Quote:
Originally Posted by Blake
As somebody who has lived in the Tri-Cities almost by whole life, I cannot see it ever happening.
These communities are much more distinct than the outside observer realizes. Coquitlam is the main hub of the area, is more diverse and is the a choice destination for new many new immigrants. There appears to be less demand for pedestrian friendly communities and retention of natural areas.
Port Moody is the most affluent of the 3 and the bedroom community of the area, and home many "artistic" types, galleries and many transplanted downtown yuppies in the city centre. It values its private police force, it's walkability and rich rail history.
Port Coquitlam has blue collar roots and the labour force is still primarly industrial, and no offense to anyone who lives there, would be considered by most to be the least desirable of the 3. It's also been a stronghold in left wing politics (not unlike W Coquitlam although the growing population on the N side has shifted the area poltically as a whole).
Then throw Anmore and Belcarra into the mix, where they will defend their "Bowen Island like" lifestyle until their death.
All these differences create a vastly different political landscape and urban design style for each community, creating little demand for amalgamation.
And as a Port Moody resident, I enjoy the uniqueness of this community compared to the rest of Metro Vancouver. And I certainly don't want the Vancouver attitude of "let's ban bottled water and tax the snot out of vehicle owners and private business owners" to be permeating into my community thank you very much.
The only amalgamations worth considering IMO, are
Burnaby - Vancouver. Similar demographics and similar need for further densification.
Langley City - Langley Township. Langley Twp is no longer a rural area, and the distinction between the two used to be urban vs. rural. That no longer exists.
North Van District - North Van City. The average person doesn't even notice a separation which makes you wonder why it's there.
Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows. Even with the GEB, this area is falling behind ecomomically compared to other eastern suburbs. They should merge to strengthen their economy and attract more business.
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I appreciate your point of view, and especially your desire to keep your district run the way it is, to preserve its character, and not having a "metro" type government forcing new taxes and restrictions onto you. I think that's a natural feeling that most people have who love and live in their own community.
However, they key factor (one of them, anyway) in a two-tiered (hypothetical) "Metropolitan Vancouver" government embracing all regions is
HOW powers are allocated.
Too much power in certain domains concentrated at the central level is going to interfere with formerly well-run municipalities, intrude, and make people angry, of course. The example about "let's tax the snot out of vehicle owners and private business" (sic) is a good one.
Conversely, if local powers and metroplitan legal powers are judiciously divided, a classic example would be letting Port Moody keep its own police force, with an arrangement for overlap with other police forces only under certain conditions/ circumstances, and a margin for flexibility to change those divisions of powers within given parameters.
Other things, like mass transit, road planning, sewage disposal, and anything else you care to name that needs a co-ordinated, mutually co-operating GROUP approach, and /or a "Holistic" (not to sound like an ex-hippy) approach- - - - the overarching, metropolitan governement might be able to get done more efficaciously.
This is a complex issue, and has certain parallels with federal-provincial distribution of power, only on a smaller, more localised level. (Otherwise stated, it's a toughie).
It is also complex, and has to be
transparent, presented
in full to the people of ALL districts concerned,
voted upon and NOT rammed down people's throats, in order to work.
But if we get it right - and learning from other cities is a good way to start, it might get the Vancouver-Lower Mainland region ticking over and working more smoothly, more efficiently, more cohesively and more productively.
There will always be people who are FOR it and there will always be people who are AGAINST it, either for concrete reasons, or just in principle.
But, in my opinion, it is worth examining before trashing it, or jumping too quickly into a hybrid scheme that has too many flaws due to lack of thorough research beforehand.
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The (old) Metro Toronto model ?? It might work here.
please think it over, anyway . . .
if they ever tried that.
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