Amalgamation

[jeffster]

The needs and the wants of all 7 communities in the region are so different I can't see how it could go smoothly. There's already enough grief in this region when Kitchener or Waterloo gets selected for something over Cambridge (such as the new courthouse, for example, or the GO Train). People from Cambridge already think that anyone north of the 401 are shady. And one reason why they'd not build the sports complex anywhere near Kitchener. As for people from Waterloo, they're a prideful bunch that want little association with 'those people' from Cambridge or Kitchener. As for Kitchener, it has a general belief that since it's by far the largest city in this group, that everything should wind up in Kitchener, no matter what it is.

This area isn't like Toronto: Very few people ever paid attention to the other cities in "Metro Toronto". It was Toronto for most people. As for Hamilton, Hamilton was, by far, the largest and most central city in the old Hamilton-Wentworth region, and it easily absorbed the other towns; that said, Dundas is still Dundas, same with Ancaster and Stoney Creek and the smaller villages.

With 3 local Conservative MPP's, none from areas that really want this amalgamation, they'll all get an earful regarding this idea.

For that reason, I do believe that this is going to end up DOA.

What you say in the second paragraph is not really correct. Old Toronto, North York and Scarborough were not far apart in terms of population, for instance (and it was North York's mayor that defeated Toronto's, not the other way around, for the first mayoralty of the megacity). All the municipalities had all been subject to the the same regional government for almost fifty years but, like you say about the different communities of Waterloo, they all still had unique identities.

To say "very few people ever paid attention to the other cities in 'Metro Toronto'" is about as valid as an outsider saying "when you drive from Cambridge to Waterloo, you don't even notice when you've left one municipality and entered another."

The challenges are not insurmountable or very different from those faced by municipalities elsewhere that amalgamate. It can be done.

I was referring to Hamilton when it came to population, not Toronto.

I lived in Toronto (Scarborough) and, this is back in the late 1970's and 1980's, it was Toronto. Only thing you'd notice is the city signs when travelling between cities. If you lived there, then you would know that. For all intents and purposes most people considered themselves Torontonians. Of course, there were some pride for each ones city, but not like what you see in this region.

As for driving between Cambridge and Waterloo, I think many would see a divide between Cambridge and Kitchener. Perhaps some might confuse parts of Hespeler/Kitchener (Sportsworld and Mapleview Drive), there still is a good distinction between the cities. Although Kitchener-Waterloo do look like one city.

Back to topic, some other things to consider about amalgamation:

Who's infrastructure is in better shape? If there are large differences, will the cities in better shape want to have to fix up the cities in poor shape?

When it comes to utilities, Kitchener (Wilmot) and Waterloo (Woolwich & Wellesley) both own their electrical system. Cambridge and North Dumfries do not.

Kitchener owns its gas company (Kitchener Utilities), both Waterloo and Cambridge are Union Gas, and I am guessing the townships too, don't.

Anyway, the one thing I am getting at is that there is more division in this region, sadly, then there was in the Toronto CMA and Hamilton CMA. Could it work? Of course. But would it be easy? Nope.