The Empowerment of Canadian Cities: Classic Canadian Compromise

Abstract

This article provides an overview and assessment of statutory reforms designed to empower Canadian cities during the past two decades. It reveals that toward that end, the reforms focused primarily on expanding each of the following: the authority and autonomy of cities in making bylaws, the authority and autonomy of cities in accessing and managing financial resources, and the requirements for some provincial government to consult and even enter into agreements with cities when enacting laws and regulations or undertaking initiatives that affect them. The article also reveals that although the reforms were substantial and significant for the empowerment of cities in many provinces, they were not highly transformative either in the level of authority and autonomy granted to cities or in their working relationships with provincial governments. Another finding is that despite the positive effects of many reforms, and because of some adverse effects of others, city and provincial officials suggest that some additional reforms are required to address problems that attenuate the capacity and flexibility of cities to provide good governance and management in the 21st century.