Toronto amalgamation a poor comparison
North Shore News, Letters
June 17, 2015
Dear Editor:
Re: Amalgamation costs more: Fraser Institute, June 7 front-page story.
Applying the Fraser Institute’s vast Toronto amalgamation example is a gross misuse of statistics. It has no relevant comparable basis of what would be required to amalgamate the City and District of North Vancouver, or even if North Vancouver and West Vancouver were to amalgamate.
Firstly, between the DNV and the CNV we already share a school district, recreation commission, policing and transit.
Our area is small so would need no further council seats and could amalgamate those.
No reduction in city or district workers would be required as they attend to different geographical areas.
Secondly, we are not the sole governing body responsible for the amount and types of services that Toronto has like transit, water, sewage, housing, social services, children’s services, unemployment, shelter, transit and hydro.
In 1954, Toronto started amalgamating services for 13 townships, villages, towns and cities calling it Metropolitan Toronto (Toronto, East York, Etobicoke, Forest Hill, Leaside, Long Branch, Mimico, New Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Swansea, Toronto, Weston, and York), created for better co-ordination of city services (this is like creating our Metro Vancouver services but with broader responsibilities than water and housing). This lasted until 1998, when the regional level of government was abolished. Six municipalities (Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, East York, York, and Scarborough) were amalgamated into a single municipality “megacity.” This change was badly impacted by the timing of massive additional “downloading” costs of provincial services to the municipal level, with little to no new revenue available. Toronto also is solely in charge of their own drinking and sanitation water facilities, and housing (unlike us which share Metro Vancouver with many municipalities in the Lower Mainland). Toronto is in charge of its own transportation (that would be like us in charge of TransLink). Many Ontario provincial services — including social services, unemployment, human rights, children’s services, culture and economic development — were also disbanded and placed under Toronto’s responsibilities.
Thirdly, Toronto’s (2011 census) total population was 6,054,191; the metropolitan area population, 5,583,064. Populations (2011): North Vancouver (city) 48,196; North Vancouver (district), 84,412. Toronto is vastly more complicated and dealing with about six times the population.
Historically, the North Shore was all one municipality. In 1891 all of the North Shore (including West Vancouver and with the exception of Moodyville) was North Vancouver District. In 1907, the City of North Vancouver was established. In 1912, West Vancouver separated from the district.
J. L. Sherst
North Vancouver
© 2015 North Shore News
- See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/letter-toronto-amalgamation-a-poor-comparison-1.1971388#sthash.y9THwPmF.fONQTE2u.dpuf
North Shore News, Letters
June 17, 2015
Dear Editor:
Re: Amalgamation costs more: Fraser Institute, June 7 front-page story.
Applying the Fraser Institute’s vast Toronto amalgamation example is a gross misuse of statistics. It has no relevant comparable basis of what would be required to amalgamate the City and District of North Vancouver, or even if North Vancouver and West Vancouver were to amalgamate.
Firstly, between the DNV and the CNV we already share a school district, recreation commission, policing and transit.
Our area is small so would need no further council seats and could amalgamate those.
No reduction in city or district workers would be required as they attend to different geographical areas.
Secondly, we are not the sole governing body responsible for the amount and types of services that Toronto has like transit, water, sewage, housing, social services, children’s services, unemployment, shelter, transit and hydro.
In 1954, Toronto started amalgamating services for 13 townships, villages, towns and cities calling it Metropolitan Toronto (Toronto, East York, Etobicoke, Forest Hill, Leaside, Long Branch, Mimico, New Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Swansea, Toronto, Weston, and York), created for better co-ordination of city services (this is like creating our Metro Vancouver services but with broader responsibilities than water and housing). This lasted until 1998, when the regional level of government was abolished. Six municipalities (Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, East York, York, and Scarborough) were amalgamated into a single municipality “megacity.” This change was badly impacted by the timing of massive additional “downloading” costs of provincial services to the municipal level, with little to no new revenue available. Toronto also is solely in charge of their own drinking and sanitation water facilities, and housing (unlike us which share Metro Vancouver with many municipalities in the Lower Mainland). Toronto is in charge of its own transportation (that would be like us in charge of TransLink). Many Ontario provincial services — including social services, unemployment, human rights, children’s services, culture and economic development — were also disbanded and placed under Toronto’s responsibilities.
Thirdly, Toronto’s (2011 census) total population was 6,054,191; the metropolitan area population, 5,583,064. Populations (2011): North Vancouver (city) 48,196; North Vancouver (district), 84,412. Toronto is vastly more complicated and dealing with about six times the population.
Historically, the North Shore was all one municipality. In 1891 all of the North Shore (including West Vancouver and with the exception of Moodyville) was North Vancouver District. In 1907, the City of North Vancouver was established. In 1912, West Vancouver separated from the district.
J. L. Sherst
North Vancouver
© 2015 North Shore News
- See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/letter-toronto-amalgamation-a-poor-comparison-1.1971388#sthash.y9THwPmF.fONQTE2u.dpuf