McCallion calls on Ford to boost municipal co-operation

[Dan416]

Article from the Globe:

Linky: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-boost-municipal-co-operation/article1904726/

McCallion calls on Ford to boost municipal co-operation
SIRI AGRELL
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 8:26PM EST
Last updated Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 8:28PM EST

Kidney stones may be bad, but they could be easier to deal with than Hazel McCallion.

Mayor Rob Ford was unable to attend a panel discussion with regional mayors at the Greater Toronto Summit on Friday because of his medical condition, but that didn’t stop the Mississauga mayor from calling on him to increase municipal co-operation in the coming years.

“The mayor of Toronto has to do it,” she said. “Toronto is the heart of the GTA, and if the heart isn’t strong...”

Not one to mince words, Ms. McCallion, who will celebrate her 90th birthday on Monday, said she has long advocated for regional partnerships for the Toronto region, only to be undermined or ignored by the City of Toronto itself.

“Toronto has never really been behind us,” she said.

She said Invest Toronto, an arm’s length organization designed to draw business to the city, was “founded in opposition” to regional efforts in the same vein, and said a Toronto marathon was recently rescheduled to occur on the same day as a popular and long-standing Mississauga race.

“That’s what we call co-operation,” she said.

Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina and Frank Scarpitti, mayor of Markham, also participated in the panel, along with deputy Toronto mayor Doug Holyday, who filled in for Mr. Ford.

All of the municipal leaders said more co-operation is needed to promote the region and ensure each city works to its strengths.

Mr. Bratina pointed out that Hamilton has an underused airport and largely unheralded potential as an agricultural centre.

“Maybe [Toronto] should be running our airport and we should have a food terminal,” he said.

Ms. McCallion said her top wish would be to integrate the Mississauga and Toronto transit systems.

But when asked for Toronto’s priorities, Mr. Holyday cited its own balance sheet, and the privatization of garbage collection.

“If there’s anything good about amalgamation of the Greater Toronto Area, and I try and find these things, it’s that at least now, we’re focused in one direction,” he said. “We’ve got to co-operate as a region.”

I'm curious what Hazel means by "integrating" the Toronto and Mississauga transit systems?

 

[doady]

Article from the Globe:

Linky: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-boost-municipal-co-operation/article1904726/



I'm curious what Hazel means by "integrating" the Toronto and Mississauga transit systems?

It could be something as simple allowing Mississauga Transit to provide service in Etobicoke (all 905 transit systems are banned from servicing the 416), especially MT taking over TTC service along Bloor and Burnhamthorpe. And also extending TTC routes into Malton 36 and 37, instead of terminating them at border, 1500m or so from the Westwood Mall terminal.

It just shows how Toronto has been one that's been the main barrier to regional cooperation, not Mississauga, or the rest of 905, at least transit-wise.

But then again, it would be nice for Mississauga and the rest of 905 to pay their share for the maintenance of roads straddling the 905/416 border (Steeles, Eglinton, Renforth)

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Wow this region is Broken. Folks we are being whipped by Calgary, Chicago, Vancouver, and even Philadelphia.

 

[BobBob]

But when asked for Toronto’s priorities, Mr. Holyday cited its own balance sheet, and the privatization of garbage collection.

Now there's an exciting vision everyone can get behind.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Can these people all grow and start moving forward. The GTHA loses out every day we dither.

 

[FutureMayor]

I'm curious what Hazel means by "integrating" the Toronto and Mississauga transit systems?

I was at the Summit and she was talking about PRESTO and how Toronto and Mayor Ford needs to take the lead and ensure that the roll-out happens across the TTC system.

Mayor Ford is going to make a visit to Mississauga City Hall in March to discuss Regional iIssues with Hazel.

Louroz

 

[Dan416]

Oh she's only talking about Presto? How terribly pedestrian and provincial.

 

[CDL.TO]

Hazel's call for municipal co-operation rings hollow when one witnesses her ongoing attempts to undermine regional municipal government.

 

[FutureMayor]

Hazel McCallion and the GTHR

Hazel's call for municipal co-operation rings hollow when one witnesses her ongoing attempts to undermine regional municipal government.

Hazel's fight against the lack of representation and duplication of services with the Region of Peel Council a good 8 years ago, (a fight she won with 2 additional seats), had in no way prevented Toronto from coooperating with the rest of the GTA.

During the recent Summit, Hazel McCallion finally got the credit she deserved for being THE strong Leader on regional cooperation. At the Summit, her peers including Deputy Mayor and former Mayor of Etobicoke Doug Holyday all acknowledged that it was Hazel McCallion that got the ball rolling long before anyone else cared:

It was Hazel McCallion and the City of Mississauga that paid for monthly meetings that brought together ALL the GTA Mayor's and Regional Chairs together to discuss and advocate for region-wide issues for 10 years in the 1990's. (Toronto in the meantime pulled out of AMO - Association of Municipalities of Ontario)

It was Hazel McCallion that founded and launched the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance in 1996 to unify all 29 economic development efforts/offices together. It was this agency that begun the concept of trade missions to China and India, with the province and the federal government finally following behind...www.greatertoronto.org. (Toronto in the meantime founded Build and Invest Toronto ignoring the rest of the GTA once again).

It was Hazel McCallion that was the Chair of the Smart Growth Panel that made the recommendations to designate the GTA Greenbelt and to focus development and density in urban growth nodes.

It was Hazel McCallion that focused on expanding the role and scope of GO Transit as a true regional transit system with the BRT along 403/407 and pushed for the creation of Metrolinx and the use of the PRESTO Card. (Toronto in the meantime banned MississaugaTransit buses from Islington Station and have resisted all calls and plans to fully adopt the PRESTO card)

Hazel McCallion has made mistakes and has her faults, however on Regional Cooperation for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Region, credit should be given where it is due.

Louroz

 

[gristle]

Now there's an exciting vision everyone can get behind.

Yes, good to know our city leaders are focussed on a topic close to their hearts.


My guess is that you won't see much cooperation on transit from Toronto because the present mayor doesn't really care about surface transit. If McCallion suddenly had megabucks for subway extension into Mississauga, Edsel would start to listen.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

This really needs to happen.

 

[TrickyRicky]

Actually I think on this issue Ford could be promising. What I mean is that Ford will share a lot of common ground with other regional municipalities and cooporative efforts seem like they have more psychological space to grow.

I don't expect Ford to take the lead as the mayor of Toronto probably should, but he may be more of a GTA team player. I don't understand the undercurrent of regional rift that seems to fester in the ranks of municipal employees. I guess it's just everyone trying to protect their little princedoms.