Agricultural and Rural Development Act (ARDA) (R.S., 1985, c. A-3).

The Act provides for the signing of Federal-Provincial agreements for rural development, water supplies, soil improvement and conservation and income and employment opportunities in rural areas. It spells out the provisions to be included in agreements entered into pursuant to the Act. The section on Research provides for the signing of Federal-Provincial research agreements on rural land use, the development and conservation of water supplies for agricultural or other rural purposes, soil improvement and the conservation of rural lands in the province or in any area of the specified in the agreement. Every agreement shall specify the authority responsible for the project and be conform other requirements set out in section 5. Finally, the Act provides for the issue of further regulations necessary or desirable for the purposes of the Act.