Amalgamation

Greater Victoria has thirteen individual municipalities that together serve about 330,000 people compared to the one municipality of Vancouver representing over 600,000 people. The logical question for Victoria residents is - why not amalgamate? Unfortunately, some municipalities have recently engaged in public battles over taxation. This, along with disagreements on light rail transit and sewage treatment have resulted in strained relations. They've degraded so much that some have suggested breaking up the Capital Regional District.

It's likely that at some point, amalgamation will occur. Granted, it will be a long time until that day comes. The initial steps towards amalgamation would require synchronizing by-laws and emergency services. Still, I wouldn't expect all municipalities to merge together at one time. It's likely the Western Communities, Saanich Peninsula municipalities and the core communities would coexist before we all united under one city council.

The arguments for amalgamation are valid. Most point to a lack of efficiency with the current system and unnecessary bureaucracy. Barriers to amalgamation would be improving relations between municipalities to begin a dialogue on the situation and the size of city council. If amalgamation were to occur, provincial legislation, much like the Vancouver Charter would have to be created making provisions on the number of councillors for Victoria, and if a ward system was to be created along with other regulations.

Amalgamation has been done before in other large municipalities across Canada, and just as in our situation, it has nearly always been a protracted issue. It'll be a long road until then but eventually I would expect us to be under only one municipal government.