Best way to divide up Ontario

[J.OT13]

1. Eastern Ontario + Outaouais
2. Northern Ontario
3. Southern Ontario

Discuss.

[Jim613]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

1. Eastern Ontario + Outaouais
2. Northern Ontario
3. Southern Ontario
4. GTA
Discuss.

Added a 4th zone to your idea

[phil235]

Why are we dividing up Ontario?

[bikegypsy]

Federal District: Eastern Ontario + Outaouais
N. Ontario: Northern + Western Ontario / Capital > Sudbury
S. Ontario: Southern Ontario + GTA

[McC]

Originally Posted by phil235

Why are we dividing up Ontario?

and creating another "have-not" province for the federation?

[trhgr]

I have two questions:
1- Why would you divide up Ontario
2-Isn't Outaouais an administrative region of... Quebec?

[Aylmer]

Originally Posted by trhgr

2-Isn't Outaouais an administrative region of... Quebec?

As much as Ottawa is ignored, it's 10x worse in the Outaouais. If Ottawa's gonna make its own province, we want in!

[bikegypsy]

Originally Posted by trhgr

I have two questions:
1- Why would you divide up Ontario

Because ever so often, and with astonishing regularity, Ontarians outside the GTA are reminded that all they're good for is to pay for the "economic engine of the province". Not good enough, particularly in Ottawa where infrastructure is 20 years behind schedule. Things are worst in Northern Ontario.

Originally Posted by trhgr

2-Isn't Outaouais an administrative region of... Quebec?

Gatineau is also getting shafted and pissed on by the Quebec government. The plan would obviously be that both cities would form a new autonomous entity a-la DC. Until then, Ottawa and Gatineau would continue to get the back handed treatment from both Toronto and Montreal.

[J.OT13]

Here's a quote I read in the Ontario Election's thread. no source though:

In the May 1 budget, the defeat of which triggered an election, the Liberal government allocated $15 billion to transit projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, including Hamilton “rapid transit.” The Liberals say that if reelected, they will fully fund the capital costs of a Hamilton rapid transit system.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath, also MPP for Hamilton Centre, supports 100 per cent capital funding for LRT.

“New Democrats are the party that will get shovels in the ground, and build a transit solution for Hamilton that makes sense.”

The Ontario PC party didn’t respond to requests for its position on Hamilton transit funding, but leader Tim Hudak has told media that he is against LRT in Hamilton.

Both the Liberals and the NDP support 100% funding for Hamilton LRT, while the PCs say they don't support LRT at all. Now does this mean they would support a full fledged subway since they seem to have some sort of vendetta against LRT, which isn't good enough for the GTA, or do they just want more money to invest in TO? Lets wait and see.

Point is, Ottawa ALWAYS has to split the bill 3 ways. Sometimes, we even have to pick up more than 1/3.

This is just another reason for everyone outside the Golden horseshoe to do like a banana and split.

[1overcosc]

One potential issue with an NCR province is that it would majority anglophone, and presumably no longer have any of Quebec's language laws, which could potentially put the francophone Gatinois at danger of assimilation, just like the Franco-Ontarians are.

I'm not too familiar with Gatineau--do you any of the Gatinois on this forum think this could possibly be an issue?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

One potential issue with an NCR province is that it would majority anglophone, and presumably no longer have any of Quebec's language laws, which could potentially put the francophone Gatinois at danger of assimilation, just like the Franco-Ontarians are.

I'm not too familiar with Gatineau--do you any of the Gatinois on this forum think this could possibly be an issue?

Possibly. But I believe by making the Province officially bilingual and implementing a few laws (nothing as intense as Québec of course), it might be a non-issue.

Keep in mind that Ottawa, as well as a large part of Eastern Ontario, still has a strong French presence, despite being outnumbered by Anglophones.

[1overcosc]

Also, harmonizing ON & QC administration & laws in a new NCR province would be a huge PITA, especially with respect to education, taxation, energy, and law.

I like the idea of an NCR province and in my dream world it would come true but I think it's not practical and will likely never happen in real life. A transprovincial 'supermunicipality' could work, though.

[Urbanarchit]

How would one go about accomplishing something like getting the NCR to be its own province?

[1overcosc]

1) Getting large support from the public, enough to get a referendum of both sides of the river.
2) Get large majorities in favour in this referendum, again on both sides of the river.
3) Perform the extraordinarily difficult task of severing & merging the ON & QC administrations in the NCR.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

one potential issue with an ncr province is that it would majority anglophone, and presumably no longer have any of quebec's language laws, which could potentially put the francophone gatinois at danger of assimilation, just like the franco-ontarians are.

I'm not too familiar with gatineau--do you any of the gatinois on this forum think this could possibly be an issue?

yes.

[ue]

To be honest, I find it weird contemplating giving the GTA its own province. It'd be like having the Lower Mainland separate from BC or the Tri-State Area separate from NY/NJ/CT or London a separate country from England. GTA is the heart and soul of Southern Ontario and is very connected to places like Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton (technically apart of the GTHA), Muskoka, Niagara Falls, and to a lesser degree SW Ontario and Eastern Ontario.

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by ue

To be honest, I find it weird contemplating giving the GTA its own province. It'd be like having the Lower Mainland separate from BC or the Tri-State Area separate from NY/NJ/CT or London a separate country from England. GTA is the heart and soul of Southern Ontario and is very connected to places like Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton (technically apart of the GTHA), Muskoka, Niagara Falls, and to a lesser degree SW Ontario and Eastern Ontario.

It does seem weird, but Singapore became it's own city-state when it separated from Malaysia. I know in the past there have been (and still are) movements and people who want Toronto and Montreal to partition (Jane Jacobs supported Toronto partition).

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

1) Getting large support from the public, enough to get a referendum of both sides of the river.
2) Get large majorities in favour in this referendum, again on both sides of the river.
3) Perform the extraordinarily difficult task of severing & merging the ON & QC administrations in the NCR.

I'm doubtful many people in Gatineau would be open to partitioning. But yup, it would be extraordinarily difficult to achieve this. I still want to see Gatineau and Ottawa merge and fix all the problems caused by two separate municipalities, one more dependent on the other.