June 24, 1999 

As I make my rounds visiting influential Westmounters, enlisting their help to ensure Westmount does not get swallowed up by Montreal, many echo the same thought: whatever happens, we must come to the aid of Montreal.

Well, it's Quebec and its ignorance of Montreal that has helped cause the mess Montreal finds itself in; in other words, the way to get the city back on its feet requires a sea change in provincial government legislation and policy - which means getting away from their obsession with the regions. Let me explain. There are two main causes of Montreal's sorry state: urban sprawl and bad city management. Quebec can help on both counts.

Quebec has actively encouraged urban sprawl in the Montreal region through the dezoning of agricultural land, by subsidising off-island housing, by over-building of highways, and by wiping out funding for public transit.

Quebec also has the power to create the conditions under which good management can flourish in Montreal. Let me count the ways:

• Modify labour laws to have a fair balance of power and to get rid of such aberrations as Montreal having to hire a minimum number of blue collars whether they're needed or not.
• Get rid of the political party system. Parties spring up almost overnight; usually their only reason to exist is to act as a claque for their leader. Councillors should vote with their conscience, not with their party.
• Stop Montreal from being the poverty magnet for the province. As the Bédard report recommended, low cost housing should be regionally distributed, not mainly concentrated in the city of Montreal.
• Abolish the enabling legislation that hinders condominium conversion. With three-quarters of Montreal voters being tenants - the highest ratio in North America - there needs to be a greater portion of owners.
• Require that citizens of Montreal be given veto power over zoning amendments and loan by-laws. In any other city, the authority to borrow for new projects can be rejected by a referendum if enough citizens wish.
• Cut the power of the Executive Committee and permit decentralisation of not just public consultation, but of the delivery of services.
• Quebec must rid itself of the notion that mergers are a cure. Sweeping Montreal's problems under a bigger rug won't make them go away.

The best the amalgamationists come up with (other than the "too many cities" non-argument) is that it would rid Montreal of all those suburban parasites. Oh, yes. And it would also create a uniform tax rate. A uniformly high tax rate, I might add. Since when is the mere fact of uniformity a virtue?

June 10 Menu page

David Jones

#903 June 23 with David & Terry Jones in the park link to play No-Tavern story by Wayne Larsen le Maire Prud'homme, Saint Jean Baptiste,

• Menu of Trent's Stories
  
  
• March 21, 1999 GAZETTE EDITORIAL
  
• MAY 1999 URBICIDE AND MEGACITY MANIA
  
• May 13 PARTS OF IT ARE EXCELLENT
  
• May 27 MONTREAL: MISDIRECTION GENERAL
  
• Jun 10 BREAD AND CIRCUSES…AND DEBT AND TRUSTEESHIP
• Jun 24 ONLY QUEBEC CAN HELP MONTREAL
  
• Apr 8 MEGACITY MANIA - PART II
  
• May 13 PARTS OF IT ARE EXCELLENT