Deamalgamation for Toronto and Hamilton?

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Given the various council problems and fights in Toronto, and in Hamiltons case getting nothing done, do you think its time for deamalgamation for Toronto and Hamilton? Is it time to reestablish North York, East York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, York, Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Glanbrook, Dundas, Flamborough?

 

[gristle]

It's not going to happen.

 

[Eastside]

One can dream...

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

It's not going to happen.

Hudak could if the caucus pushes him.

 

[Electrify]

Voted yes. Though I think they should keep York and East York part of Toronto, or do a borough system like Montreal or New York.

Another thing worth noting is that a lot of Canadian cities that have done the megacity thing have merged virtually the entire metro into the municipality, from inner-city to suburbs to countryside. Toronto only merged the inner-suburbs, while outer-suburbs and rural fringe are still in their own municipalities. Have these other mergers turned out better? If so, maybe we should look at some sort of merger between GTA municipalities into Toronto.

 

[Dan416]

Never going to happen.

The merger of the 416 and 905 was supposed to happen after the initial merging of Metro and its municipalities. The second part didn't happen, clearly. But that doesn't mean it won't.

 

[junctionist]

I prefer the system of community councils of approximately 150,000 people described in the following article to reverting the city back to the pre-1998 configuration. I think smaller administration systems can have much better understanding of the fine details of neighbourhood issues, be it sloppy park maintenance, badly deteriorated infrastructure, TTC service issues, and community centre and public space issues. The massive bureaucratic structures needed for an amalgamated city may save money but create a lot of problems because they can't handle all the small issues on the streets.

Toronto 'too big' and 'too small'

 

[King of Kensington]

Absolutely, the Megacity is dysfunctional. However I would think the amalgamations that covered exurban areas would be worse - I can't imagine how bad Ottawa is. When one enters the "City of Ottawa" it's like "where is it?"

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Never going to happen.

The merger of the 416 and 905 was supposed to happen after the initial merging of Metro and its municipalities. The second part didn't happen, clearly. But that doesn't mean it won't.

Really? We would be a a much, much worse situation if that were ever to happen. People complain about Rob Ford, how would like people in Oshawa and Newmarket making decision for downtown?

 

[archanfel]

Really? We would be a a much, much worse situation if that were ever to happen. People complain about Rob Ford, how would like people in Oshawa and Newmarket making decision for downtown?

But you are perfectly ok with people from downtown making decisions for the suburbs? Say Etobicoke or Scarborough? It almost make me think we need a two tier system like the US. A senate with 2 senators from each community and a congress with proportional representation. Ah, the mistrust.

 

[Second_in_pie]

But you are perfectly ok with people from downtown making decisions for the suburbs? Say Etobicoke or Scarborough? It almost make me think we need a two tier system like the US. A senate with 2 senators from each community and a congress with proportional representation. Ah, the mistrust.

The city state of Toronto?

I'd say that the two cities should be brought back down to their smaller sections (maybe rejig a couple boundaries,) but the entire region of the GTA or maybe even the GGH should go under one large government. Not a province, but a step up from smaller city councils.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I don't think de-amalgamation is necessary as much as restructuring of government. The City should act as, essentially, a Regional Government. Community Councils should have far more power to implement things that only impact their ward. (Bike lanes on Jarvis, for example, would have only required a majority vote of the Toronto & East York Community Council.)

 

[Filip]

I believe a new Metro Toronto should be created, one that encompasses the entire 905 and into Hamilton.

 

[JWBF]

Ya, the Megacity is botched, due to no single infrastructure for governing set forth by the founding fathers; Ford should be quite familiar with the deal because of "Daddy".

Until we actually have a real legal infrastructure in Toronto, and homogenized services city wide we cannot really think about something like the Halifax Regional Municipality, etc.

It's a pity since I support a greater regional government encompassing the present GTA.

To paraphrase a popular political saying, why throw out the baby with the bath water?

 

[hbl33]

I don't think de-amalgamation is necessary as much as restructuring of government. The City should act as, essentially, a Regional Government. Community Councils should have far more power to implement things that only impact their ward. (Bike lanes on Jarvis, for example, would have only required a majority vote of the Toronto & East York Community Council.)

For first time, I strongly worship this idea. Shouldn't local developments be governed by a ward rather than a entire city as a whole (unless otherwise draws interest to municipal, regional or provincial matters)?