We’re All in This Together — Right?
Everyone seems to have an opinion on municipal, provincial, and federal affairs, but it seems, at least to me, that regional governance is rarely at the forefront of Canadian discourse. I must admit, this is the component of urban policy making that I am the least familiar with. While many people may feel that regional governments are less important than their lower-tier municipal or provincial counterparts, it became apparent to me today that this could not be farther from the truth.
It is crucial that people understand that regional governments deal directly with many of the most pressing urban policy issues Canada faces today. From climate change to inequality to public health crises, such as COVID-19, regional governments are responsible for tackling the challenges which cut across municipal boundaries. In fact, it is precisely because these challenges transcend traditional boundaries and borders that regional governance is crucial to confronting them, since no single municipal government has the authority or capacity to address these issues alone.
Despite this, I think regional governance is rarely talked about in Canada because it is such a complex web of practices and systems. There is no single model of regional governance in Canada, with significant variations being found between provinces and even within provinces. Zack Taylor, in a paper for the Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance, identified five distinct models of regional, or metropolitan, governance, ranging from the “unicities” like Calgary or Toronto to voluntary inter-municipal partnerships like the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region. Often, these models even exist in combination in a region, further complicating responsibilities and collaboration. Even Canada’s “simple” and innovative two-tier municipality system, with an upper-tier municipality overseeing regional issues and a lower-tier municipality managing local affairs, once seen as an effective alternative to a unicity model, has become a relic of the past — largely due to a series of amalgamations and annexations in provinces across Canada.
There have been efforts, however, to rectify this confusion surrounding the roles, responsibilities, and structures of regional government. Most notably, in 2019 the Government of Ontario conducted a regional government review to identify best practices in regional governance and ensure they were adequately supporting the vital work being done by these regional bodies. Unfortunately, due to a variety of other issues, not least of which is the pandemic, the report failed to reach the public or result in any serious changes.
As someone passionate about urban policy and effective municipal governance, the role played by regional governing bodies is no longer lost on me. I see the important role they play, serving alongside both municipal and provincial governments to ensure the delivery of vital services and to combat serious trans-municipal challenges, such as COVID-19. Ultimately, I hope more work is done in the future to evaluate Canada’s regional governance models, identify what works in certain contexts, and develop a more streamlined, easier to understand method of regional governance.
