Canada's Cities Demand Funding For Transit, Housing

The mayors of Canada's largest cities are calling for a permanent revenue sharing plan with Ottawa and a national transit program as part of a new action plan aimed at better government co-operation to address urban needs. Representatives from 22 of Canada's largest cities met in Toronto Wednesday to discuss the fiscal imbalance between what Ottawa gets from cities versus what services they receive in return. The mayors will be looking for specific coordinated action from the federal government on six key issues -- public transit, revenue sharing, environmental protection, affordable housing, immigrant settlement and public safety.