About Us

Vision

A recognized voice providing leadership for a strong and vibrant rural Ontario.

Mission

The Rural Ontario Institute is a catalyst for dialogue, collaboration and action on issues facing rural Ontario and delivers leadership training and development to ensure that rural contributes to a healthy vibrant Ontario. 

Officially launched on April 1, 2010, the Rural Ontario Institute has a mandate to provide rural leadership development and focus on multi-stakeholder engagement for the purposes of engaging rural stakeholders and developing and delivering community engagement strategies; securing and communicating ground intelligence on rural issues; and informing decision makers on rural issues. The Rural Ontario Institute was created through the amalgamation of The Centre for Rural Leadership (TCRL) and The Ontario Rural Council (TORC) to ensure that rural contributes to a strong, healthy and vibrant Ontario.

In to the future, the Rural Ontario Institute will embark on initiatives that build strong rural leaders and represent the critical rural voice on issues of importance to rural Ontario.  

The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) has organizational memberships in the: Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE), Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO), Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations (OACFDC) {associate}; Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Association (OAHFA) {life}; International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leadership (IAPAL) and the Canadian Rural Research Network (CRRN).