Quote:
Originally Posted by waterloowarrior
There are several countries out there with cities as provinces/states like Germany (Berlin, Hamburg) and Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg), or countries with their capital as a federal territory/district (Australia, India, Mexico, USA). Could be models for GTA/Ottawa. I think that is part of a larger conversation about the roles of cities in Canada and would be part of a new constitution rather trying to do something under the current one.
For the present I think creating a written Ontario constitution that included devolution to large autonomous regions would be the way to go, similar to what 1overcosc said. Canada is one of the few federal nations with few written provincial/state constitutions (BC has one, not sure if there are others). The constitution could give certain taxing powers and legislative powers to the region and remove the provincial role in that area. I think it should be part of a constitution so it can't just be changed from government to government, you'd need some kind of amending formula like a referendum.
The province would keep powers over many regulatory areas and have harmonization of certain areas, so that it's easy to move from London to Toronto without needing a new drivers licence, or for a business to open up in Ottawa and North Bay... but the regions would have legislative, taxing, and spending powers in many new areas. For example, the province would be in charge of the rules of the road, but the highways would be owned, funded and operated by the regions. Employment law would be province-wide but each region could set their own minimum wage, etc
|
Thank you waterloowarrior. You put my idea into something that actually sounds like a foundation for policy. I think this is what Ontario needs. It's achievable, practical, and a solution to Ontario's regional issues.
Going based on swimmer_spe's proposed 7 subprovinces (modified slightly based on my own thoughts) I drew this map:
Here's a close up on southern Ontario:
-Ottawa/Capital subprovince (RED) includes Ottawa, western third of Prescott-Russell (geographic county of Russell), and the municipalities of North Grenville, Beckwith, Carleton Place, Mississippi Mills, Arnprior, and McNab/Braeside. This accurately captures all of Ottawa's exurbs and leaves the truly rural areas outside it. Could serve as a strong foundation to keep Ottawa's exurban influence from spilling beyond that border.
-Eastern Ontario subprovince (PINK), covers the remaining (non-Capital subprovince) areas of SDG, LG, Lanark, Renfrew counties, and all the counties eastwards to and including Northumberland & Peterborough. Predominately rural with Kingston as the only real city.
-Central Ontario subprovince (BLUE): Muskoka, most of Parry Sound District, Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Simcoe, plus Brock Township in Durham region (this township is WAY too rural and isolated from Toronto to be part of the GTA province--it really shouldn't be in Durham to begin with...) Very rural, mostly cottage country, Barrie the only real city. Would likely have tourism as its main industry. Also a very socially conservative area.
-GTHA subprovince (GREEN): Toronto, Hamilton, Halton, Peel, York, Durham-minus-Brock. A city-state with great potential to become a highly intensified urban region
-SW Ontario subprovince (ORANGE): Grey, Dufferin, Wellington, Waterloo, Brant, Niagara and everything westward. Probably the most viable of the southern subprovinces, in the sense that it would include a healthy mix of urban and rural, with a diverse economy.
-NE subprovince (beige): part of Parry Sound district, and all the NE districts, plus a small section of Kenora district (which oddly enough, literally extends from MB border to James Bay...)
-NW subprovince (purple): most of Kenora district, plus Rainy River & Thunder Bay districts
The biggest problem I see with this setup is Kingston. In many ways (culturally, socially, economically, etc.) Kingston is very much an island from its surrounding area. Politically it's very progressive, whereas the rest of the Eastern Ontario-sans-Ottawa is one of the most right-wing places in Canada.
I think there's actually some merit to having Kingston completely on its own as the 8th subprovince, all to itself. It's a truly unique situation. The Southwestern province also has cities that are much more progressive than the surrounding countryside, but there's multiple ones--Kitchener, London, Windsor, Niagara, etc. Whereas Kingston is really all on its own. Barring that, Kingston should be a 'special municipality' with greater autonomy but still within the Eastern subprovince.