Backgrounders

• Canada-Ontario-Toronto Memorandum of Understanding on Immigration  PDF format 78 Kb
  An MOU signed by the Canada, Ontario and Toronto governments to work together on immigration challenges and opportunities in the City of Toronto, September 29, 2006
  
  
• New Tools for New Times - A Sourcebook for the Financing, Funding and Delivery of Urban Infrastructure  PDF format 2,520 Kb
  A report by the Canada West Foundation, September 2006
  
  
• Public Transit and the Role of the Federal Government  PDF format 258 Kb
  A report by the Canadian Urban Transit Association, August 2006
  
  
• The Art of the Impossible - Fiscal Federalism and Fiscal Balance in Canada  PDF format 1,351 Kb
  A report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, July 2006
  
  
• Canada's Hub Cities - A Driving Force of the National Economy  PDF format 823 Kb
  A report by the Conference Board of Canada, July 2006
  
  
• Our Cities, Our Future: Addressing the fiscal imbalance in Canada's cities today  PDF format 1,126 Kb
  A report of the Big City Mayors' Caucus, June 2006
  
  
• Building Prosperity from the Ground Up – Restoring Municipal Fiscal Balance  PDF format 1,302 Kb
  A report by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, June 2006
  
  
• From Restless Communities to Resilient Places: Building a Stronger Future for All Canadians  PDF format 1,322 Kb
  The Final Report of the External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities, June 2006
  
  
• Fiscal Imbalance: The Case for Cities  PDF format 73 Kb
  A report prepared by Enid Slack (IMFG), May 2006
  
  
• Trends in Public Finance in Canada  PDF format 138 Kb
  A report prepared by Harry Kitchen & Enid Slack (IMFG), May 2006
  
  
• Large Cities Under Stress: Challenges and Opportunities  PDF format 469 Kb
  A report prepared for the External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities by Enid Slack, Harry Kitchen & Heath Priston (IMFG), March 2006
  
  
• Strong City, Strong Nation: Update: The Growing Gap  PDF format 141 Kb
  A report by the Toronto Board of Trade, January 2006
  
  

• Joint Ontario-City of Toronto Task Force to Review the City of Toronto Acts and Other Legislation    PDF format 748 Kb
  The final report of the Task Force was issued on November 14, 2005 and called for major changes to the laws that govern how Toronto functions as a government. Broad permissive powers were seen as the best way to ensure that Toronto had the flexibility to provide services, be accountable to residents and manage growth.
  • News release
  • Remarks by Toronto Mayor David Miller
  
  
• Cities: Partners in National Prosperity  PDF format 650 Kb
  A report by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Big City Mayors' Caucus, June 2005
  
  
• Towards a New City of Toronto Act  PDF format 405 Kb
  This volume contains articles and discussion highlights by a group of interested and informed community leaders headed by businessman and philanthropist Alan Broadbent for a new City of Toronto Act, June 2005
  
  
• Measuring Toronto's Fiscal Capacity: An Executive Summary  PDF format 721 Kb
  A report by the Conference Board of Canada, May 2005
  
  
• Staff Progress Report: Joint Ontario - City of Toronto Task Force to Review the City of Toronto Act, 1997 and other Private (Special) Legislation May 2005  PDF format 190 Kb
  
  
• Investing in the Public Realm: Toronto's Future  PDF format 94 Kb
  Toronto Mayor David Miller April 19, 2005 speech to Scarborough Chamber of Commerce
  
  
• The Model Municipal Charter  PDF format 533 Kb
  A report prepared for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities by Donald Lidstone, of Lidstone, Young, Anderson Barristers and Solicitors, March 2005
  
  
• Joint Ontario - City of Toronto Task Force to Review the City of Toronto Act  PDF format 139 Kb
  Terms of reference
  • Notes for remarks by Dalton McGuinty Premier of Ontario for his address to the Big City Mayors Summit on September 17, 2004  PDF format 509 Kb

• Stronger City, Stronger Ontario - A new deal for Toronto and Ontario   PDF format 430 Kb
  
  

• Revenue Sharing Options for Canada's Hub Cities  PDF format 225 Kb
  A report prepared by Enid Slack of Enid Slack Consulting Inc. for the meeting of the hub city mayors held in Toronto on September 17-18, 2004

• Investing in Infrastructure: Strategies for Keeping it Public  PDF format 81 Kb
  A report prepared by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Research Branch June 2004
  • Stratégies Pour Garder Public L'Investissement Dans L'Infrastructure  PDF format 96 Kb

• A CUPE Backgrounder on Urban Infrastructure  PDF format 254 Kb
  A report prepared by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Research Branch May 2004
  • Document D'information Du SCFP Sur Les Infrastructures Urbaines  PDF format 258 Kb

• Mind the Gap: Finding the Money to Upgrade Canada's Aging Public Infrastructure  PDF format 386 Kb
  A report by TD Economics, May 2004
  
  
• Strengthening the Economic Prosperity of Our Cities  PDF format 66 Kb
  A report by The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, May 2004
  
  
• No Time to be Timid - Addressing Infrastructure Deficits in the Western Big Six  PDF format 335 Kb
  A report by the Canada West Foundation, February 2004
  
  
• Falling Behind - Our Growing Income Gap  PDF format 2,186 Kb
  A report prepared for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities by Caryl Arundel & Associates
  
  

• Early Ideas - A New Deal for Winnipeg  PDF format 632 Kb
  A Presentation by the City of Winnipeg, September 2003

• Major initiatives, action announced at Toronto City Summit, June 5, 2003
  
  
• Achieving an Improved Legislative Framework for Toronto "The Right Deal for Toronto is a Great Deal for Ontario"  PDF format 587 Kb
  A report prepared for Toronto City Council by the Chief Administrative Officer - April 2003
  • Key Elements of an Improved Legislative Framework for Toronto  PDF format 254 Kb
  
  
• Enough Talk: An Action Plan for the Toronto Region  PDF format 579 Kb
  A report by the Toronto City Summit Alliance, April 2003
  
  
• New study indicates urban Canadians want greater powers and funding for cities - February 17, 2003
  
  
• New study indicates urban Canadians want mayors to have formal role in the federal budget planning process; cities are viewed as more accountable than provincial or federal governments - February 17, 2003
  
  
• Special Study: New Finance Options for Municipal Governments  PDF format 253 Kb
  A report by Harry M. Kitchen and Enid Slack (IMFG), 2003
  
  

• Structuring Federal Urban Engagement: A Principled Approach - A Western Cities Project Discussion Paper  PDF format 297 Kb
  A report by the Canada West Foundation, November 2002
  
  

• Strengthening Communities: On the Path to Fiscal Sustainability  PDF format 140 Kb
  Federation of Canadian Municipalities - October 15, 2002
• Big City Revenue Sources: A Canada-U.S. Comparison of Municipal Tax Tools and Revenue Levers  PDF format 535 Kb
  A report by the Canada West Foundation, September 2002
  
  
• OECD Territorial Review of Canada - Territorial Development Service   PDF format 37 Kb
  Highlights prepared for members of Toronto City Council by the Chief Administrative Officer, City of Toronto - September 2002

• Establishing a New Relationship with the Federal and Provincial Governments - Progress Report on Toronto's Initiatives  PDF format 379 Kb
  Report prepared for Toronto City Council by the City's Chief Administrative Officer - June 21, 2002
• Why Cities Matter: Policy Research Perspectives for Canada  PDF format 379 Kb
  Canadian Policy Research Network (CPRN) discussion paper by Neil Bradford, PhD, June 2002
• Executive Summary  PDF format 27 Kb
• Joint statement of the government of Quebec and the new City of Montreal signed at the sommet de Montreal - Déclaration conjointe du gouvernement du Québec et de la nouvelle ville de Montréal signée à l'occasion du Sommet de Montréal   PDF format 104 Kb
  June 2002
• Strong City Strong Nation - Securing Toronto's Contribution to Canada  PDF format 687 Kb
  The Toronto Board of Trade, June 2002
• Model Framework for a City Charter  PDF format 167 Kb
  A discussion paper released May 30, 2002 by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Big City Mayors' Caucus
  • Executive Summary  PDF format 107 Kb

• The Greater Toronto Area (GTA): Canada's Primary Economic Locomotive in Need of Repairs  PDF format 673 Kb
  TD Bank Financial Group, TD Economics Special Report, May 22, 2002
• A Choice Between Investing in Canada's Cities or Disinvesting in Canada's Future  PDF format 295 Kb
  TD Bank Financial Group, TD Economics Special Report, April 22, 2002
• C5 Montreal meeting concludes with city-region strategy, June 7, 2002
  
  
• Municipalities Need More Autonomy to Thrive, May 30, 2002
  
  
• Communities in an Urban Century – Symposium Report  PDF format 1,216 Kb
  A summary of proceedings by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, January 2002
  
  

• Urban Competitiveness Agenda Needed Now  PDF format 73 Kb
  Remarks by Chris Ridabock, Chair of Toronto Board of Trade, January 21, 2002
• Edmonton/Calgary joint submission to Alberta Future Summit 2002  PDF format 55 Kb
  

• A Comparison of New and Proposed Municipal Acts of the Provinces:
  Revenues, Financial Powers and Resources  PDF format 192 Kb
  By Donald Lidstone: prepared for the 2001 Annual Conference of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, May 27, 2001
• Municipal Autonomy  PDF format 150 Kb
  By Donald Lidstone: presentation to Federation of Canadian Municipalities "Communities in and Urban Century Symposium", October 20, 2001
• Early Warning: Will Canadian Cities Compete?  PDF format 720 Kb
  • Executive Summary  PDF format 250 Kb

• Alerte : les villes canadiennes seront-elles en mesure de concurrencer?  PDF format 250 Kb
• The Canada's Cities campaign is about building stronger cities and a stronger Canada Campaign Launch backgrounder

• Remarks by Councillor David Miller, City of Toronto, October 21, 2001
  
  
• Canada's Big City Mayors launch campaign to give urban Canada "21st century" powers, October 21, 2001
  
  
• Canada's Big City Mayors to launch national campaign on Sunday, October 19, 2001