Whatever the process for tallying up a $1.4-billion bill, the West LRT still ranks as an insanely costly project, at $190 million per kilometre of track, or $42,000 and change per estimated daily rider according to a review done by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
Municipal Government
City politicians focus on utopian visions while citizens just want simple things, like passable roads
It’s the new urban blight. Across the country, city governments are in varying states of disarray, if not chaos. The range is wide, from the badly governed fiasco in Toronto to outright corruption in Montreal and boondoggle-prone governments in Vancouver, Calgary and other Western cities. Taxes are rising, spending is soaring, but roads are crumbling and the basics often ignored.
Time to Rethink the Toronto Megacity
Two cultures warring in the bosom of a single city – that’s the best way to understand the current mess in Toronto. The two cultures that were unwillingly yoked together in a megacity by Ontario premier Mike Harris in 1998 have given us the Rob Ford saga.
Northern Ontario Government Worthy of Consideration
Ontario Liberal Party leadership candidate Glen Murray recently announced that as Premier, he would create a Northern Ontario government. This is an idea worthy of consideration.
Featured News
Time to Stop Lockdowns, Vaccine Mandates and Crushing Our Charter of Rights
If one was to discuss the state of the world’s democracies in September of 2019, it would look entirely different than it does today in 2022. Three years ago, Canadians generally thought that: our democracy was relatively strong and citizens would defend their...
Propaganda Rules the World
One of the greatest books that explain how the world works is Propaganda by Edward Bernays. The man dubbed “the father of public relations” applied the psychological ideas of his uncle Sigmund Freud upon the masses, triggering their basic motivations to the benefit of...
Finances a Central Concern
“Saskatoon voters are telling city council candidates they’re concerned about how taxes and spending on expensive projects are affecting the city. It’s become one of the central election issues.”
Pulling Back the Curtain: How Transparent are Regina and Saskatoon?
How well do Regina and Saskatoon stack up on their ability to be transparent in the services, costs and effectiveness when compared with other Canadian cities? A new Frontier study explains where they miss the mark but can improve.
Media Release – Pulling Back the Curtain : How Transparent are Regina and Saskatoon?
The municipal governments of Regina and Saskatoon report their performances far less often than do other cities cited in this report. As a rule, neither city discloses its performance as extensively as other cities do. There are exceptions as noted and where due. Regina has measured increased numbers for sporting and cultural activities resulting from its online registration option. Saskatoon measured the increase in fines paid because of its COPE program.
Exult: Mayor Not a Crook
“Mayor Larry O’Brien has been found not guilty of influence peddling. How many municipalities can say with confidence that their mayor is not a criminal? This is the new yardstick by which we judge our politicians.”
Municipal Expropriation for Economic Development: A Tied-Up David v. Goliath Battle
Landowners across Manitoba, and in four other provinces, are not safe as provincial governments allow municipalities to expropriate land for economic development—without any real procedural safeguards.
Expropriating for Economic Development: A Carte Blanche for Municipal Mismanagement
Provincial legislators should eliminate the practice of allowing municipal expropriation for economic development purposes as it allows for sweeping governmental abuse.
Media Release – Municipal Land-Grabbing Powers Should be Curtailed
”This example demonstrates the need for clear legislative reform for individual property owners who find themselves in similar situations. A process to allow municipalities to expropriate for dubious economic development purposes also exists in other provinces and in jurisdictions outside Canada. However, there are encouraging signs in that many jurisdictions, particularly in the United States, have taken proactive steps to prevent this abuse of individual property rights; as such, they provide a model for Canadian provinces.”
Getting a Better Bang for the Pothole Buck
The perennial game of political football over who should fund rural roads could end with better integrated engineering and accounting practices that identify the most damaging road uses; then, Canadian governments could charge users according to the maintenance they necessitate.
How Free is Your Parking?
“Somehow, the urban land use with the biggest footprint and a profound effect on the transportation system has been invisible to scholars in every discipline.” – Donald Shoup, The High Cost of Free Parking (2005) Introduction Drivers in North America typically...