New Deal Must Address Canada's Urban Regions

Prime Minister Paul Martin promised Canada's cities a "new deal", recognizing that they do not possess the resources necessary to confront the many new challenges currently before them. But his one-size-fits-all approach, consisting of a goods and services tax rebate for municipalities with the promise of a share of the gas tax to come, ignores the fact that many of the issues facing cities need to be addressed at a regional rather than a local level. Even more importantly, it ignores the fact that while many urban regions are bursting at the seams, many others are in serious decline. University of Toronto professor Larry Bourne says that rather than just throwing money at municipalities without any regard for the consequences, Canada's federal government desperately needs to develop a coherent urban policy.