Public Administration Commons^™

Canadian Mayors Respond To Tent Cities: The Old Bums Rush Or A New Script For Homeless Populations?, Dani Coffey

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper seeks to examine how Canadian urban mayors respond, in the media, to homeless encampments in their communities. A qualitative content analysis of news articles involving tent cities and the current mayors of two Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in British Columbia is completed. Social constructions of the homeless population will be considered through the coding of media “frames.” Through the integration of frames with the Narrative Policy Framework, the interplay between social constructions and housing policy solutions generated at the local level will be explored.

Financial And Strategic Planning In Ontario Municipalities: Examining The Theoretical Framework And Linkages Between Municipal Financial And Strategic Planning In Ontario, Brian Geerts

MPA Major Research Papers

Municipal councils in Ontario are charged with the administration and control of organizations through the Municipal Act, 2001. Councils are responsible for the financial and service performance of a wide variety of activities. Should the activities and finances be poorly linked, this could lead to an accountability disconnect. This research explores how well municipalities in Ontario link strategic planning to financial planning, and how they communicate this to the public. Nine municipalities were randomly selected representing small, medium, and large municipalities in the south, central, and northern regions of the province. Municipalities primarily rely on their corporate strategic plans and …

Administering A Ranked-Choice Voting Election: Lessons From London, Ontario, Charlotte Kurs

Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance – Publications

To elect its mayor and council in October of 2018, the City of London, Ontario used ranked-choice voting instead of the traditional first-past-the-post system; the first Canadian city in decades to use an alternative electoral system. London’s experience as the first Ontario municipality to implement ranked-choice voting allows it to offer its experience as a lesson to other municipalities that may be considering making changes to their voting systems.

From the Ontario government’s review of the Municipal Elections Act in 2016 through to the implementation of a ranked-ballot election in 2018, this report details the experience of City of London …

Who Has Seen The Wind Benefits? Impacts Of Ontario Green Energy Policy On Municipal Community Benefit Agreements From Large Wind Energy Projects, Jason Cole

MPA Major Research Papers

The province of Ontario has become Canada's largest wind energy market. This was a result of distinct policies established by the provincial government to encourage renewable energy developments as part of its power supply system. Using distributive justice as a lens, this study aims to clarify how wind energy policy design influences community outcomes for municipalities that host wind turbine projects. Community benefit agreements between municipalities and wind project developers are a prominent tool for distributing financial benefits to local populations and these were used throughout Ontario as part of the wind energy development process. A comparative analysis is undertaken …

Comparative Analysis Of Emergency Communication Practices Of Local Public Health Units In Ontario During Covid-19 Pandemic, Thulasika Ledchumikanthan

MPA Major Research Papers

Local Public Health Units play a key role in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to leverage the prevalent information communication technologies including social media to communicate with citizens. The aim of this research paper is to conduct a comparative analysis of how methods and content of communication practices across Ontario Public Health Units have differed during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore possible reasons why. Due to the nature of this research being exploratory, a Grounded Theory approach was used. Content analysis included a systematic review of 10 of the 34 public health units’ …

Inclusionary Zoning: Identifying Possible Legal Challenges Within Canada And How Best To Pre-Empt Them, Christina Pilatzkie

MPA Major Research Papers

The purpose of this research paper is to explore the legal issues that surround inclusionary zoning. More specifically, the question to be answered through this research is: How can Canadian municipalities shield themselves from legal challenges that may put inclusionary zoning policies at risk of being nullified? Through inductive research byway of qualitative content analysis of 16 American court cases, in which the legal challenges posed to inclusionary zoning ordinances are then extrapolated and applied to the Canadian context, the fundamental legal issues pertinent to Canadian municipalities become illuminated. What has been observed is that there have been a number …

Supporting Knowledge Clusters: An Analysis Of The Organizational Structures And Policies Of Economic Development Agencies In Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, And Windsor, Duncan Purssell

MPA Major Research Papers

To determine if there is a correlation between the organizational structure of economic development agencies and whether these structures facilitate or hinder the success of development policies. To determine what factors other than the organizational structures of economic development agencies facilitate or hinder the success of economic development policies. Methods Used: In this paper a review of the literature in municipal economic development was completed. Three case studies of economic development strategies for midsized urban areas in Southwestern Ontario were completed. The success of each urban areas economic development strategies was evaluated. The structure of each regions economic development agencies …

Streamlining Information Technology Services In Local Government, Michael Ben

MPA Major Research Papers

This research paper examines the outcome of the City of Toronto's Shared Services foundation project. Drawing on the lessons learned from previous shared services projects at the City, it aims to answer the question: "What factors promote or discourage shared services between a local government and its agencies?" The paper conducts a systematic literature review with the aim of discovering a candidate set of factors that promote or discourage participation in shared services between a local government and its agencies. It then uses the literature review to explore the potential for future shared services between the City of Toronto and …

Corporate Structures In Transit: Comparing The Development Of Intermunicipal Transit In British Columbia And Ontario And Why Ontario Should Consider Reform, Luke Charlton

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper will argue for changes in the corporate structure of transit authorities in Ontario by contrasting their effectiveness in producing intermunicipal transit with British Columbia’s transit authorities. It is well established that transit is correlated to many benefits: socioeconomic opportunities, increased quality of life, boosting the local economy, and reducing the environmental impact of transportation. However, one area of neglect within Ontario has been the development of intermunicipal transit within Ontario outside of the Greater Toronto Area. British Columbia proves that with a centripetal authority structure (power towards the centre), transit organizations can be adaptive and cooperative. Ontario’s centrifugal …

Addressing Water Security Through First Nations-Municipal Cooperation, Corrine Codina

MPA Major Research Papers

To what extent can municipalities support a multi-barrier approach (MBA) to improving First Nations water security in Ontario? Through a systematic content analysis of legislation, standards, guidelines, and reports, capacities of First Nations and municipalities to implement the MBA are identified in relation to the approach’s three barriers: source water protection, water treatment systems, and water distribution systems. The results of this paper show that municipalities are equipped with the capacities to support a First Nations’ MBA, and are particularly well equipped in their managerial, technical, and political capacities to support efforts of source water protection. Water treatment and distribution, …

Going Back: The Case For Remunicipalization: Analyzing The Ottawa Case To Understand Why Municipalities May Remunicipalize A Service Instead Of Choosing Another Private Contractor, Stephen Coppola

MPA Major Research Papers

With the wave of New Public Management, privatization of services in the public sector became a popular choice among government managers who believed this would improve the quality of services while also lowering costs. This turned out to not always be the case, and municipalities have slowly begun to turn towards the remunicipalization of services that were once contracted out. The purpose of this research paper is to take a Canadian case of remunicipalization and analyze what the primary reasons were for remunicipalization. The city of Ottawa served as the case example and the research paper identified that the City …

Strategic Planning And Management In Mid-Sized Ontario Municipalities: What Factors Contribute To Successful Adoption And Implementation Of Strategic Plans?, Lori Cruthers

MPA Major Research Papers

This research report focuses on the use of strategic planning and management practices in mid-sized municipalities in Ontario. The paper analyzes the adoption of strategic plans as well as the implementation of strategic management practices to determine what factors contribute to successful adoption and implementation of strategic plans. Bryson (2010) indicated that “significant improvements in strategic planning practice will come when ‘it’ is widely understood in its richness as a managerial practice or set of practices – and not as some kind of fairly rigid recipe for producing standardized objects called strategic plans that somehow are meant to implement themselves” …

Preparing Communities For The Golden Years: Approaches For Developing Age-Friendly Communities For Seniors, Shivi Darubra

MPA Major Research Papers

The heterogeneous nature of aging has led policymakers to reconsider how seniors are impacted by localized decision-making and implementation efforts (Remillard-Boilard, 2018). Forecasted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the population of seniors (60+) is expected to reach over two billion worldwide, surpassing the number of children being born across the world for the first time in human history (United Nations, 2006). To better address the local challenges faced by the aging population, WHO devised an Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) framework to guide urban communities into redesigning policy and intervention models to better reflect the needs of seniors while also allowing …

Where Have All The Local Politicians Gone? A Preliminary Examination Of Causes And Impacts Of Acclamation In Canada’S Municipal Governments, Sheena Earl

MPA Major Research Papers

Why are local government acclamations so common, and is it a problem for municipal democracy? This paper provides a preliminary examination of local uncontested elections through the exploration of various opinions and arguments raised on this topic. Since the academic literature on acclamations at the local level is extremely sparse, information was gathered through a content analysis of online newspaper articles and by performing interviews with current mayors from some of the most and least competitive municipalities following the 2018 election cycle. The following eight reasons for the occurrence of acclamations are referenced in the non-academic literature, many of which …

Pot For Potholes: Could Cannabis Taxation Revenues Solve The Municipal Infrastructure Funding Deficit In Ontario?, Lori Jivan

MPA Major Research Papers

In Canada, it is estimated that the total value of core municipal infrastructure is over $1.1 trillion dollars or about $80,000 per household. Of this value one-third is in poor or very poor condition which increases the risk of service disruption. Municipalities are struggling to fund these infrastructure renewal needs with limited revenue tools. Property taxes remain the largest source of revenue for Canadian municipalities but are currently insufficient to meet their long-term needs. Municipalities in Ontario have been advocating for additional revenue tools to address this challenge. This paper uses a common set of evaluation criteria to analyze three …

Community Improvement Plans: An Analysis Of Content And Outcomes Of Community Improvement Plans In Ontario, Paul Pirri

MPA Major Research Papers

Community Improvement Plans are an often used, but seldom studied economic development and planning tool used to spur economic growth within an economically depressed area. But are they effective? This paper answers two questions concerning Community Improvement Plans. First, “How are Community Improvement Plans used in the Province of Ontario?”; and second, “Is the execution of these plans resulting in greater economic prosperity for the communities that have enacted them?”. This work is undertaken by reviewing the content of 202 Community Improvement Plans across the Province of Ontario. Regression tests on municipal assessments from 2001-2018 to determine what effect the …

Oh Caledonia! Our Home Or Native Land? Haldimand County’S Role In The Caledonia Land Dispute, 2005-2016, Aren Plante

MPA Major Research Papers

In 2006, when over a dozen protesters from the Six Nations took control of the Douglas Creek and rechristened the land Kanonhstation, the Caledonia land dispute went from being a local clash to a national story. In recent years, land disputes between Indigenous Peoples and the Canadian state have inaugurated much scholarly intrigue. Despite the topic’s popularity, the vast majority of material examining land disputes looks at the role of First Nations, the federal government, the provincial government, and provincial police departments; however, nothing has been written on the part municipalities play in land disputes. The research questions for this …

A Declaration Of Interdependence: An Analysis Of Multilevel Governance And The Role Of Municipal Governments As Climate Policy Entrepreneurs, Tyler Raponi

MPA Major Research Papers

Since March 2019, municipalities in Ontario have become increasingly conscious of the role of local government in addressing the global climate emergency. Although minor departmental initiatives such as green infrastructure development policies are understood as environmentally conscious, the larger policy network of municipal governance has only recently entered the climate change mitigation and adaptation policy field. Declarations of climate emergencies are a modern way for municipal governments to signal both interest and intended action in climate change policies. In one year, Ontario municipal climate emergencies increased from 0 to 47, with the 47 municipalities representing nearly 90% of Ontario’s population. …

Beyond Books: Evaluating Maker Spaces In Ontario’S Municipal Library Systems, Lise Conde

MPA Major Research Papers

This exploratory research paper looks at how Ontario’s municipal library systems evaluate their maker spaces and programming. The literature review provides context on the purpose and value of libraries, the structure and agency of municipal libraries in Ontario and academic and applied studies of program evaluation. The research seeks to answer four questions: What municipal libraries have maker spaces and what are their characteristics? How have they positioned this service in terms of purpose and value? How have they measured success? What can Ontario’s municipal library systems learn from the evaluation of maker spaces to position themselves for the future? …

The Successful Implementation Of O. Reg. 588/17: Organizational Factors That Contribute To The Success Of Asset Management Planning For Municipal Infrastructure In Small Ontario Municipalities, Jenna Campbell (Shultz)

MPA Major Research Papers

Asset management planning in Ontario has evolved since the early 2000s and Ontario Regulation 588/17: Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure came into effect on January 1, 2019. The requirements of the regulation are different for small municipalities, being those having a population of less than 25,000, than for large municipalities. The burden of undertaking large-scale change initiatives, specifically those that are externally initiated, can be especially difficult for small municipalities that often lack the resources and specialized staff to address these changes. This paper explores the organizational factors that contribute to the success of local government asset management planning …

Local Government Responses To Festivals: An Exploratory Study, Andrew Grozelle

MPA Major Research Papers

This study explores the dynamics of ‘bottom-up’ policymaking at the municipal level by analyzing the policy response of the local government to unsanctioned events, such as the annual Port Dover Friday the 13th Motorcycle Festival (PD13) from May 1981 to November 2019. Using this event as a case study, the project seeks to answer the following questions: what has been the local government’s policy approach to PD13? What factors explain this approach and are there alternative approaches to the one chosen? To answer these questions, the paper adopts a multi-method research strategy, which involved a historical review of relevant literature, …

Peer Coaching For Leadership Development In The Public Sector: A Case Study From Local Public Health, Tammy Mackinnon

MPA Major Research Papers

Leadership development is critical for the future of public sector organizations. Its impact on employee satisfaction, collaboration and organizational performance has been well documented. But how do we best develop leadership in the public sector? Trends in the literature call for a shift to more shared, distributed approaches which argue that leadership capacity is necessary at all organizational levels, regardless of positional authority. This study will examine the efficacy of a peer coaching model at imbedding leadership capacity throughout the layers of an organizational structure. Using a case study of leadership development in local public health, this study contributes to …

Factors That Contribute To Good Food Box (Gfb) Program Sustainability: A Survey Of All Known Existing And Discontinued Gfb Programs In Canada, Ellen Pezzetta

MPA Major Research Papers

Access to healthy food, including an adequate supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, is a global health and social issue. The methods of accessing and distributing fresh fruit and vegetables has changed over the past several decades, with greater reliance on import and export of goods, changes in farming and agriculture industries and practices, and acknowledgement of the role of poverty and food insecurity issues. Good Food Box (GFB) programs, primarily intended to reach audiences most vulnerable to food insecurity, distribute fresh fruit and vegetables at affordable, lower than regular retail prices to voluntary participants. This paper explores the factors …

An Examination Of Municipal Policy-Makers’ Responses Towards The Provincial Implementation Of Retail Cannabis Stores Within Ontario, Mark Dean

MPA Major Research Papers

The rationale for this study is founded on the important role of municipal governments within the domain of cannabis legalization in Canada. In Ontario, a strategy of privatization for physical cannabis stores was implemented by the provincial government. The policy gave municipalities the authority to decide whether they opted in or out of physical cannabis stores within their specific communities. This scenario of allowing local governments to determine the introduction of physical cannabis stores has demonstrated a need for a deeper understanding towards the various factors that influence the decisions of municipal policy makers. This is a unique situation that …

Spatial Data Analysis: Examining The Quality Of Life For Ethiopians And Nigerians In The City Of Toronto And Edmonton, Ebyan Hassan

MPA Major Research Papers

Canadian cities have experienced an increase of immigrants, more notably, from Nigeria and Ethiopia. Both groups have settled in Canadian cities to improve their overall Quality of Life (QOL). Areas such as education, employment, safety, and housing conditions were top priorities in choosing a new location to live. Studies, however, show a large proportion of immigrants from Nigeria and Ethiopia have settled in regions that contradict their desires and actually obtain a ‘high’ standard of quality of life. The research findings show both groups have settled in areas with high unemployment rates; highly educated populates with lower-paying jobs; and lower …

Investigating The Effects Of Telephone And Internet Voting On Election Administration In Rural Ontario Municipalities, Carson Lamb

MPA Major Research Papers

Existing research that has been conducted on telephone and internet voting in Canada has focussed almost exclusively on large, urban municipalities. Yet in Ontario, local governments of all sizes have adopted these modes of voting. As a result, very little is known about the effects of telephone and internet voting in rural municipalities and this is problematic. This paper attempts to address this gap in the literature by examining telephone and internet voting in the context of rural municipalities in Ontario. It relies on a qualitative multi-case cross-sectional design to generate exploratory findings on the effects that the adoption of …

Building A Smart City: Insights And Perspectives From The Winners Of Smart City Challenge, Andi Maloku

MPA Major Research Papers

When Canadian Government launched smart city initiative over 130 municipalities, large and small have submitted their innovative ideas. On May 14, 2019, the four winners of the Canadian Smart Cities Challenge were announced in Ottawa: Town of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia winning $5M Prize Category; the Nunavut Communities, Nunavut winning $10M Prize Category; the City of Guelph and Wellington County, Ontario winning $10M Prize Category and the City of Montréal, Quebec winning $50M Prize Category. This paper focuses on these four cities by exploring two main research questions: (1) what does “smart cities” mean for Canadian municipalities; and, (2) what are …

The Intentional City: Shaping London’S Urban Future, Zack Taylor

Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance – Publications

Summary of remarks made at a public roundtable celebrating the launch of the Centre of Urban Policy and Local Governance held at Western University on November 23, 2018. Participants included Pierre Filion, Professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo and an expert in mid-sized cities; Arielle Kayabaga, Councillor-Elect for City of London’s downtown Ward 13; Michelle Baldwin, Executive Director of London’s Pillar Nonprofit Network and Co-Founder of Innovation Works; John Fleming, Managing Director of Planning and City Planner for the City of London; and Neil Bradford, Professor and Chair of the …

The Intentional City: Shaping London’S Urban Future (Event Transcript), Zack Taylor

Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance – Publications

Edited transcript of remarks made at a public roundtable celebrating the launch of the Centre of Urban Policy and Local Governance held at Western University on November 23, 2018. Participants included Pierre Filion, Professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo and an expert in mid-sized cities; Arielle Kayabaga, Councillor-Elect for City of London’s downtown Ward 13; Michelle Baldwin, Executive Director of London’s Pillar Nonprofit Network and Co-Founder of Innovation Works; John Fleming, Managing Director of Planning and City Planner for the City of London; and Neil Bradford, Professor and Chair of …

Held To Account? An Analysis Of Political Accountability In Ontario’S Municipal Sector, David W. Arbuckle

MPA Major Research Papers

This exploratory research paper looks at the current political accountability framework at the municipal level in Ontario, which consists of a mandatory requirement for council code of conduct and access to an integrity commissioner. The literature review defines political accountability, both generally and within the Ontario municipal context, and outlines the historical beginnings, role and challenges with council codes of conduct and integrity commissioners. To answer the research question, “Does hiring an integrity commissioner improve political accountability at the municipal level in Ontario?” a detailed analysis of municipal council decision related to integrity commissioner investigations and recommendations, as well as …