It’s now time to move amalgamation forward
Times Colonist Letters
November 18, 2014
Re: “So Greater Victoria is in favour of amalgamation after all — kinda,” Nov. 16.
Greater Victoria, population about 400,000, has 13 mayors and 78 councillors for 13 municipalities.
Calgary, my home town, population 1.2 million, has one mayor and 14 councillors, one for each ward.
How ludicrous is it to continue to fund such an unnecessary political machine as Greater Victoria?
I do not see how 13 municipalities with 400,000 people, which share the same approximate land size as Calgary, can suggest they are distinct from each municipality and share no commonalities in the running of each community.
I do not remember the last time Canada Day was celebrated by Greater Victoria anywhere except the Inner Harbour in downtown Victoria by many of the 400,000 people who make up Greater Victoria.
The megaproject-infrastructure needs of Greater Victoria, which need consensus from 13 municipalities, cannot be best served by the political status quo.
I hope that the non-binding amalgamation vote that took place in eight of 13 municipalities is impetus enough to get the process moving forward.
John Carter
Victoria
Times Colonist Letters
November 18, 2014
Re: “So Greater Victoria is in favour of amalgamation after all — kinda,” Nov. 16.
Greater Victoria, population about 400,000, has 13 mayors and 78 councillors for 13 municipalities.
Calgary, my home town, population 1.2 million, has one mayor and 14 councillors, one for each ward.
How ludicrous is it to continue to fund such an unnecessary political machine as Greater Victoria?
I do not see how 13 municipalities with 400,000 people, which share the same approximate land size as Calgary, can suggest they are distinct from each municipality and share no commonalities in the running of each community.
I do not remember the last time Canada Day was celebrated by Greater Victoria anywhere except the Inner Harbour in downtown Victoria by many of the 400,000 people who make up Greater Victoria.
The megaproject-infrastructure needs of Greater Victoria, which need consensus from 13 municipalities, cannot be best served by the political status quo.
I hope that the non-binding amalgamation vote that took place in eight of 13 municipalities is impetus enough to get the process moving forward.
John Carter
Victoria
