On January 14, 2019, the federal government announced a new Minister of Rural Economic Development. Dr. Ryan Gibson was recently interviewed by the Manitoba Co-operator newspaper for reaction to the new announcement and the implications for rural Canada. You can read the news article: “Rural Canada has a new voice, say rural advocates [1]”. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister released the mandate letter for the new Minister of Rural Economic Development, which outlines the key objectives for the new minister such as developing a Canadian rural economic development strategy, increase rural broadband connectivity, and rural infrastructure investments. Further details on the mandate of the new minister can be found on the Government of Canada - Office of the Prime Minister website [2].