence of many county forests
Rail Access
Located on railroads for transportation and connectivity
Strategic Location
On our county's borders for regional connections
Varied Terrain
Good farmland combined with nice hills and mountains
Priority Areas
We're particularly interested in areas with good farmland and nice hills and mountains all over the county, and especially some non-prefectural parishes near Barrie.
Collaboration Welcome
Photos, information, and invitations for collaboration would be offered. We welcome partnerships with existing communities and landowners who share our vision.
Prefectures
In Prefectures, we map them out specifically and discuss how our model of urban development helps protect natural areas while building the cities our townships and neighbors need for the future.
Urban Development Model
Our Prefecture model protects the natural areas we came to save, while building the cities our townships who host us, and our neighbors Barrie and Orillia, need for the future.
Political Structure
- Exist within our townships
- Protect territorial integrity of townships
- Prevent unnecessary annexations
- New models for municipal revenue
Services Provided
- Transit systems
- Emergency services
- Community centres
- Services townships want but can't provide
Protecting the Frontier
The Prefecture provides all of it, because rather than forcing the township to drive all the way to their land's end, we on the frontiers, in areas that are most under threat from annexation and development, provide both what we and our communities need.
This means we don't need annexations in the future, and can have a broader discussion on new ways that municipalities should raise money, outside of solely growing tax bases through development and annexations.
Smart Growth Philosophy
We don't need sprawl, just the right amount of towns and densities in them, and the right amount of rural land to both enjoy for the clean air and peace they provide, and the economic prosperity we can derive from it.
Food Security & Urban Planning
We know how important food is to a city's life, and we need to do things differently.
Our Approach
We welcome support from the affected townships and affected communities, and we wish to live there and build our way for a reason.
We understand that protecting agricultural land while allowing for necessary urban development requires innovative thinking and community collaboration.
Community Partnership
We seek partnerships with:
- Local townships
- Existing communities
- Agricultural stakeholders
- Environmental organizations
- Regional planners
A Different Path Forward
We know how important food is to a city's life, and we need to do things differently. Our model protects farmland, provides urban services where needed, and creates economic prosperity without endless sprawl.
Get Involved
Whether you're interested in rural development, urban planning, or protecting agricultural land, we welcome your involvement.
Landowners
If you own rural land and are interested in our communal ownership model
Township Partners
Municipal governments interested in collaborative development
Community Members
Autarians interested in rural living and agricultural work
Technical Experts
Planners, engineers, and agricultural specialists
Join the Conversation
Help us build sustainable rural communities and smart urban prefectures in Simcoe County.
Register as an Autarian