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LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BULLETIN – NO. 13, FEBRUARY 2001

The purpose of this bulletin is to focus debate on the need to increase
local self government in Canada and to help local communities achieve more
autonomy. The local self government web site is http://www.localselfgovt.org

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In this issue:
1. Federal interest in urban areas
2. Regional governance Calgary-style
3. Montreal municipalities in court, almost
4. Correction
5. Subscribe to the bulletin.
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1. Federal interest in urban areas

The Speech from the Throne on January 30 included the following paragraph committing the federal government to pay more attention to urban centres:

`Canadian communities of all sizes — whether urban or rural, Aboriginal or multicultural — face diverse challenges and have unique needs. The Government of Canada will strive to ensure that, wherever possible, its actions and programs are co-ordinated to help build local solutions to local challenges. It will work with partners across Canada to launch a dialogue on the opportunities and challenges facing urban centres. It will co-operate with provincial and municipal partners to help improve public transit infrastructure. And it will help to stimulate the creation of more affordable rental housing.’

Pre-consultations on this issue began immediately, led by George Anderson, deputy minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Janice Cochrane, deputy minister of Immigration and Citizenship. They convened private meetings in early February with community leaders in several cities. It will be some weeks before one can expect a report on the nature of the `dialogue’ or what might be put on the table.

One structural issue is how the federal government interfaces with urban areas. In most cities there’s little federal presence even though many departments might be delivering programs. Winnipeg is clearly different, given the ability of former MP Lloyd Axworthy to devise programs serving that city, but most cities don’t have an MP with such clout in Cabinet or such an interest in urban affairs. Montreal is also different. There, the federal government co-ordinates all departments through a senior staff person of deputy-minister rank, so locals don’t spend their time trying to track down a cabinet minister rushing through town.

There are many good ways of improving relationships, quite apart from getting access to federal funds. Perhaps cities can capitalize this rare opportunity when urban area problems have attracted the attention of the federal government.

2. Regional governance Calgary-style

The general rule in Alberta is that if Edmonton does something one way then Calgary will do it another way. Edmonton’s consideration of regional government structures under the auspices of Lou Hyndman (The Alberta Capital Region Governments Review – see Bulletin No. 4, Feb 2000) led municipal officials in the Calgary area to see what they could agree on amongst themselves.

`There was a real fear of one big city because it might have a hidden agenda,’ says John Stinson, reeve of the Municipal District of Rocky View. `So two years ago Al Duerr, mayor of Calgary, got the municipal leaders together and we agreed we had to create some other governance model.’

The result is that staff and political representatives of the city and 12 municipal jurisdictions that surround it have created a useful and successful process for acting as partners. It works on the basis of each municipality having an equal voice even though municipalities differ wildly in size -Calgary’s population is almost 90 per cent of the one million residents in the region.

“People in this process are treated as equals and the city has been careful not to dominate proceedings,’ says Stinson, who chairs the political side of the process.

The discussions have led to the creation of a business plan looking at five critical areas – economic development, infrastructure, transportation, fire and emergency services, environment – with an initial project identified in each area. The group hopes the cost of the plan, $1.8 million, will be funded by the provincial government. Stinson says it is unlikely that a decision to proceed will be made by the province until after the current election campaign is completed.

3. Montreal municipalities in court, almost

The Court challenge to Bill 170, amalgamating all municipalities on Montreal Island into one megacity, will now be heard by the Quebec Superior Court on May 22. When the 20 municipalities attended at Court on February 19, it was agreed that rather than hearing arguments for an injunction against the Bill, it would be more sensible to proceed with the substantive arguments, hence the delay. The court documents which explain the precise nature of the changes are not yet available in English but will be posted on this website when translations have been completed.

Meanwhile, the opponents to the Bill continue to make the case in a very public fashion. The Mayor of Westmount, Peter Trent, wrote an op-ed piece in the Montreal Gazette on February 11, excerpts from which follow:

`The creation of the megacity itself is, however, an irreversible disaster. Urbs longa, vita brevis. A city is forever, life (especially political life) is short.

`The Halifax megacity, created in 1996, has proved to be a failure. The extent of the damage in creating mega-Toronto in 1998 is just surfacing, with its budgetary shortfall of $305 million and taxes that could go up as much as 77 per cent. Ottawa is next in line to immolate itself.

`In a leap of faith and logic of Olympian proportions, [Montreal mayor Pierre] Bourque says all this can't happen here. Let's get this straight. (1) We have to take the merger medicine because Toronto took it. (2) It made Toronto sick. (3) The same medicine will make us well.

`Hmm. Let's try it another way. (1) The mess in Toronto was created by provincial downloading and spiralling salaries. (2) Quebec has been repeatedly downloading since 1992 and refuses to free Montreal from its union hammerlock. (3) Downloading and salary increases won't happen in the future. Hmm….

`Unfortunately, Bourque is not alone in warmly welcoming the Transition Committee and its anti-democratic mission. We have Gerald Tremblay, who, in his ill-disguised declaration of candidacy [for mayor of the megacity] last month, gushed, "We must recognize and seize the exceptional opportunity this reform is offering us." And, in a swipe against those mayors who are fulfilling promises made to citizens and who, therefore, are fighting Bill 170 in court, he lectures us, "We must respect this law in the same way we respect all other laws."

`Somebody should inform him that iniquitous laws should be contested. That's what the judicial system is for.’
The full text of Mayor Trent’s article is found at http://www.montrealgazette.com/editorial/pages/010211/5039906.html

4. Correction
The local government ideas cited in Bulletin 12 are proposed amendments to the constitution of the state of Victoria, not Australia. One writer who pointed out the error said `As in Canada, the provincial (i.e. our "state") governments are the ones which exercise the key role in relation to local governments. Getting suitable recognition in the Australian constitution would be great but is not on the agenda at the moment. It is hard enough to shift the state governments, even when their rhetoric is supportive!’
Our apologies.

5. Subscribe to this bulletin

The bulletin is sent, at no cost, to about 1300 individuals involved directly or indirectly in local government in Canada. We invite you to subscribe by going to the ‘Bulletin’ tab of the web site http://www.localselfgovt.org and following the instructions. More information about the sponsors of the bulletin and members of the advisory committee can be found on our web site. We appreciate your comments, your feedback (to j.sewell@on.aibn.com ), and items of interest that you wish to share with us and others who visit the web site.

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