Collaboration and co-operation is not how it works. Why would multiple cities with competing interests collaborate? That doesn't make sense. Nothing in the western world is set up to work that way - at all. Different cities and regions have different goals, aspirations, cultures and so on. They all have different things that offer unique qualities, whether it's contributions from higher tier education or different skilled trades/employment being based here. Why would we expect London, Stratford, Barrie, Sudbury or whatever to be on board with the choices we make here? It IS a battle because the cities all want to become the best places they can possibly be, the same way nations all compete to become the best nations they can be. If we didn't do this, we wouldn't have managed to brand the region as this hotbed for technology and innovation. Kingston could have done that instead, having Google and Shopify set up shop there. But we made the effort to make this place an appealing region to come operate out of and we benefited from it.
We tried the whole "let's all collaborate and co-operate" thing in the 20th century and it didn't work too well. In fact, it kind of resulted in some of the darkest periods of human history. Competition is actually a very good thing for being beings. We are literally hardwired to compete with one another whether it's arm wrestling some random dude, expanding and growing economics and wealth, or researching technological breakthroughs for technological and scientific innovation. It keeps us on edge, always striving forward and willing to punch above our own weight.
We tried the whole "let's all collaborate and co-operate" thing in the 20th century and it didn't work too well. In fact, it kind of resulted in some of the darkest periods of human history. Competition is actually a very good thing for being beings. We are literally hardwired to compete with one another whether it's arm wrestling some random dude, expanding and growing economics and wealth, or researching technological breakthroughs for technological and scientific innovation. It keeps us on edge, always striving forward and willing to punch above our own weight.