Right to Community - At The Table

I recall talking to an urban planner who was advising the Federal of Canadian Municipalities during the time I was in office. He drew some interesting conclusions as we plumbed the struggles of Canadian cities in the new economy. He believed that a renaissance of sorts had begun sweeping numerous global cities sometime around the turn of the Millennium.European municipalities, led by London, were witnessing an explosion of new waterfronts, street beautification, and public transit. Europe was alive with green initiatives and light rail transit projects, whereas the US began to excel at curbing suburbia and reawakening the importance of civic downtown and cultural villages. It was almost as if we had decided that endless sprawl, growing murder rates, environmental deterioration, urban decay, hollowed-out cores and endless traffic had journeyed far enough and it was time to reverse direction before we ran out of time.The urban planner’s dream, by his own admission, didn’t quite work out, as policy makers and the Great Recession curbed not just our enthusiasm but our options. Even though communities still crave renewal, sustainability and a more engaged democracy, the taxation powers of governments don’t seem inclined in that direction. This is especially true in the federal arena, where the more vibrant communities initiatives of a decade ago have given way to super-jets, massive prisons, and barely a heartbeat on environmental issues.I wonder if the death gene for communities wasn’t placed within our political system as far back as Confederation and the BNA Act. Lawyer, and my great friend Doug Ferguson, recently reminded me that cities and communities have perpetually been viewed as creatures of the provinces. Interestingly, he goes on to add that the Ontario’s Municipal Act covers all municipalities in the province except Toronto, which has its own act and has more powers than others in Ontario. He sent along a shorter summary of the Act that you can link to here.With only a small percentage of Canadians living in cities in 1867, the fate of our communities was never deemed as vital as provincial or regional rights. Today that ratio is reversed, with most citizens living in various sized cities but still responsible ultimately to the provinces. Sometime during the great transformation, the political arrangements between the federal and provincial governments became more turbulent, effectively leaving our cities with more responsibilities as they grew but with a transfer of funds that were hardly commensurate with the challenges. In other words, we have a constitutional arrangement that appears increasingly out of step with the needs of where most people live. Is constitutional revision required? Not if the two senior levels of government were more sensitive to the growing needs of our communities and honoured the spirit of the BNA Act. Other than that “blip” period around the time of the Millennium that my urban planner friend spoke of at the beginning of this post, all signals are unfortunately pointing in the other direction.All this is transpiring just other nations of the world are placing global city regions at the centre of political and economic power. Perhaps the best solution to these times of change is not so much to scrap the BNA Act but to buff it up in accordance with the rise of cities within the Canadian context. For years our municipalities have been requesting a seat at any future federal-provincial summit meetings that determine the policies and arrangements of the future. Admittedly it’s difficult for the feds to stimulate cities anyway without provoking the provinces. And for provincial leaders, a productive partnership with their main municipalities is impossible unless their counterparts in Ottawa begin to pull their weight with financial investments recognizing modern realities that spread across the country.This is where citizens come in. There are many reasons for declining voter turnout in Canada, but likely much of it is due to the reality that the political distractions at more senior political levels appear to have little impact on our communities. The cycle continues to devolve as our communities gain more responsibilities with fewer tools for adaptation. Eventually, it often results in citizens turning against their own municipal legislators out of frustration. It’s time to change that. Citizens must combine with their municipal leaders to start pushing for a new Canadian deal – one that gets our communities and cities directly at the table of government summits.Let’s just admit it. Our communities are the places where sharpened corners are rounded off through innovation, compassion and a shared history. Sure, we have our share of prejudices, animosities, and dreary repetition, but we have repeatedly proved how to get over such things by moving on with creative character. The rhythms of our daily lives are no longer in sync with national priorities. We don’t have to be the victims here. The votes for any level come from our communities. Our cities and communities are where our next leaders will come from. Our children will mature where we are, not in the halls of Parliament. If Confederation isn’t working, let’s seek its amendment. Our communities are now the driving culture in the modern Canada. It’s time we took our place at the table with the others.