City-state provinces in Canada? Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver

[Cloud Cover]

No because other cities in Ontario obtain their water from Lake Ontario as well. They can have the Humber river.

What about taking this city state idea to the next level and evicting them from Canada and creating city-states like Singapore. I don't see a lot of merit for the rest of us in it, but my guess is that Toronto and Vancouver could probably make a good go on their own.

 

[mariomike]

So by extension, Lake Ontario’s should be under Toronto’s purview and not the Province or Canada?

Who's "purview" is Lake Ontario? I believe the U.S. and Canada.

As for "purview" of the Western Waterfront, Toronto Harbour, The Port Lands, The Beach, Scarborough Bluffs, Cherry Beach, The Islands, ... they have always been under the "purview" of the City of Toronto.

eg: The Toronto Police and Paramedic Marine Unit is responsible for 460 square miles of open water on Lake Ontario. Everything from Etobicoke creek to the Rouge River, and extending 13 nautical miles to the US/Canada border.

 

[Cloud Cover]

So they have a 46 mile long strip of water, 10 miles out? Thats more water than Singapore claims (277 sq.miles), and they have a navy!
6 submarines + 4 (U/C)
6 frigates
6 corvettes
3 littoral mission vessel + 5 (U/C)
7 patrol vessels
4 amphibious transport docks
4 mine countermeasures vessels
2 types of unmanned surface vehicle

 

[Jed]

So they have a 46 mile long strip of water, 10 miles out? Thats more water than Singapore claims (277 sq.miles), and they have a navy!
6 submarines + 4 (U/C)
6 frigates
6 corvettes
3 littoral mission vessel + 5 (U/C)
7 patrol vessels
4 amphibious transport docks
4 mine countermeasures vessels
2 types of unmanned surface vehicle

Go Big or Go Home.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Go Big or Go Home.

That's the price of being a small, but very smart and very rich kid who lives in a very rough neighbourhood.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Toronto and Vancouver already consider themselves the only parts of Canada that really matter. If both received status as provinces, they'll put their two pointy little heads together and roll over every federal election to come and divide the spoils, at least until one of them files for  divorce.

 

[tomahawk6]

The Toronto tollway is a real money maker so set up a toll both at the border.

 

[mariomike]

The Toronto tollway is a real money maker so set up a toll both at the border.

Toronto wanted to toll the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway. The province vetoed it.

They can't even install a speed bump without permission from Queen's Park.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Has anyone considered Toronto becoming it's own city-state?

 

[mariomike]

Has anyone considered Toronto becoming it's own city-state?

For reference to the discussion,

City-state provinces in Canada? Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
https://army.ca/forums/threads/124115.125.html
6 pages.
Locked.

"In the 1970s, Paul Godfrey presented to the Royal Commission on Metropolitan Toronto, as chairman of Metropolitan Toronto, arguments that the region should have the capability to set policy as does a provincial government.

Political observers say the change is unlikely to happen, given it would require the approval of Parliament and seven of the provinces, with at least 50 per cent of the population."
Toronto Star March 16, 2010

Michael Gravelle, the Minister of Northern Development and Mines, said "I look at it from the perspective of would this be good for Northern Ontario . . . and I don‘t think it would be.”
http://www.liquisearch.com/proposal_for_the_province_of_toronto/history

 

[Altair]

http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/ontario-pc-leader-says-hed-like-to-bring-in-a-u-s-style-strong-mayor-system-for-cities-one-person-in-charge

Doug Ford wants Ontario municipalities to have the same kind of strong-mayor system as many big cities in the U.S., saying a more powerful chief magistrate would be preferable to the “free-for-all” of current councils.

The suggestion is outlined in the book Ford wrote about his time at Toronto city hall, published 18 months ago and largely forgotten since he entered provincial politics in February.

“If I ever get to the provincial level of politics, municipal affairs is the first thing I would want to change,” the Progressive Conservative leader says. “I think mayors across the province deserve stronger powers. One person in charge, with veto power, similar to the strong mayoral systems in New York and Chicago and L.A.”

Ford hasn’t raised the issue during his campaign for Ontario’s June 7 election, but a PC spokeswoman suggested such change is still on his agenda, saying the leader favours reforms to make municipal government more efficient and effective.

http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/montreal-gets-metropolis-status-with-more-powers-and-autonomy

On a more concrete level, the city gets sweeping new powers, the kind the island’s politicians have craved for years. Besides control over bar and store hours, there’s more power to manage housing, health, the homeless and the integration of immigrants.

The city can crack down faster on the owners of crumbling or unsanitary buildings and directly compensate the owners of businesses who suffer revenue losses because of never-ending infrastructure projects.

Montreal now can launch a corporation to manage parking and set up a network of charging stations for electric cars, Municipal Affairs Minister Martin Coiteux said, describing the passing of the law as a “historic day for the city and Quebec.”

The government has already created special legislation tailored to fit the provincial capital and another for other cities in the province.

On the economic level, Montreal gets the power — under certain conditions — to grant direct subsidies and tax credits to companies that want to invest in the city. That power comes with a $50-million-a-year development fund the city can use as it sees fit.

looks like Montreal is already getting special powers and Toronto is going to be well on its way to joining them.

 

[mariomike]

Prior to 1998, each of the six cities and boroughs in Metro had their own mayor.

The councillors appointed the Metro Chairman, ensuring whoever held that role had a mandate from council.

Doug likely remembers when Council stripped his brother's power to govern the city during a state of emergency.

Under Doug's "strong mayor" system - with mayoral veto power over city council decisions - that would not have happened.

In his book, "Ford Nation: Two Brothers, One Vision", Doug wrote, "One person in charge, with veto power."

Veto power would allow the mayor to "punch down" at city council.

Veto power would not allow the mayor to "punch up" at Queen's Park.

ie: A "strong mayor" could appoint and dismiss city department heads, and have veto powers over city council decisions.

But, Queen's Park could still veto the "strong mayor" if s/he wanted to install a speed bump.

That has all bee discussed here,

City-state provinces in Canada? Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
https://army.ca/forums/threads/124115.125.html
6 pages.
Locked.
 

 

[daftandbarmy]

Prior to 1998, each of the six cities and boroughs in Metro had their own mayor.

The councillors appointed the Metro Chairman, ensuring whoever held that role had a mandate from council.

Doug likely remembers when Council stripped his brother's power to govern the city during a state of emergency.

Under Doug's "strong mayor" system - with mayoral veto power over city council decisions - that would not have happened.

In his book, "Ford Nation: Two Brothers, One Vision", Doug wrote, "One person in charge, with veto power."

Veto power would allow the mayor to "punch down" at city council.

Veto power would not allow the mayor to "punch up" at Queen's Park.

And the resulting power struggles would cause gridlock in the corridors of power.

Maybe amalgamation isn't necessary. They keep trying it here in Victoria and it fails every time due to a million issues from union contracts to basic culture clashes. Here's another option:

BC’s unique model of local government makes amalgamation unnecessary

https://www.uvic.ca/hsd/publicadmin/home/home/news/archive/amalgamation.php

 

[mariomike]

Maybe amalgamation isn't necessary.

Maybe.

The amalgamation occurred despite a municipal referendum in 1997 in which in over three-quarters of voters rejected amalgamation.

The decision to amalgamate in 1998 was made by Queen's Park, not City Hall.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Hmmm. I wonder how long they can hold out on their own before the Duchy of Grand Cabbage resorts to the atomic football. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053084/videoplayer/vi2118518553?ref_=tt_ov_vi

 

[mariomike]

, First-Tier municipalities (whatever that is)

An example of First Tier would be the former ( Old ) City of Toronto, Boroughs of Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York and East York. The upper tier was Metro Toronto ( amalgamated in 1954 ). Simply known as "Metro".

The villages of Forest Hills and Swansea ( where I live ) were amalgamated into the City of Toronto in 1967.

Metro ran the police ( amalgamated 1957 ) and paramedics ( amalgamated 1967 ) among other things. Fire departments were last to amalgamate. They were operated by the above cities and boroughs until 1998.

In 1998, Metro was amalgamated into the new The City of Toronto.

There were six mayors and one Metro Chairman.

That may sound complicated. But, it is actually the simple version.

 

[dimsum]

I was born and raised in Toronto (the Megacity happened when I was in high school), and never heard of Swansea before.  Huh - learned something today.

 

[mariomike]

I was born and raised in Toronto (the Megacity happened when I was in high school), and never heard of Swansea before.  Huh - learned something today.

Swansea is not generally known as its natural boundaries are a lake, a river and a pond.

 

[OldSolduer]

An example of First Tier would be the former ( Old ) City of Toronto, Boroughs of Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York and East York. The upper tier was Metro Toronto ( amalgamated in 1954 ). Simply known as "Metro".

The villages of Forest Hills and Swansea ( where I live ) were amalgamated into the City of Toronto in 1967.

Metro ran the police ( amalgamated 1957 ) and paramedics ( amalgamated 1967 ) among other things. Fire departments were last to amalgamate. They were operated by the above cities and boroughs until 1998.

In 1998, Metro was amalgamated into the new The City of Toronto.

There were six mayors and one Metro Chairman.

That may sound complicated. But, it is actually the simple version.

Winnipeg as it is known now is an amalgamation of 12 or 13 towns. I think this happened in 1974.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Empire Toronto.



Would-be Ontario PC candidate sues Toronto police for $12M over leak of arrest record in smear campaign


https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/politics/would-be-ontario-pc-candidate-sues-toronto-police-for-dollar12m-over-leak-of-arrest-record-in-smear-campaign/ar-BBX2NR0