TO is now 2nd most expensive city in North America

[Dichotomy]

IMO, the GTA needs to be combined into one 'super-city,' structured somewhat like the old Metro. Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Durham, Oakville, Vaughan, Markham. For all intents and purposes, this is one city anyway.
Instead of an 'us-versus' them mentality, this super-city should be granted near provincial powers (since it would have nearly half the population of Ontario anyway). Hell, the GTA should probably be given say in immigration matters, considering most of them end up here anyway!

There is no doubt in my mind that the GTA is a special case. Our challenges with social housing, welfare, immigration integration, crumbling aged infrastructure are all pretty unique in Canada. Mississauga is only now getting a taste of the future as its infrastructure ages and its population changes.

We need to reign in the power of the unions, outsource more services (or at least put them up for competitive bid and let the unions bid too) and take advantage of the purchasing power that 5 million people would possess.

The GTA needs to be marketed at the GTA. Remember the old days when North York wanted to market itself separately? What rot. There is strength in numbers and the GTA should be capitalizing on that strength.
It goes beyond a few fancy slogans about diversity.

 

[taal]

Can someone provide some information to show that businesses are leaving most NA cities / Large european ones ... maybe not leaving just very slow growth in terms of Jobs ... i.e. are we sure this is not just something we're experiencing here in Toronto? ... I don't think so but does anyone have more conreate information.

 

[W. K. Lis]

IMO, the GTA needs to be combined into one 'super-city,' structured somewhat like the old Metro. Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Durham, Oakville, Vaughan, Markham. For all intents and purposes, this is one city anyway.

Mississauga was amalgamated from the smaller towns, villages, and townships in a town, then a city. I think that Hazel McCallion was originally voted for as Major because she used to be the Reeve of Streetsville. I think that at that time, most people wanted the new Mississauga just to be a larger Streetsville. That is with street front stores, mixed use buildings, and small streets. Instead, they got "asphalt" city. Big box stores (with asphalt surrounding them), single-use single-story buildings (with asphalt surrounding them), and large streets of asphalt.

I'm afraid that if the GTA was ever combined, it would become a "Los Angeles", which most people in Toronto do not want.

 

[Chuck]

Having one GTA sized city would be fantastic. By creating the regions in the 1970s, the province essentially divided and conquered this urban area. The Metrolinx transportation plan is the first time that one body representing the entire GTA went to the province and asked for funding. The province can't ignore the requests of 5 million people, but it can ignore 500,000 here, and 750,000 there. The GTA tends to be too busy squabbling about why Vaughan got funding for a new subway line but Brampton didn't, than focus on real urban issues. It's got to stop.

 

[Whoaccio]

IMO, the GTA needs to be combined into one 'super-city,' structured somewhat like the old Metro. Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Durham, Oakville, Vaughan, Markham. For all intents and purposes, this is one city anyway.
Instead of an 'us-versus' them mentality, this super-city should be granted near provincial powers (since it would have nearly half the population of Ontario anyway). Hell, the GTA should probably be given say in immigration matters, considering most of them end up here anyway!

There is no doubt in my mind that the GTA is a special case. Our challenges with social housing, welfare, immigration integration, crumbling aged infrastructure are all pretty unique in Canada. Mississauga is only now getting a taste of the future as its infrastructure ages and its population changes.

We need to reign in the power of the unions, outsource more services (or at least put them up for competitive bid and let the unions bid too) and take advantage of the purchasing power that 5 million people would possess.

The GTA needs to be marketed at the GTA. Remember the old days when North York wanted to market itself separately? What rot. There is strength in numbers and the GTA should be capitalizing on that strength.
It goes beyond a few fancy slogans about diversity.

Well slap me silly, I agree with everything he says. Playing three-card monty with wether or not business are on one side of a creek or another is useless picture of economic health. All of the GTA share the same basic infrastructure, social and economic issues.

Ideally, the GTA (maybe even horseshoe) would borrow alot from the structure of Tokyo or old Metro Toronto. Have an overarching province (Torontopolis!) to organize education, infrastructure, immigration, and welfare/social programs while leaving individual cities (say, City of Etobicoke) to organize more community based services like policing and street cleaning.

We should also even consider expanding out to reach Niagra Falls. Most people who come to Toronto want to visit it, so it might help to brand the GTA and Niagara Falls together.

 

[wyliepoon]

We should also even consider expanding out to reach Niagra Falls. Most people who come to Toronto want to visit it, so it might help to brand the GTA and Niagara Falls together.

... also based on the Tokyo model. The metro government of Tokyo administers a series of islands (the Izus and the Ogasawaras) that stretch all the way to the tropics. The farthest island that is part of Tokyo, Marcus Island, is 1850km from central Tokyo.

 

[Therion]

^^^ Wow, I did not know that. Another crazy fact to impress people at a party.

 

[Glen]

As to property tax rates - I don't need to remind you the difference between rates and actual amount of property taxes paid. As others have already pointed out - there are implications to the socioeconomic structure of the city. And I wasn't the one saying it's about protecting the poor - it's more about protecting the middle class who lives in the city.

And how's that been working?

It is absurd to think that it is to 'protect' the middle class. It is politics, plain and simple. Who would make such a trade off, to save $500 per year on property tax at the expense of your employer moving out of town? Besides, as Toronto's shrinking assessment base has shown, the class that benefits does so only temporarily.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Glen:

It is absurd to think that it is to 'protect' the middle class. It is politics, plain and simple. Who would make such a trade off, to save $500 per year on property tax at the expense of your employer moving out of town? Besides, as Toronto's shrinking assessment base has shown, the class that benefits does so only temporarily.

If you're someone having to pay property tax, do you think you would be more sensitive to 1. paying $500+ extra each year or 2. the possiblity, which is by no means guaranteed, that your employer will move out of town? Also, keep in mind that declines in neighbourhoods tend to be cyclical - I wouldn't for a second doubt that 30 years from now, it will be those inner suburbs that would be booming.

BTW, you should again take a look at the articles which you've posted - all of which offer insight into what's happening here in Toronto from the North American socioeconomic perspective.

AoD