Municipalities |  Les municipalités |
Page révisée le 2 juin 2010
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Municipalities | Les municipalités |
| Links
to Canadian municipalities' websites |
|
Links are, generally speaking, in reverse chronological order, with the links added most recently at the top of the page |
Canadian
municipalities want action against poverty
Municipal social services are overwhelmed by demand and a new model of
funding must be found.
June 2, 2010
Toronto --- The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is calling
on politicians in Ottawa to pass anti-poverty legislation to deal with
serious problems faced by municipalities across the country. A motion
put forward from Calgary and approved at the recent FCM meeting said social
services have been overwhelmed by demand and only Ottawa is in a position
to deal with the issue. The Calgary motion called on the federal government
to re-assert its role in ensuring income security for all Canadians. By
endorsing this motion, FCM joined more than 330 organizations, as well
as 57 MPs and 12 senators to date, in supporting a national campaign called
Dignity for All.
The campaign is led by two national organizations - Canada Without Poverty (CWP) and Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ). It is asking the federal government to immediately develop a national anti-poverty plan and legislation to provide adequate income security for all Canadians
Source:
National Union of Public and General
Employees
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is a family
of 11 component unions. Taken together we are one of the largest unions
in Canada. Most of our 340,000 members work to deliver public services
of every kind to the citizens of their home provinces
Federation
of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has been the national
voice of municipal government since 1901. With more than 1,775 members,
FCM represents the interests of municipalities on policy and program matters
that fall within federal jurisdiction. Members include Canada's largest
cities, small urban and rural communities, and 18 provincial and territorial
municipal associations
FCM's
73rd Annual Conference and Municipal Expo
May 28-31, 2010
Sheraton Centre, Toronto
Conference
webcasts
- includes the following webcasts:
:: Opening Ceremony and Plenary
:: The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
:: Know your rights-of-way
:: Michael Ignatieff, M.P., leader, Liberal Party of Canada
:: Paul Martin and John Godfrey
:: Closing Ceremony and Rebuilding Haiti: The role of local government
co-operation in post-disaster reconstruction
Related link from FCM:
Forum
Magazine - Canada´s national municipal affairs magazine
Forum is the flagship publication of the FCM, delivering timely, insightful
information on a range of municipal issues.
NOTE: This magazine is available by subscription, although it's not entirely
clear whether private citizens can subscribe.
There's a link
to the current issue of Forum magazine whose content likely changes
as each of the magazine's five issues per year is released.
Timely Tip: if you click the link in the previous line, you'll see that
the cover article for the current (Winter 2010) issue is "Action
on Housing" --- deals with municipal initiatives "to end
homelessness through innovative, affordable housing alternatives."
Excellent article!
That content will change when the next issue of Forum is published, so
I'd suggest that if you wish to access this later, you should save the
complete magazine by clicking the PDF icon in the bottom right-hand corner
of the page and saving the file to your hard drive.
____________________________________
Eye candy alert!
If you or your organization produce an online magazine and are thinking
makeover, I seriously suggest that you take a peek at the
latest issue of Forum.
Prepare to be impressed - I was.
This is such a realistic presentation that you'd swear you were reading
a paper magazine.
(includes page-flipping technology that makes reading even more
fun - move your mouse to any corner of the page and flip the page!)
I haven't seen many online resources that can come close to the snazzy
(sorry, I'm a child of the fifties...) interface of this product from
Zmags.
If you're curious, check out the Zmags site or send an email to someone
at the FCM to ask how they like the product and how much it costs, etc.
____________________________________
Related link:
Council's
anti-poverty initiative a 'slam dunk'
June 1, 2010
Politicians from cities across Canada have supported Calgary's push for
federal anti-poverty legislation. Alderman Joe
Ceci said the city's resolution got "slam-dunk" support in Toronto
over the weekend at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' annual
convention. The organization will now formally
advocate that Ottawa enact a law and dedicate funds toward an attempt
to erase poverty in Canada, more than 20 years after Parliament first
passed a resolution demanding an end to child poverty by 2000.
Source:
Calgary Herald
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New from the
Federation
of Canadian Municipalities (FCM):
Canada's
social safety net is fraying, cities strain to fill the gaps,
says new report from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
News release
March 24, 2010
The federal and provincial retreat from traditional social transfers in
the 1990s has frayed Canada´s social safety net, and cities are
now struggling to fill the growing gaps. That trend, exacerbated by the
current recession and growing urbanization, is the principal finding of
a new report from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
* The complete report:
Mending
Canada’s frayed social safety net:
The role of municipal governments (PDF
- 1.8MB, 72 pages)
Theme Report #6
* Backgrounder (PDF - 52K, 2 pages)
* Facts and Figures (PDF - 39K, 1 page)
Earlier
Theme Reports Produced
by the Quality of Life Reporting System
(Click this link to access all five of the reports listed below and a
few more...)
:: Theme report #5 (2009) - Immigration & Diversity in Canadian Cities
& Communities
:: Theme Report #4 (2008) - Trends & Issues in Affordable Housing
& Homelessness
:: Theme Report #3 (2005) - Growth, the Economy and the Urban Environment
:: Theme Report #2 (2005) - Dynamic Societies and Social Change
:: Theme Report #1 (2004) - Incomes, Shelter and Necessities
What
is the Quality of Life Reporting System (QOLRS)?
Led by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the Quality of
Life Reporting System (QOLRS) measures, monitors and reports on social,
economic and environmental trends in Canada´s largest cities and
communities. The QOLRS is a member-based initiative. Starting with 16
municipalities in 1996, the QOLRS has grown to 24 communities in seven
provinces.
Source:
Federation
of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
FCM has been the national voice of municipal government since 1901. With
more than 1,775 members, FCM represents the interests of municipalities
on policy and program matters that fall within federal jurisdiction. Members
include Canada's largest cities, small urban and rural communities, and
18 provincial and territorial municipal associations.
Related link:
Report:
Canadian cities struggle with social services
By Bryn Weese
March 24, 2010
OTTAWA — Canadian cities are struggling to fill the gaps in the country's
"fraying social safety net," according to a new report from
the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. This is the sixth quality-of-life
report commissioned by the federation focussed on Canada's 24 largest
urban centres. It found that wait times for public housing have increased,
the need for employment insurance and welfare has skyrocketed, subsidized
daycare spots are wanting, and the number of working poor and low-income
families has been increasing — even before the recent recession —
in almost all the cities studied.
(...)
According to the report, Mending Canada’s Frayed Social Safety Net:
The role of municipal governments, 54% of Canadians now live in the country's
24 urban areas where there are 2.5 million working poor and 1.2 million
low-income families.
Source:
Toronto Sun
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Vital
Signs
Vital Signs is an annual check-up conducted by community foundations
across Canada that measures the vitality of our communities, identifies
trends, and shares opportunities for action in at least ten areas critical
to quality of life.
Since Toronto's first Vital Signs publication, the Report has been adopted
by 16 communities across Canada and is now conducted nationally by Community
Foundations of Canada.
Local
Reports
Click the link for reports covering the following participating
cities and regions:
* Calgary * Central Okanagan * Guelph & Wellington
* Kingston & Area * Medicine Hat * Oakville
* Ottawa * Red Deer * Saint
John * Sudbury * Sunshine Coast * Toronto * Victoria * Waterloo * Wolfville (NS)
NOTE
: Only the link to the Toronto and Ottawa reports appear below because I live
in Ottawa, and Toronto is, well, Toronto*, eh...
For all other city reports,
click the above link and select a city or region to access its report.
---
*
Hey, I'm not sayin' that Toronto would pick up its marbles and go home or anything
if I *didn't*
include a link to their report, but the population of Toronto
is larger than most of the other provinces combined (except Ontario), so there
ya go...
---
Ottawa:
2009
Vital Signs Report - Ottawa (PDF - 2.9MB, 27 pages)
Source:
Community
Foundation of Ottawa
Toronto:
Toronto's
Vital Signs 2009 (PDF, 2.8 MB)
Source:
Toronto
Community Foundation
We help people invest in Toronto, making it the best
place to live, work, learn and grow. We monitor the quality of life in our city,
identifying its strengths and weaknesses through our Toronto’s Vital Signs®
report
Related links:
Toronto:
A city of disparities
October 6, 2009
By Royson James
Sooner,
rather than later, Toronto needs a strike force to confront the dangerous patterns',
`This is a picture of sickness linked to poverty – a snapshot of a city moving
in opposite directions, its populace increasingly polarized. (...) Since 1998,
the Toronto Community Foundation has been alerting us to the changing forces in
our city and region. Toronto's Vital Signs, the annual checkup of the city's social,
economic, environmental and physical health continues this year to track the alerts.
Community
Foundations of Canada
We are the Canadian movement for community vitality,
representing 168 Community Foundations across the country. Together, we help Canadians
invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work and play.
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New from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM):
Federation
of Canadian Municipalities calls for champion to fight crisis in rural Canada
OTTAWA,
May 26, 2009 - Rural Canada needs a champion at the federal cabinet table and
a long-term plan from the federal government to reverse the decline in its struggling
towns and villages. That was the message today from the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities (FCM) as it released its report, Wake-Up Call: The National
Vision and Voice We Need for Rural Canada, at a news conference on Parliament
Hill.
(...)
The report, launched by FCM´s Rural Forum and developed
with contributions by Dr. Donald J. Savoie of the Université de Moncton
and Dr. Bill Reimer of Concordia University, shines a light on the growing crisis
in rural Canada and its implications for the national economy. It asks what role
the federal government should play in rural communities and provides a road map
for effective action in Ottawa.
:: Backgrounder - Rural Canada by the Numbers (PDF - 152K, 1 page)
:: Report - Wake Up Call: The National Vision and Voice We Need for Rural Canada (PDF - 263K, 21 pages)
:: Backgrounder - The Federal Role in Rural Sustainability (PDF - 148K, 2 pages)
Source:
Federation
of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
With more than 1,775 members, FCM represents
the interests of municipalities on policy and program matters that fall within
federal jurisdiction. Members include Canada's largest cities, small urban and
rural communities, and 18 provincial and territorial municipal associations.
Related link:
Rural
Canada in crisis: report
May 26, 2009
OTTAWA - A new report
says rural communities across the country are in crisis. The report by the Federation
of Canadian Municipalities urges the federal government to develop a long-term
plan to diversify rural economies. It says rural communities need "a champion"
at the federal cabinet table to ensure their priorities receive the proper resources
and attention. Rural areas have been struggling for decades with shrinking populations
and tax bases, lower-than-average incomes, and higher rates of poverty and chronic
health problems. The problems have been exacerbated by the global economic meltdown.
Source:
Yahoo Canada News
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Annual
conference of the
Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA):
2009
Emergency Social Services Conference
Renaissance Toronto Airport Hotel
February
26-27, 2009
Each year, OMSSA holds an Emergency Social Services Conference,
a learning event to explore the many aspects of emergency social services that
CMSMs and DSSABs provide in the event of an emergency in their communities. The
conference is intended to provide emergency social services staff with practical
tools and resources that they can adapt and implement in emergency plans for their
communities.
Preliminary
Program (PDF - 401K, 14 pages)
- updated to February 9
Source:
Ontario
Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA)
OMSSA is a non-profit organization
whose members plan, manage, fund and deliver social and community services at
the municipal level throughout Ontario. OMSSA works on behalf of Ontario's municipal
service system managers, known as Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs).
The consolidation of municipal service management by the provincial government
has resulted in the creation of 47 CMSMs across Ontario, made up principally of
upper tier municipalities in southern Ontario and District Social Service Administration
Boards (DSSABs) in northern Ontario.
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Liberals Hear of Conservative
Neglect of Cities
Media Releases
May 28, 2008
OTTAWA -
A discussion paper released by the Urban Communities Caucus calls on the federal
government to sit down with Canada's mayors and provincial politicians to solve
the complex issues facing Canadian cities, said Liberal Urban Communities Caucus
Chair Senator Larry Campbell.
Complete report:
Foundations
for a Nation : Towards a Richer,
Greener and Fairer Canada (PDF
- 828K, 30 pages)
A Discussion Paper of the Liberal Urban Communities
Caucus
May 2008
Source:
Liberal Urban Communities Caucus
[ Liberal
Party of Canada ]
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U.S.
Mayors examine causes of hunger, homelessness (small PDF file - 2
pages)
News release
December 17, 2007
Washington, D.C. – The U.S.
Conference of Mayors and Sodexho, Inc. released today the results of its 2007
Hunger and Homelessness Survey at a press conference at the Conference of Mayors
Headquarters in Washington, D.C. For more than 21 years, the Conference of Mayors
has documented the magnitude of the issues of hunger and homelessness in our nation’s
cities. This report provides an analysis of the scale of the problem in twenty-three
of America’s major cities (listed below) and the efforts these cities are
making to address the issue.
Source:
The
U.S. Conference of Mayors
Sodexho
USA
Complete report:
2007
U.S. Hunger and Homelessness Report (PDF file
- 983K, 72 pages)
December 2007
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Federation
of Canadian Municipalities report says
affordable housing still scarce in Canada's
cities
OTTAWA, Jan. 16 – Despite increased
levels of homeownership, finding an affordable place to live is still a challenge
for the most vulnerable in Canada’s big cities.
This was one of the principal
findings of the fourth theme report in FCM’s Quality of Life series, Trends
& Issues in Affordable Housing &Homelessness, released today in Ottawa.
The report, looks at affordable housing and homelessness between 2001 and 2006
in the 22 large and medium-sized municipalities and urban regions that make up
the Quality of Life Reporting System.
2008
Quality of Life (QOL) Report:
Trends & Issues in Affordable Housing &
Homelessness (PDF file - 3.6MB, 40 pages)
January 2008
[NOTE:
this file is S-L-O-W to open (on Jan. 16), likely because many people are trying
to download the report at the same time...]
This publication, the fourth theme
report published by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as part of the Quality
of Life Reporting System (QOLRS), focuses on trends related to housing and homelessness
in 22 large and medium-sized municipalities and urban regions in Canada. The report's
focus is the period 2000-2006, with some reference to trends dating back to 1991.
Source:
FCM
Quality of Life Reports
[ Federation of Canadian
Municipalities (FCM)]
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Local
Government in Canada: Organization & Basic Institutions
Source:
Mapleleafweb
Maple
Leaf Web is a non-profit, non-partisan Canadian political education web-site that
aims to provide educators, students and the attentive public with a credible source
for political education and information.
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What's new from the Canadian Council on Social Development:
Urban
Poverty 2007 - updated October 18/07
A fresh batch of Urban Poverty
reports has been posted to the CCSD's Urban Poverty 2007 page. They include a
report on populations vulnerable to poverty, one on education and employment,
another on age, gender and family, and a final one on neighbourhood poverty. There's
also a new urban poverty bibliography.
"Poverty is not only about the numbers. It's about the stark realities of daily life for millions of Canadians. We hope that the numbers provided here will help communities share information, leverage resources and create solutions to the blight of urban poverty in Canada. Products in the Urban Poverty Project include community profiles, a time-series analysis of urban poverty trends over the 1990s, and a detailed snapshot of urban poverty using the 2001 Census data."
Click the link above to access the project files listed below:
*
Measuring Poverty: a backgrounder
* Media Release
* A Lost Decade - Urban
Poverty in Canada, 1990-2000
o Factsheet # 1: Looking Back
o Factsheet
# 2: Place Matters
o Factsheet # 3: Neighbourhood Poverty
* Detailed analyses
of different dimensions of urban poverty in 2000, presented in the following reports:
o Poverty by Geography
o Dimensions of Income Among Poor Households
o
Employment and Education
o Populations Vulnerable to Poverty
o Age, Gender
and Family
o Neighbourhood Poverty
* Community Profiles - an online database
containing demographic profiles of 111 communities across Canada;
* Poverty
Data Tables: Another online database, organized by levels of geography
* A
summary report on the Urban Poverty Project 2007 (forthcoming)
* UPP 2007
Bibliography
* Shelter - Homelessness in a growth economy:
Canada's 21st century paradox (by Gordon Laird, for the Sheldon Chumir Foundation)
* Talking about urban poverty: CCSD's Katherine Scott speaks to Senate Committee
on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (May 10, 2007)
* From the CCSD Archives:
Urban Poverty Project 2000
Related links:
* Measuring
Poverty
*
Media Release
* Community
Profiles
* From the CCSD Archives: Urban
Poverty Project 2000
Source:
Canadian
Council on Social Development
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Third
Session of World Urban Forum closes after drawing 10,000 people
June 23, 2006
Vancouver
"Drawing some 10,000 participants from over
100 countries, the Third Session of the World Urban Forum closed on Friday paving
the way for a new drive forward on the international urban agenda in a world of
rapidly growing cities."
Source:
UN-HABITAT
: United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Related Links:
World
Urban Forum 2006 Official Website
The
World Urban Forum 3 - Canadian Secretariat Website
-
Program
(PDF file - 2.3MB, 8 pages)
- Links
to websites of key partners in the Forum
World
Urban Forum:Transforming Ideas into Action [from
Human
Resources and Social Development Canada]
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Inclusive
Cities Canada releases third policy and practice paper
October
23, 2006
Inclusive Cities Canada (ICC) releases its third policy and practice
paper to advance social inclusion in cities and communities across Canada . The
new paper by Philip O’Hara and two earlier papers build on the recommendations
of the 2005
social inclusion audit reports.
Social
Inclusion Health Indicators:
A Framework for Addressing the Social Determinants
of Health (PDF file - 202K, 28 pages)
By Philip O’Hara
October
2006
Drawing on the national ICC research and the results
of the social inclusion inquiry in Edmonton , Mr. O’Hara’s paper explores
the close link between the dimensions of social inclusion and social determinants
of health. The paper suggests social inclusion health indicators for Edmonton
that are based on the ICC research and our knowledge about the SDOH. Key outcomes
and lead indicators will be identified for each of the ICC dimensions of social
inclusion, which will point to recommendations for public policy and community
practice.
The two papers released previously are:
An ICC Recommendation Comes to Life: The Municipal
Youth Cabinet’s Role in Inclusion
By Kathryn Asher
This
paper presents a snapshot of Saint John and its local youth community, including
challenges faced by a high poverty rate, the looming youth exodus, and local young
people’s feelings of exclusion. ICC’s work on social inclusion is explored,
particularly in relation to youth civic engagement, and youth (dis)engagement.
(This paper is jointly published by the Saint
John Human Development Council and Inclusive Cities Canada .)
The
Municipal Franchise and Social Inclusion in Toronto : Policy and Practice
By
Myer Siemiatycki
This paper addresses
the question: Would extending the right to vote in civic elections – for
municipal council and local school board positions – significantly advance
democracy, civic participation and the prospects for more responsive public policy
in Toronto?
Go to the Inclusive Cities Canada Home page and click on "Publications & Perspectives" to read summaries of both of these papers and to download the complete papers.
For more information, contact:
Christa Freiler,
ICC National Coordinator [ cfreiler@sympatico.ca
]
Phil O’Hara [ oharap@shaw.ca
]
John Kolkman, Edmonton Social Planning Council
[ JohnKolkman@edmspc.com ]
Source:
Inclusive
Cities Canada
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Community
Foundations of Canada
"Our mission: To build stronger communities
by enhancing the philanthropic leadership of community foundations"
Community
Foundations release first report cards on health of communities
Vancouver,
Victoria and Ottawa join Toronto in measuring their cities’ Vital Signs
News
Release
October 4, 2006
OTTAWA – Community foundations in several of
Canada’s largest cities published their first report cards today as part
of Vital Signs, a new national project aimed at measuring the vitality of communities
on an annual basis. The report cards track and grade each community’s quality
of life in key areas such as the economy, health, housing, learning and the environment.
Vital
Signs
Vital Signs is an annual community check-up conducted by community
foundations across Canada that measures the vitality of our cities, identifies
significant trends, and assigns grades in at least ten areas critical to quality
of life. Vital Signs is based on a project of the Toronto Community Foundation
and is coordinated nationally by Community Foundations of Canada.
Related Links:
Toronto
Community Foundation
The Toronto Community Foundation (TCF) is a charitable
organization dedicated to improving life in Toronto. TCF helps philanthropic citizens
establish endowment funds and invests charitable gifts from a range of donors
into a pooled income-earning fund. Each year, TCF identifies areas of need and
provides support to donors to help ensure grants from fund earnings will have
the greatest impact on Toronto's vital signs.
Toronto's
Vital Signs 2006
Our Toronto’s Vital Signs® report is an annual
fall check-up on the health of our city that measures and monitors key issue areas
that affect our shared quality of life. It is also the core of TFC’s strategy
to help donors achieve high-impact philanthropy across all of their charitable
areas of interest.
PDF
version – (11.4MB, 32 pages)
Expanded
PDF version - with additional indicators, footnote and web links
***
Community
Foundation of Ottawa
The Community Foundation of Ottawa is a public,
non-profit organization created by and for the people of Ottawa. As an independent
centre for community philanthropy, it connects donors who care with causes that
matter and serves as a trusted resource for addressing issues and leveraging opportunities
in the community.
Ottawa's Vital Signs 2006
October
4, 2006
PDF
version
(1.9MB, 24 pages)
HTML
version - includes additional indicators and footnote links
"(...)Trends
show that the gap between rich and poor is widening in Ottawa, and is greater
in our city than the national average. In 2000, the highest income earners in
Ottawa (those in the 90th percentile) earned 12 times more in after-tax income
than the lowest income earners (10th percentile). Having a job is not necessarily
a ticket out of poverty. In 2001, 13% of Ottawa's unattached individuals and 11%
of families were the working poor. 38,691 people used Ottawa's food banks in 2005,
continuing the steady increase seen in recent years. 39% of those using food banks
are children." [Excerpt]
***
Victoria
Foundation
The Victoria Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality
of life in our community through the stewardship of permanent funds and other
gifts and by grantmaking for charitable purposes on Southern Vancouver Island
and beyond.
Victoria’s Vital Signs is an annual check-up that evaluates the Capital Region as a place to live, learn, work and grow. It measures the health of our city and assigns grades in a number of areas that are critical to Victoria’s vitality. Information included in the report has been gathered in cooperation with numerous sources that are researching and collecting data on Victoria.
***
Vancouver Foundation
Mission
Statement: Through the growth and stewardship of permanent endowment funds and
the distribution of income to a broad range of eligible organizations, Vancouver
Foundation, in meeting community needs, provides philanthropic leadership to improve
the quality of life for all British Columbians.
Vancouver's
Vital Signs
"The online version of Vancouver’s Vital Signs
provides comprehensive data, as well as source information links on indicators
of the city’s livability and wellness in 12 key areas. Our citizen panel
of nearly 200 individuals, with deep knowledge of Vancouver issues, provided Citizen
Grades and Priorities in each key area."
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Third
Session of World Urban Forum closes after drawing 10,000 people
June 23, 2006
Vancouver
Drawing some 10,000 participants from over 100 countries,
the Third Session of the World Urban Forum closed on Friday paving the way for
a new drive forward on the international urban agenda in a world of rapidly growing
cities."
[more...]
---------------
World
Urban Forum 2006 Official Website
June 19-23, 2006, Vancouver, Canada
"The
World Urban Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the
most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact
on communities, cities, economies and policies. It is projected that in the next
fifty years, two-thirds of humanity will be living in towns and cities."
Source:
UN-HABITAT
: United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Related Links:
The
World Urban Forum 3 - Canadian Secretariat Website
-
co-produced by United Nations HABITAT and the government of Canada.
"The
WUF will be a unique opportunity for citizens, community groups, academics and
governments from around the world to meet and work together to find new solutions
to the complicated problems facing our quickly growing cities."
- Program
(PDF file - 2.3MB, 8 pages)
- Links
to websites of key partners in the Forum
World
Urban Forum:
Transforming Ideas into Action
June
19-23, 2006, Vancouver, Canada
"The rapid increase in urbanization is
a world-wide challenge. That is why Canada is proud to be hosting the World Urban
Forum 3 (WUF3), a UN-HABITAT sponsored event, where key players from all over
the world will gather to share experiences and transform ideas into action to
improve the quality of life in urban areas. Almost 80 percent of our population
lives in communities, making Canada one of the most urbanized countries in the
world. The annual global survey on urban quality of living ranks Canadian cities
among the best in the world."
Source:
Human
Resources and Social Development Canada
University
of British Columbia (UBC) contribution to the World Urban Forum (October 2005
through June 2006)
- incl. links to info about : Living the Global
City * Planners for Tomorrow * Sustainability by Design * Sustainability Street
* The Greater Vancouver Green Guide * Global Urban Sustainability Solutions Exchange
(GUSSE) * Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability: CIRS Seed Funding
* Sustainability Planning Report and Market Network * University Town Bicycle
Tours * Weaving Worlds Together: World Urban Forum & National Aboriginal Day
* UBC Special Lectures * Earthblog
Source:
University
of British Columbia (UBC) - Official World Urban ForumWebsite
Google
Web Search Results:
"World Urban Forum
2006, Vancouver"
Google News search
Results:
"World Urban Forum 2006,
Vancouver"
Source:
Google.ca
The central theme of the 2006 Forum is Sustainable Cities: Turning Ideas into Action.
More
Info on the World Urban Forum (PDF file - 206K, 1 page)
Info
on the World YOUTH Forum
(PDF file - 190 pages, 1 page)
Source:
Environmental
Youth Alliance (Canadian)
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Running
on Empty: A Proposal to Improve City Finances
(PDF file - 237K, 36 pages) February 2006
"Canada’s cities already
have adequate taxation powers to put their finances in order, says a new Commentary
by the C.D. Howe Institute. Rather than resorting to new tax fields to raise revenue,
cities should make greater, smarter use of existing fields like property taxes,
user fees or excise taxes, says the Urban Issues study, Running on Empty: A
Proposal to Improve City Finances. Written by Jack Mintz, President and CEO
of the Institute, and Tom Roberts, C.D. Howe Fellow for 2004-05, the study says
a sensible approach to municipal funding problems would be to:
1. shift most
social service costs to the provinces;
2. pursue municipal property tax reforms
to reduce the scope for tax competition and exportation;
3. raise more municipal
revenue from user fees where reasonable; and
4. reduce provincial transfers
to municipalities.
However, they note that Ontario and Alberta may be special
cases, for differing reasons, where further alternatives could be considered.
Cities
still waiting for financial help
February 25, 2006
"Toronto
Mayor David Miller has long and properly argued that cities in Ontario are being
unfairly forced to spend millions of dollars on welfare services, public health
and other programs that should, by rights, be fully funded by the province. Surprisingly,
Premier Dalton McGuinty agrees. And a new report this week from the C.D. Howe
Institute came to the same conclusion."
Source:
The
Toronto Star
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Meeting
the Civic Challenges of Social Inclusion:
Cross-Canada Findings and Priorities
for Action (PDF file - 344K, 47 pages)
Prepared
for the national symposium on Building a New Canada:
Meeting the Civic Challenges
of Social Inclusion
Gatineau, November 27- 28, 2005
By Peter Clutterbuck,
Christa Freiler and Marvyn Novick
Related Links:
National
Symposium on Building a New Canada:
Meeting the Civic Challenges of Social
Inclusion
National Symposium on Building
a New Canada:
Meeting the Civic Challenges of Social Inclusion
November
27 - November 28, 2005
Holiday Inn Plaza la Chaudiere, Gatineau, Quebec
The
national symposium on Building a New Canada: Meeting the Civic Challenges of Social
Inclusion is part of an initiative funded by Social Development Canada to enhance
social inclusion in cities and communities across Canada. It will focus on two
questions:
§ How can governments and communities meet the civic challenges
of social inclusion so that all people are able to participate in the social and
economic life of their cities and communities?
§ What is the federal
government's role in supporting the social infrastructure of cities as an essential
part of a Canadian urban strategy?
The national symposium is intended for federal government representatives from various departments, civic panel members and social planning councils, municipal governments, national organizations, and community leaders. For more information, contact Mary Micallef at (416) 351-0095, ext. 251 or via e-mail at mary@inclusivecities.ca. Registration fee is $75.00.
Symposium Information
*
Program
*
Accommodation
*
Registration
Source:
Inclusive
Cities Canada
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What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:
September
21, 2005
Study:
Trends and conditions in census metropolitan areas: Final assessment
During
the past 16 months, Statistics Canada has released a series of eight reports shedding
light on economic and social issues of importance for the nation's 27 largest
metropolitan centres. Based primarily on census data, this
series provided substantial information and analysis on topics such as low income,
health, immigration, culture, housing, labour markets, industrial structure, mobility,
public transit and commuting, and Aboriginal people. This
final assessment summarizes the major findings of the eight reports, and evaluates
what has been learned.
Complete report:
Trends
and Conditions in Census Metropolitan Areas
Ten Things to Know About Canadian
Metropolitan Areas: A synthesis of Statistics Canada’s
Trends and Conditions
in Census Metropolitan Areas Series (PDF file - 458K, 42 pages)
Related
Links:
Trends
and conditions in census metropolitan areas
-
incl. links to all eight reports in this series:
--- Aboriginal conditions
in census metropolitan areas, 1981-2001
--- Work and commuting in Census Metropolitan
Areas, 1996 to 2001
--- Labour markets, business activity and population growth
and mobility in Canadian CMAs
--- Evolving housing conditions in Canada's census
metropolitan areas, 1991-2001
--- Census metropolitan
areas as culture clusters
--- Immigrants in Canada's
census metropolitan areas
--- Health of Canadians living in census metropolitan
areas
--- Low-income in Census Metropolitan Areas,
1980-2000
[NOTE: Click "View" beside the title
of a report to access the HTML version or the PDF file]
June
23, 2005
Study:
Aboriginal people living in metropolitan areas, 2001
Aboriginal
people living in the nation's largest metropolitan centres were faring better
overall in 2001 than they were two decades earlier. Nevertheless, these Aboriginal
urban dwellers still faced many challenges, especially those living in western
urban centres
Complete study:
Aboriginal
Conditions in Census Metropolitan Areas, 1981 to 2001 (PDF file -
255K, 39 pages)
June 21, 2005
Study:
Social relationships in rural and urban Canada, 2003
The differences
between Canada's urban and rural residents are smaller than they are often perceived
to be, according to a new study which examines the two groups in terms of various
aspects of social engagement, cohesion and participation.
Complete study:
Social
Engagement and Civic Participation:
Are Rural and Small Town Populations Really
at an Advantage? - PDF file - 176K, 24 pages)
Rural and Small Town
Canada Analysis Bulletin - Vol. 6, no. 4
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Reports
provide wake-up call on future of Canada’s cities
Media
Release
March 23, 2005
"‘Social inclusion’ reports were released
today in five cities -- Saint John, Toronto, Burlington, Edmonton and Vancouver.
They are the work of Inclusive Cities Canada, a unique, participatory research
initiative that uses a social inclusion framework to build people-friendly cities,
promote good urban governance and develop strategies for supporting urban diversity.
The federally-funded initiative set up Civic Panels made of community and municipal
leaders to conduct social inclusion ‘audits’. Over 1,000 participants
contributed to the findings. The research examined important dimensions of social
inclusion, such as how cities respond to diversity, levels of civic engagement,
living conditions, opportunities for human development and community services."
Download the reports (all in PDF format):
St. John
*
Full
Report (895K, 49 pages)
The
Human Development Council (HDC) is a local social
planning council working with citizens to improve the overall quality of life
in Greater Saint John. It was formed in 1979 and seeks to coordinate and promote
social development in the region. Our goals are to: study and identify social
needs within the community, and the services that exist to meet those needs; advise
and assist in planning and developing new services and improving existing ones;
initiate opportunities for joint action in the development, coordination, and
delivery of services appropriate to community needs; and facilitate local citizens’
access to information about community programs and services.
Toronto
*
Full
Report (287K, 64 pages)
* Executive
Summary (74K, 11 pages)
The
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto (CSPC-T) is a not-for-profit
community organization. The CSPC aims to promote equitable, effective and inclusive
policies for improving the quality of life in Toronto. Collectively, the predecessor
organizations have over 100 years of experience in social planning, community
development, policy analysis and research, advocacy, and service coordination.
The work of CSPC-T is fuelled by the efforts and commitment of highly qualified
staff and dedicated volunteers from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
The Community Social Planning Council of Toronto also serves as project sponsor
(as an incorporated charitable organization) and provides administrative support
for the ICC initiative.
Burlington
* Full
Report (1.1MB, 138 pages)
* Executive
Summary (138K, 16 pages)
Community
Development Halton (CDH) is an intermediary organization
that through social research, needs identification, volunteerism and education
serves the voluntary sector, municipal and regional government and local grass
roots organization. Our purpose is to build the capacity of our community to improve
the quality of life for all residents of Halton.
Edmonton
*
Full
Report (655K, 45 pages)
The
Edmonton Social Planning Council (ESPC) is a non-profit, independent social
research and advocacy organization. The ESPC provides leadership to the community
and its organizations in addressing social issues and effecting changes to social
policy. Our work includes the definition of the scope and nature of social issues
(social research), facilitation of community based solutions to social problems
(social planning), the promotion of strategies which will reduce the long term
costs and problems caused by unresolved social issues (advocacy), information
and referral regarding human service and health programs, and the demonstration
of new models of service delivery (innovation).
Vancouver/North
Vancouver
* Preliminary
Findings (975K, 25 pages)
The
Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC)
works with communities to build a just and healthy society for all. Founded in
1966, SPARC is a non-partisan organization whose members and directors are drawn
from throughout British Columbia. SPARC BC is guided by the values of social justice,
integrity, learning and inclusion and as such we conduct research, consulting,
public education, and advocacy on issues of accessibility, income security, and
community development.
Federation of Canadian
Municipalities
[Inclusive Cities Canada works in collaboration with the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities]
The
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is a national organization
of 1000 plus cities in Canada. Comprised of locally elected politicians, FCM endeavours
to support local governments through conferences, research and information and
acts as a lobby for the interests of cities with the Federal Government. Over
the past 15 years besides issues of local infrastructure, FCM has advocated for
a better quality of life in our local communities. To achieve our goals, FCM liaises
and works with numerous other Canadian groups and organizations.
Source:
Inclusive
Cities Canada
"Inclusive Cities Canada: A Cross-Canada Civic Initiative
is a unique partnership of community leaders and elected municipal politicians
working collaboratively to enhance social inclusion across Canada. The goals of
Inclusive Cities Canada (ICC) are to strengthen the capacity of cities to create
and sustain inclusive communities for the mutual benefit of all people, and to
ensure that community voices of diversity are recognized as core Canadian ones."
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Risk
of homelessness rises as shelter costs squeeze low-income earners
News
Release
November 17, 2004
"OTTAWA -- Rising shelter costs are making
some of Canada’s large urban areas too expensive for low-income people and
raising the risk of homelessness. That’s one of the principal findings of
“Quality of Life in Canadian Communities, Incomes, Shelter and Necessities,”
Theme Report I of the 2004 Quality of Life Reporting System (QOLRS) Report, released
today by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). (...) The report finds
that low vacancy rates, dramatically rising rents, and lengthening waiting lists
for social housing are the results of a 50 per cent drop in rental-housing construction
between 1991 and 2001. As a result, the gap between rents and incomes widened,
and rents generally exceeded what low-income earners could afford."
Quality of Life Theme Report I: Incomes, Shelter and Necessities (PDF file - 1.4MB, 36 pages)
Backgrounder: QOL Theme Report I (HTML)
Backgrounder: Homelessness (HTML)
Moving
Forward:
Refining the FCM Recommendations for a National Affordable Housing
Strategy (Word file - 420K, 84 pages)
October 2004
Source:
Federation
of Canadian Municipalities
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Inclusive
Cities Canada
"Inclusive Cities Canada:
A Cross-Canada Civic Initiative is a unique partnership of community leaders and
elected municipal politicians working collaboratively to enhance social inclusion
across Canada. The goals of Inclusive Cities Canada (ICC) are to strengthen the
capacity of cities to create and sustain inclusive communities for the mutual
benefit of all people, and to ensure that community voices of diversity are recognized
as core Canadian ones. A concern about children, youth and families, particularly
those from diverse and vulnerable populations, is at the heart of the initiative."
[Civic
Panel Members (participating cities) are: Burlington ON - Edmonton AB - Saint
John NB - Toronto ON - Vancouver / North Vancouver BC]
- incl. links to:
About ICC (Who We Are - What We Do and Why - ICC Partners - National
Steering Committee - Civic Panel Members)
Publications & perspectives
(ICC Research - Canada - International)
Current Developments (section
not yet developed)
Contact ICC
Background
Paper and Project Overview, Phase 1 (PDF file, 107K)
November 2004
"A
13-page background and overview paper that describes ICC and its work and situates
the initiative within the larger context of social inclusion in Canada and abroad"
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Provincial-Territorial
Meeting of Ministers responsible for Local Government:
Provincial-Territorial
Ministers Urge Immediate Negotiations on Federal Funding
News
Release
November 12, 2004
"TORONTO, November 12, 2004 - Provincial
and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Local Government met today in Toronto
and unanimously reaffirmed the principles agreed to last September in Québec
City, that should underlie federal initiatives regarding municipalities. Ministers
stressed their individual readiness to begin bi-lateral negotiations immediately
with the federal government."
Principles Underlying Federal Government Initiatives Regarding Municipalities
Source:
Canadian
Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat
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From the Federation of Canadian Municipalities:
Big
city mayors call for “new deal” partnership to solve housing crisis:
Housing
and infrastructure two priorities needing quick action and partnership say mayors
News
Release
Toronto, Ont., Nov. 5 – Emphasizing that “everybody needs
a home,” the mayors of Canada’s 22 largest cities said today they are
ready to work with the federal government to develop solutions to the housing
problems in their communities and get money flowing quickly to create more affordable
housing across the country."
Moving
Forward: Refining the FCM Recommendations
for a National Affordable Housing
Strategy (PDF file - 1MB, 87 pages)
October 2004
"Housing
affordability and homelessness, the most visible manifestation of the lack of
affordable housing, are a significant concern to Canadian municipalities. On behalf
of its members, FCM has sought to identify and promote strategies to address this
persisting problem."
Big
city mayors agree to work with feds on addressing housing crunch
Canadian Press
November 5, 2004
"TORONTO -- The mayors of Canada's
22 largest cities agreed Friday to create a working group that will collaborate
with the federal government to design a strategy for building affordable housing.The
mayors met with federal Housing Minister Joe Fontana at the Big City Mayors' Caucus
to negotiate for a seat at the table with provincial and federal partners to address
the affordable housing crunch facing many Canadian cities."
Source:
Canada.com
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Infrastructure
Canada: New Deal for Cities and Communities
October 6, 2004
"The
New Deal is composed of four key components: Vision - Relationships - Funding
- Cities and Communities Lens."
Source:
Infrastructure
Canada
Related Links:
The
New Deal: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Source:
Liberal
Party of Canada
Budget
2004: Health Care, Learning and Communities
March 23, 2004
National
leadership and vision vital to a "new deal" for cities--Report
September 10, 2004
"OTTAWA--An effective 'New Deal' for cities requires
a coherent National Urban Strategy to reinforce and redirect current levels of
federal involvement in community development and sustainability, according to
a briefing paper released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives."
More
Than Money:
The New Deal for Cities and a Federal Urban Lens (PDF
file - 256K, 14 pages)
Source:
Canadian
Centre for Policy Alternatives
Google.ca Web
Search Results: "New Deal for Cities and
Communities"
Google.ca News Search Results: "New
Deal for Cities and Communities"
Source:
Google.ca
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Canadian
Urban Institute (CUI)
"The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) is a
non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in urban areas
across Canada and internationally. Here you can access discussions on Canadian
and programs. You can find information about upcoming events
such as Conferences, Roundtable Breakfast Seminars and the Urban Leadership Series,
which provide stimulating discussions on current urban issues. You may also access
the various research publications, take advantage of our services and benefits
of membership."
- incl. links to : CUI Services - Become a Member - Get
Involved - Publications - Japan Local Gov. Ctr. - CUI Offices Abroad - Corporate
Members - Job Opportunities - Media Releases - Urban Resources - What is CUI -
Mission/Vision - Board Members - Staff Profiles
Current
Research - Canadian Programs
" The CUI is involved in a variety
of projects across a broad range of topics. Find out about our projects in these
principal areas of interest:
Urban Governance, Systems and Infrastructure
- Economic Development and Environment - Urban Planning, Housing and Growth Management
- Heritage and Culture"
Toronto
City Summit Alliance
"In 2002-2003, the
CUI was the lead consultant to the Housing Work Group of the Toronto City Summit
Alliance – a partnership of private sector, corporate and community-based
agencies providing leadership on critical urban issues in the GTA. The full report,
titled Enough Talk – An Action Plan for the Toronto Region
Enough
Talk: An Action Plan for the Toronto Region
(PDF file - 579K, 76 pages)
Toronto City Summit Alliance
April 2003
-
incl. links to: A Vision for the Toronto Region - A Snapshot of the Regional Economy
- A New Fiscal Deal for Cities - Shoring Up Our Physical Infrastructure - Reviving
Tourism in Toronto - Creating a World-Leading Research Alliance - Investing in
People (• Early Childhood Development • Public Education • Post-Secondary
Education) - Becoming a Centre of Excellence in Integrating Immigrants - Strengthening
Our Social and - Community Infrastructure (• Affordable Housing • Community
Services) - Supporting the Arts and Culture - A Time for Action
International
Programs Office
"The CUI has extensive international experience
in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of local government capacity
development and urban management programs. Projects have been implemented in several
countries within the following regions: Central Europe, The Balkans, The Americas
and Asia."
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Cities
in decline
April
14, 2004
Globe and Mail Update
"Canadian cities are becoming increasingly
fragile, with the gap between the haves and have-nots widening as a burgeoning
population of immigrants struggles to enter the work force and the cost of living
rises, a new report says. The report, entitled Quality of Life in Canadian Municipalities,
documents the findings of a study examining changes in the economic, environmental
and social conditions of 20 Canadian municipalities from 1990 to 2002."
Source:
The
Globe and Mail
From the Federation of Canadian Municipalities :
Quality
of Life Highlights Report 2004 (PDF file - 2.3MB, 36 pages)
"In
general, this report finds that progress on Quality of Life has been mixed, with
the benefits not shared by all. Despite a recovery from the recession of the early
1990s, there are clear indications of continuing income inequality and social
exclusion, as well as pressure on the environmental. As a result, Quality of Life
in these communities remains fragile."
(Excerpt from the report's Conclusion)
News
Release (April 14, 2004)
Related Links:
Quality
of Life Reporting System
"Developed by the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities (FCM), the Quality of Life Reporting System (QOLRS) measures, monitors
and reports on the quality of life in Canadian urban municipalities using data
from a variety of national and municipal sources."
Earlier Quality of Life Reports by FCM - 1999, 2001, 2003
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Building
Inclusive Communities:
Cross-Canada Perspectives and Strategies
Prepared
for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
and The Laidlaw Foundation
by
Peter Clutterbuck and Marvyn Novick
April 2003
Source:
Federation
of Canadian Municipalities
The Laidlaw
Foundation
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Policy
Options - February 2004
- The State of Canadian
Cities
"Canada's cities: ten experts assess the state of Canadian cities
and what lies ahead. Plus, Rod McQueen reflects on
the life of Robert Stanfield, a special dossier on trade policy, an excerpt from
Roy MacSkimming's The Perilous Trade: Publishing Canada's Writers and much more."
Back
Issues of Policy Options (back to 1997, full text
of hundreds of articles)
Source:
Institute
for Research on Public Policy
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Beyond
the Money: The Challenge of Collaboration in Canada's Cities
February
27, 2004
Beyond
the Money: The Challenge of Collaboration in Canada’s Cities
(PDF file - 108K, 1 page)
News Release
February 27, 2004
"Much
of the recent attention to cities has centred on the question of resources –
where will they get the revenue base needed to match their responsibilities? It’s
an important challenge, but by no means the only one if we are to make the most
of the creative, social and economic potential of Canada’s urban centres."
Complete
Report:
Place Matters
and Multi-level Governance: Perspectives on a New Urban Policy Paradigm
Source:
Family
Network
[ Canadian Policy Research
Network ]
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Strengthening
our communities
The role of the local government in social development
(PDF file - 471K, 12 pages)
Perspectives - Winter 2004
- Perspectives,
a publication of The City of Calgary (Community Strategies) is published three
times per year.
In this issue:
Strengthening Our Communities - A World of
Cities - Back on the Agenda - Cities are More Than Bricks and Mortar - Federal,Provincial
&Municipal Roles - Through the Seasons of Life - Family and Community Support
Services - Federal Government unveils an urban strategy - Playing Its Part - Reaching
Out to Families in Crisis - Independence:The City Provides The Link - Coming Events
Source:
Community
Strategies [ City of Calgary ]
"Community
Strategies supports fledgling community issues and initiatives, works with The
City of Calgary's not-for-profit partners and provides research, planning and
marketing for community vitality and protection-related services at The City."
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Urban
income gap still growing, says FCM study
November
26, 2003
"OTTAWA - The gap between those with the most income and those
with the least continues to grow in Canada’s cities, says a report released
today by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). The
report, Falling Behind: Our Growing Income Gap, focuses on three cities –
Calgary, Toronto and Saskatoon – to investigate the growing income
gap, which was first identified in FCM’s 2001 Quality of Life (QoL) Report."
Income
Gap Overview (PDF file - 2.1MB, 12 pages)
Full
document (PDF file - 1.2MB, 76 pages)
Source:
Federation
of Canadian Municipalities
NOTE to the FCM: this is excellent content,
but you could reduce the size of your PDF files significantly by toning down the
graphics in your PDF files.
NOTE to visitors using a dial-up connection: you
might as well go for the full report - it's a smaller file to download than the
flashy, colourful 12-page overview...
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Speech
by the Honourable John Manley, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance,
to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Winnipeg,
Manitoba
June 1, 2003
"It is important that
we, federal and municipal politicians, come together like this to talk about how
together we can meet the interests of 21st century Canadian communities. It is
increasingly obvious that the old top-down form of governance—federal down
to provincial, then down to municipal, and citizens somewhere at the bottom—is
simply wrong. (...) we need to strengthen the federal role
as a partner to municipalities and provinces in sustaining livable and workable
Canadian communities, which are critical to advancing our nation’s economic,
social and cultural interests."
Source : Finance
Canada
Prime
Minister's Caucus Task Force on Urban Issues
- incl. links to : Final
Report | Interim Report | Press Releases | Have Your Say | Photos | Acknowledgements
| Question Period
Canada’s
Urban Strategy : A Blueprint for Action
Final Report of the Prime Minister’s
Caucus Task Force on Urban Issues (PDF file - 431K, 41 pages)
Chair:
Judy Sgro, MP
November 2002
Canada’s
Urban Strategy: A Vision for the 21st Century (PDF file - 500K, 80
pages)
Interim Report
May 2002
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Local
Government Links
40+ links to excellent resources in Canada and other countries
- incl. links to : Canada's Local Government Information Centre (ICURR)
- Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) - Council for Urban Economic
Development - Federation of Canadian Municipalities - Great Cities Institute
- Metropolis (Canadian Sites) - National City Government Resource Center
- Municipal Governments [in Canada] - Munisource.org - Canadian Municipal
Profiles - Neighborhoods Online - and much more...
Source : University of British Columbia
Library
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Muniscope
Information and Networking - Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional
Research (ICURR)
"The Intergovernmental Committee
on Urban and Regional Research was created at the 1967 meeting of First Ministers
for the purpose of exchanging information with respect to urban and regional matters
between all levels of government. ICURR is funded*
by all the provinces and territories as well as by the Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC). (...) Muniscope tracks down research, legislation as well
as practical solutions to current municipal issues. The Muniscope library collection
has over 9,000 publications relating to urban, regional and rural settings. More
than a library, Muniscope offers an extensive networking service across Canada."
-
Click "Upcoming conferences" on the home
page for a long list of Canadian and some international events with an urban/municipal
focus, along with website and contact information.
-------------------
*Re.
funding:
Provincial/territorial governments and CMHC provide partial funding
for 90% of Muniscope operating costs. The remainder comes from Muniscope's membership
subscription fees: Pay-As-You-Go memberships cost $150/yr. plus loan fees and
Full-Service memberships cost $400/yr. --- for more info on both membership levels,
click "Details"on the Muniscope Home Page (under "BECOME A MEMBER")
...or
sign in as a guest to try out the service for a free trial period.
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Centre
for Urban and Community Studies
"Established by the University
of Toronto 35 years ago as a graduate research facility, CUCS has a distinguished
record as a leading urban research centre in Canada and abroad. It draws from
a diversity of disciplines - for the most part in the social sciences - including
geography and urban planning, political science, and sociology. Research covers
a range of areas of inquiry relevant to cities and communities, locally, nationally
and internationally."
- incl. links to : What's New - About CUCS - People
- Publications
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Downtown
Eastside Revitalization Program (Vancouver)
The Downtown Eastside
Revitalization Program is a multi-faceted approach to restoring a low-income neighbourhood
to a healthy, safe and liveable neighbourhood for all. Visit this site for
information on many aspects of this project, including community health and safety,
economic development, startegies and initiatives and much, much more. Check out
the links
to over two dozen Web sites of organizations and groups that play a role in the
Downtown Eastside.
The Vancouver
Agreement is a commitment by the federal government, the province
of B.C., and the City of Vancouver to work together to support sustainable economic,
social and community development in Vancouver. The City of Vancouver will undertake
this work with a number of key partners: the Downtown Eastside community itself,
its adjoining neighbourhoods, the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board, Vancouver's
Coalition on Crime Prevention and Drug Treatment, the Vancouver Economic Development
Commission, the National Crime Prevention Centre, and the federal and provincial
governments through The Vancouver Agreement
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Cities
and Globalization : Communities in a Changing World
Couchiching
71st Annual Summer Conference 2002
August 8–11 at Geneva Park, Orillia,
Ontario, Canada
" In Canada, vibrant urban regions depend on more
than municipal taxes to provide the infrastructure to support their vital contribution
to national life; and yet electoral realities bias senior levels of government
against the needs of cities. How are successful communities turning globalization
to their advantage and mitigating its destructive effects?"
- incl.
links to : An Introduction to the 2002 Conference - Speakers and Moderators -
Scholarships - Conference Items for Sale - How to Get to the Conference - Secure
Online Registration - Conference PDF
Source : Couchiching
Online - The Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs
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Quality
of Life Research Projects
Great collection of links - includes
Seniors' Participatory Project - Inequality and Health Quality of Life Profile
- Quality of Life of People With Developmental Disabilities (A four year longitudinal
study) - The Family Quality of Life Project - Quality of Life of Seniors - Quality
of Life of Adolescents - The Childrens' Quality of Life Project - Community Quality
of Life - Quality of Life of Persons with Physical and Sensory Disabilities
Related Links - see The Social Indicators
Launchpad from the Canadian Council on Social
Development
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Canadian
Council on Social Development (CCSD)
(see more information about
and links to the CCSD on the Canadian Social Research Organizations
page of this site)
Urban Poverty
in Canada: A Statistical Profile - April 2000
by Kevin K. Lee
This study uses the most recent statistics available to compare poverty rates
among Canadian cities and provide a profile of Canada's urban poor. Special
attention is given to poverty rates among visible minorities, immigrants, and
Aboriginal peoples living in urban areas. Includes detailed poverty statistics
(age, sex, population group, education, employment activity, sources of income
and more) for Canada, broken down to the regional and municipal level (see Appendix
"B" of the report for details)
- Backgrounder
- Communiqué
- Highlights
- Resource People
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The
Health of Canada's Communities
The health of Canada's communities 2000/01
July
4, 2002
"Life expectancy in Canada is among
the best in the world and has been for several decades. However, health status
is by no means evenly distributed across Canada's communities, according to a
new study."
Summary
Complete
report (PDF file 360K, 25 pages)
Source : Statistics
Canada, The Daily
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Trade
rules may prevent municipalities from implementing Walkerton recommendations :
Study (Ontario)
News Release
May 29, 2002
"Municipalities
may face unexpected barriers in implementing the Walkerton Inquiry recommendations
to protect drinking water and agricultural lands due to the federal governments
approach to trade negotiations, according to a new study by the Canadian Environmental
Law Association (CELA) and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives."
Complete
report:
From
Global to Local: GATS Impacts on Canadian Municipalities (PDF file
- 600K, 51 pages)
Michelle Swenarchuk
Source :
Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives
See also : Canadian Environmental
Law Association
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A
Roof Over Our Heads: Affordable Housing and Urban Growth in Western Canada
October 2000
The
Impact of Urban Growth on Affordable Housing: An Economic Analysis
October 2000
Each of these links will take you to the summary page
for the relevant report - from there, you can click on "Download PDF" to complete
the personal information form (which I personally find intrusive) and then access
the file.
Check the CWF
Publications page for links to full copies (in PDF format) of over 50 reports
dating back to early 1997.
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The
Conference Board of Canada - Metropolitan Service
($ Subscription
service $)
The Metropolitan Service is a comprehensive package of information
on the Metropolitan economies, produced three times a year by The Conference of
Canada. The Metropolitan Outlook provides insights into ten major Canadian
cities' economies, their related provinces and Canada. The Conference Board’s
economic forecast is available in hardcopy and/or electronically.
Metropolitan sample report - (PDF file, 12 pages, 1.3MB)
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The
Metropolis Project - "An international forum for research and policy
on migration and cities"
The International Metropolis Project is a set
of co-ordinated activities carried out by a membership of research and policy
organizations who share a vision of strengthened immigration policy by means of
applied academic research. The Metropolis partnership, now from twenty countries
and a number of international research and policy organizations represents a wide
range of policy and academic interests.
More about the International
Metropolis Project
See the List
of Metropolis Project Partner Countries and Organizations - including
Metropolis Canada (see below)
Sixth
International Metropolis Conference
Rotterdam, The Netherlands, November
26 - 30, 2001
Metropolis
Canada
Metropolis is an international forum
for comparative research and public policy development about population migration,
cultural diversity and the challenges of immigrant integration in cities in Canada
and around the world.
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National
Crime Prevention Centre
Department of Justice
The National
Crime Prevention Centre Internet Site (NCPC Site) is the Internet access point
through which Internet users around the world can obtain information about crime
prevention projects in Canada, the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime
Prevention, the National Crime Prevention Centre, its programs and services.
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Local
Government Institute (LGI)
Created in 1995, the Local Government
Institute (LGI) is a group of University of Victoria faculty dedicated to improving
the efficiency and effectiveness of local governments. The Institute assists local
officials by identifying management practices and production alternatives that
have resulted in improved service delivery to local governments in Canada.
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Policy
Research Initiative (PRI)
The Policy Research Initiative (PRI) seeks
to strengthen the policy research capacity in Canada. This site provides a service
to the wide range of people interested and involved in public policy research
and development.
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Ontario
Association of Municipalities of Ontario
(AMO)
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) works
with and for municipal governments. AMO's traditional activities include inter-government
relations and policy development; information gathering and disseminating on all
issues affecting municipalities. AMO also develops and delivers new and
innovative products and services for municipalities.
Ontario
Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA)
OMSSA is a non - profit
municipal social services association formed In 1950 to collect and share information
on social services and to provide professional development and consulting services.
2007
Forum on Social Housing and Homelessness for
Service Managers, Shelter Providers
and Front Line Staff (PDF file - 1.3MB, 25 pages)
September
18–20, 2007
Toronto, Ontario
"(...)The theme for this year’s
forum, “It Starts with Us”, is reflected in the main message within
the keynote addresses and workshops being offered over the two-and-a-half- day
forum. Delegates who deliver municipal social housing and homelessness services
as well as shelter and hostel representatives from across Ontario can expect to
come away from this forum with tools, resources and concrete examples of partnerships,
as well as a renewed sense of the importance of collaboration as they pursue the
goal of healthy communities and a home for all Ontarians."
Source:
Ontario
Municipal Social Services Association
City
of Toronto
Community
and Neighbourhood Services
- includes information about : Children's
Services - Homes for the Aged - Shelter, Housing and Support - Social Development
- Social Services - Toronto Housing Company
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International
The
Sustainable Cities Programme
[part of the United
Nations Human Settlements Programme ]
"The past several decades have
seen a growing interest in the notion of various aspects of sustainable development,
whether they be in terms of agriculture, transportation planning, or creating
large-scale housing programs. Located within the United Nations Human Settlement
Programme, the Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP) is a facility dedicated to building
capacities in urban environmental planning and management. Currently the SCP operates
in 20 cities around the globe, including cities in China, Chile, Egypt, and Kenya.
Visitors to the site will want to read about how the programme operates in different
parts of the world, and then perhaps look at their publications, which include
several fact sheets and source books on topic such as urban air quality management
and environmental planning. Finally, the site also provides material on their
various global meetings, such as the upcoming SCP meeting in Havana during June
2005."
[Review by The Scout Report,
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2005]
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The
State of the World’s Cities: 2004/2005
"The
United Nations Human Settlements Programme published the first State of the World
Cities report in 2001, and just recently released this updated version which offers
insight and critical analysis of the state of the world’s major urban areas
and how they are changing, both for good and for ill. The report was launched
on September 14, 2004, at a conference in Barcelona at the World Urban Forum,
and while visitors to the site can’t read the entire report for free, they
can read a brief summary of each section contained within the full report. The
various sections include such provocative topics as “Ticking Time-Bombs:
Low-income settlements”, “Africa’s Secret Modernist City”,
and “Crimes of the Child”. These excerpts are enhanced by a Flash presentation
that talks a bit about the general findings of the report and also a press kit."
Review
by:
The Scout Report, Copyright Internet
Scout Project 1994-2003
The
UN Report on The State of the World's Cities Warns of the Advance of Poverty
(PDF file - 26K, 2 pages)
September 16, 2004
Press Release
Barcelona
Source:
United
Nations Human Settlements Programme 2004
Short articles from State of the World's Cities 2004/5: Globalization and Urban Culture (PDF and Word format)
UN-HABITAT
Report Celebrates Multicultural Cities
September 14, 2004
Barcelona
Related UN-HABITAT Link:
World
Urban Forum (September 1317, 2004 - Barcelona)
- Draft
Report of the Second Session of the World Urban Forum (updated 23 September 2004)
(PDF file - 246K, 80 pages)
"This draft report contains summary reports
on the Dialogues which were held during the Second Session of the Forum. These
summary reports give the highlights of the discussions and the issues that emerged
for consideration by the Executive Director and the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT."
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Quality
of Life Project - "Monitoring Social, Economic and Environmental
Conditions"
- New Zealand
"...a picture of the quality
of life in the six largest cities of New Zealand. The Councils of these cities
-Auckland, Christchurch, Manukau, North Shore, Waitakere and Wellington - are
concerned about the impacts of growth and urbanisation and the effects of this
on the wellbeing of citizens."
- incl. links to : About
the Project | Key Indicators | Definitions | Data Collection | Data Management
Policy | Links | Contact | Demographics | Housing | Health | Education | Employment
and Economy | Safety | Urban Environment | Community Cohesion | Democracy | Site
Map |
Quality
of Life Report (PDF file - 3.2MB, 119 pages)
Executive
summary & commentary (PDF file - 104K, 6 pages)
March 2001
Quality
of Life Indicators - 50+ individual PDF files dealing with a wide range
of quality of life indicators, organized under the following headings: health
- demographics - urban environment - education - community cohesion - safety -
housing - employment and economy - democracy
Next
Report
"A second report is being prepared to assess the current
situation. The report is aimed for publication in early 2003."
- also
presents information about the 2002 public consultation process, including links
to two PDF files:
Quality
of Life Consultation July 2002 (PDF - 75K) - introduction and background
of the quality of life project + an overview of outcomes, issues and high level
indicators related to quality of life in the largest cities of New Zealand.
Quality
of Life Appendix "A" July 2002 (PDF - 151K) - detailed table
of indicators aimed at measuring progress on the outcomes, issues and high level
indicators.
National
League of Cities
The mission of the National League of Cities
(NLC) is to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership,
and governance. NLC was established in 1924 by and for reform-minded state municipal
leagues. NLC now represents 49 leagues, more than 1,500 member cities, and through
the membership of the state municipal leagues, NLC represents more than 18,000
cities and towns of all sizes in total.
Local Government Association Gateway - UK
MUNISOURCE.ORG - "Largest Collection of Municipal Government-Related Information on the web!"
International
Union of Local Authorities (IULA)
Working since 1913 to promote
democratic local self-government worldwide
Municipal
World
Municipal World is the oldest continuously published monthly
municipal magazine in the world. Founded in 1891, the magazine is devoted to promoting
effective municipal government. This site features important information about
local government, details about Municipal World's products and services, and links
to other local government resources. And best of all - it's Canadian, eh?
Municipal World's Hot Links - excellent collection of links to all things municipal - even international municipal (!) stuff.
Center
for Urban Research & Policy
School of International and Public
Affairs
Columbia University
State
of the Cities 2000 - U.S.
June 11, 2000
The Department
of Housing and Urban Development’s State of the Cities 2000 report says growth
in cities has been strong and sustained in high-tech and other jobs, business
creation and homeownership.
Full
text (PDF file, 2338K - 138 pages)
State
of the Cities Data System provides the latest data on 114 selected cities
released as part of State of the Cities 2000
Go to the Housing
and Urban Development website
Quality,
not quantity improving living conditions in our cities (International)
UN/ECE Ministers of housing and spatial planning meet in Geneva
Geneva,
19 September 2000
United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)
Press Release
Today the Ministers
outlined their vision of the city in the 21st century. They also adopted a Declaration
and a Strategy to improve the quality of life in human settlements in the 21st
century. Their Strategy’s goal is fivefold...more
MOST
Urban Issues: Urban Development and Governance
UNESCO's Management
of Social Transformations Programme (MOST) hosts this Website dedicated to urban
issues in global development. Included here is a substantial array of academic
and professional publications, including working papers and project reports; Internet
sites; and MOST programme descriptions and conference information relating to
issues of transforming the development of urban areas in ways that maximize democracy,
economic equality, and quality of life. Current postings include a report on MOST's
recently completed project Industrial Decentralization and Urban Development in
India with consideration of SouthEast and East Asian States, and related working
papers. Most of the publications offered on the Website are in .pdf format.
- Reviewed by the Scout Report for Social Sciences
- incl. links to : MOST urban issues and the UN system - Urban research,
governance and planning - Urban management and civil society participation - Capacity-building
for city professionals and co-operation networking - Calendar of meetings and
events - Activities sponsored by UNESCO - Publications on urban issues
The Urban Institute
(U.S.) - A nonpartisan economic and social research organization
Large site (check out the Site Map)-
includes tons of information in many areas, including : Amercan Cities - Updating
America's Social Contract - Crime in America - Medicare - Social Security - Welfare
Reform - The Working Poor - At-Risk Teens - Child Care - Homelessness - Family
Well-Being - and much more...
Assessing
the New Federalism is a multi-year Urban Institute research project to
analyze the devolution of responsibility for social programs from the federal
government to the states, focusing primarily on health care, income security,
job training, and social services.
U.S.
Conference of Mayors - Representing U.S.A. Cities
- incl.
links to : About the USCM | Organizational Leaders | Adopted Policies | Affiliate
Organizations | USCM Deferred Compensation And Long Term Care Programs | Products/Services
| Membership Information
The United States Conference of Mayors is the
official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more.
There are about 1,100 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented
in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. (...) Collectively,
Conference of Mayors members speak with a united voice on matters pertaining to
organizational policies and goals. Individually, each member mayor contributes
to development of national urban policy through service on one or more of the
organization's 10 standing committees.
16th Annual
Survey on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities (USCM)
Press
Release
December 14, 2000
Mayors' 16th Annual Survey on "Hunger
and Homelessness in America's Cities" Finds Increased Levels of Hunger, Increased
Capacity to Meet Demand; Affordable Housing Cited as Primary Factor in Largest
Emergency Shelter Demand in a Decade
- includes an overview of the key
findings of the report on hunger and homelessness and a link to the complete
report in PDF format (289K, 125 pages)
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