Ottawa's rural neighbours are making their voices heard as the federal government's four-day-a-week return-to-office policy draws closer — and the commute math isn't adding up.
The United Counties of Prescott and Russell have formally asked the federal government to consider establishing rural satellite workspaces or regional hubs that would allow public servants living outside the Ottawa-Gatineau core to do their jobs without enduring long, costly commutes into the capital.
What Prescott-Russell Is Asking For
The county's resolution calls on the federal government to explore dedicated co-working or telework hub spaces in smaller communities — places where civil servants could clock in without necessarily making the trek to a downtown Ottawa office every day.
The idea isn't to dodge the return-to-office requirement altogether, but to offer a practical middle ground: public servants could work in a government-approved workspace closer to home, satisfying the in-person requirement without the two-hour round trip.
It's a reasonable ask. Many federal employees relocated to smaller communities like Hawkesbury, Rockland, and Vankleek Hill during the pandemic, drawn by more space, lower housing costs, and the promise of remote flexibility. The blanket return-to-office policy now puts those life decisions in jeopardy.
The Commute Problem Is Real
For public servants living deep in Prescott-Russell, commuting to Ottawa four days a week isn't just inconvenient — it's a significant financial and personal burden. Gas, wear on vehicles, highway time, and childcare costs all add up fast. For families who structured their lives around remote work, the shift is a major disruption.
Rural municipalities across Ontario have been vocal about the downstream effects of federal workplace policy. When government workers commute out instead of spending locally, small-town economies feel it — fewer lunches at the local diner, less foot traffic in main street shops.
A Growing Conversation Across Ontario
Prescott-Russell isn't alone in this push. Rural communities across eastern Ontario and Quebec have been raising similar concerns as the return-to-office deadline approaches. The federal government has acknowledged the transition will be challenging for some employees but has largely held firm on the policy.
Proponents of the hub model point to potential wins beyond worker convenience: distributed government workspaces could support rural economic development, reduce urban congestion, and help Ottawa retain talent that might otherwise leave the public service entirely.
What Comes Next
It remains to be seen whether Ottawa will entertain the regional hub idea at scale. Pilot programs and flexible arrangements have been floated in various forms, but a formal rural satellite network would require coordination across departments and significant infrastructure planning.
For now, Prescott-Russell's ask puts on record what many rural public servants are feeling: the one-size-fits-all office mandate doesn't map neatly onto the geographic reality of where Canadians actually live.
The county's resolution will be submitted to the federal government for consideration. Whether it gains traction is another matter — but it signals that the return-to-office debate is far from settled outside the Queensway.
Source: CBC Ottawa
