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+--- Thread: Amalgamation (/showthread.php?tid=435)
RE: Amalgamation - Spokes - 05-14-2018
Interesting point.
I only ask this as someone who doesn't use the programs a lot, but are they that locally specific?
RE: Amalgamation - tomh009 - 05-14-2018
And the city libraries do local things specific to neighbourhoods as well. Acting local doesn't mean that it has to be a separate organization in each city.
But merging the fire departments would be an excellent first step before considering anything else.
RE: Amalgamation - danbrotherston - 05-14-2018
(05-14-2018, 10:13 AM)Spokes Wrote: Interesting point.
I only ask this as someone who doesn't use the programs a lot, but are they that locally specific?
For example, the region library provides rural services in a really specific way, i.e., short hours libraries, mobile libraries.
As tomh009 mentioned city libraries do local community things.
It's not impossible to keep these things in a larger organization, but it is easy to lose, especially when focusing on achieving efficiency gains (which won't always be realized if local context must be kept).
Fire sounds like a good example to me, but I don't really know for sure--I'm not an expert, or even really spent any time researching it. I know rural fire fighting is different from city, I could be missing other things...I shouldn't assume that I know, even though I usually do.
A great example IMO is citizen point of contact. Right now I have to know what city I'm in, whether the road I'm calling about is regional or city, and how that particular jurisdiction deals with the particular type of issue I'm calling about. Something that I think would eliminate the majority of calls for amalgamation would be to provide a unified regional contact centre that a citizen can call with any issue, and have that regional contact centre do the proper dispatching.
Yes, not exactly gaining efficiency in government cost, but gaining efficiency in providing better service.
RE: Amalgamation - Spokes - 09-16-2018
Well here we go again:
The Record ran an article asking the question: Should Waterloo Region be one big city?
https://www.therecord.com/news-story/8903565-should-waterloo-region-be-one-big-city-/
I love how they imply that the 2010 election saw a vote on merging - when it was actually a vote to talk about the possibility of merging
RE: Amalgamation - panamaniac - 09-16-2018
Although Ford did allude briefly to Ottawa the other day, I don't think he really has anything other than Toronto in his crosshairs, for reasons largely unrelated to effective municipal governance.
RE: Amalgamation - Xiaoming - 10-05-2018
Highway 401 separates Cambridge from Kitchener-Waterloo.
RE: Amalgamation - Spokes - 10-05-2018
But it's still part of this region, no?
RE: Amalgamation - timio - 10-05-2018
(10-05-2018, 12:11 PM)Xiaoming Wrote: Highway 401 separates Cambridge from Kitchener-Waterloo.
With the exception of Hespeler
RE: Amalgamation - panamaniac - 10-05-2018
(10-05-2018, 12:30 PM)timio Wrote:(10-05-2018, 12:11 PM)Xiaoming Wrote: Highway 401 separates Cambridge from Kitchener-Waterloo.
With the exception of Hespeler
And the whole chunk of Cambridge that's north of the 401, although that's separated by the Grand River, I guess. Is that considered part of Preston, Hespeler, or "other"?
RE: Amalgamation - KevinL - 10-05-2018
(10-05-2018, 12:11 PM)Xiaoming Wrote: Highway 401 separates Cambridge from Kitchener-Waterloo.
Hespeler would like a word.
RE: Amalgamation - Coke6pk - 10-05-2018
Expressway cuts through both Kitchener and Waterloo and no one uses that as an excuse to separate the cities.... Unless Xiaming's comment meant something else....
Coke
RE: Amalgamation - Spokes - 11-20-2018
D'Amato preaching Amalgamation: https://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/9040984-d-amato-kitchener-and-waterloo-are-like-twins-so-let-s-merge/
RE: Amalgamation - panamaniac - 11-20-2018
If she's concerned, she should move to Waterloo and take up the campaign. It's entirely up to them, unless the Province steps in.
RE: Amalgamation - Spokes - 11-20-2018
As long as it's a decision to be made by the people who live here, it won't happen. I genuinely believe that unless forced to do so, we won't see it in my lifetime.
RE: Amalgamation - tomh009 - 11-20-2018
We can do it gradually, giving the region more powers, step by step. It's time for the region to take on fire services, to start.