iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

New publication series: The pre-election municipal brief. In the inaugural essay of IMFG's Pre-election Series, Gabriel Arsenault and Mathieu Wade profile New Brunswick’s largest city, Moncton. imfg.org/brief/moncton/

Street scene of buildings and a road on top
Logos of IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities
IMFG Municipal Pre-election Series
Moncton
Mathieu Wade & Gabriel Arsenault
April 2026

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Join us for an-person book launch on May 13 for Inside Public-Sector Innovation. The book launch will explore how municipal leaders across Canada are turning ideas into practical solutions. www.eventbrite.ca/e/book-launc...

Cover of Inside Public-Sector Innovation with faint text underneath. The book cover includes what looks like a cityscape outlined in yellow against a blue backdrop and yellow grid lines. Around the book, is the same image but larger.

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Join us for the Fourth Annual Regional CAOs' Address on April 20. The in-person event features the CAOs of York, Peel, Halton, and Durham Regions. www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-region...

eventbrite.ca

The Regional Advantage: Evidence of Impact in Changing Times

Join IMFG for our fourth annual CAOs Address with the regional Chief Administrative Officers of York, Halton, Peel, and Durham.

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Event - Measuring Impact: The Evolution of Federal Housing and Infrastructure Analysis Director of Economics at Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada will explore how economic analysis related to federal housing and infrastructure policy has evolved. www.eventbrite.ca/e/measuring-...

Train on bridge to right and buildings under construction with cranes to left. Mountains in background.

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Join IMFG Director Enid Slack as part of a Forum of Federations panel for an insightful discussion on the state of urbanization and how to scale up the metropolitan model in Indonesia. February 24, 2026 10:00 PM EST Online Register now: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Rebana, Forum of Federations
The State of Urbanization
Scaling up the Metropolitan Model in Indonesia
Images of panelists
Register Now with qr code

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

"'In Toronto, we have a 1.5 per cent increase in the levy every year for capital, and that's become something people have gotten used to,' she said." IMFG Director Enid Slack commented to CBC Calgary on ways Canadian municipalities can pay for infrastructure. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

cbc.ca

Calgary councillor says city can increase infrastructure spending to $5B without major tax hikes | CBC News

Calgary's essential infrastructure has come under scrutiny after last December's Bearspaw south feeder main break, the second such catastrophic water main failure in 18 months. City administration say...

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Zack Taylor @bigcitypolitics.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

We’re proud to have produced this substantial expansion and update of our overview of municipal law in all 10 provinces and 3 territories in Canada. We draw some original and potentially contrarian conclusions. We hope this contributes to the ongoing debate about municipal authority and its limits.

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School of Cities @uoftcities.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Today, 4 p.m. ET: There’s still time to register for today’s info session about Leading Urban Change, our exec ed program on driving equitable urban transformation at local, regional, national levels. Have any inkling but need to know more? Ask the program leads anything calendly.com/school-of-ci...

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

6/ This second edition of a 2020 IMFG paper provides an accessible and systematic comparative overview of municipal authority and responsibilities across all ten provinces and three territories, concluding with key trends and suggested research agenda. bit.ly/4pOu9kL

Power and Purpose: The Quiet Evolution of Canadian Municipal Law

By Zack Taylor, Craig Mutter, Joseph Lyons, and Alec Dobson

Over the past four decades, the role of municipalities in Canada has evolved significantly. This paper provides an accessible and systematic overview of municipal authority and responsibilities across all ten provinces and three territories. The authors find that while the general trend has been toward more permissive authority and the recognition of municipalities as democratic and accountable governments, significant variation persists in both law and practice across - and within - provinces and territories.

Read the full report: https://bit.ly/4pOu9kL

Key Takeaways:
1. Provinces and territories increasingly recognize municipalities as accountable, democratic governments in law.
2. Municipal grants of authority are increasingly expansive and permissive, significantly broadening the scope of municipal action and discretion.
3. The courts have increasingly demonstrated a generous interpretation of municipalities’ permissive authority.
4. The governance landscape is becoming increasingly complex, the costs and benefits of which are unclear.
5. The trend toward municipal empowerment co-exists with provincial intervention.
6. Fiscal innovation has lagged legal innovation, increasing the risk of insufficient resources and unfunded mandates.
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

5/ While the general trend has been toward more permissive authority and the recognition of municipalities as democratic and accountable governments, significant variation persists in both law and practice across - and within - provinces and territories. bit.ly/4pOu9kL

This broadening of local legislative scope and discretion has far-reaching implications, potentially enabling municipalities to enter new policy fields while unlocking local policy innovation.
- Zack Taylor, Craig Mutter, Joseph Lyons, and Alec Dobson
Power and Purpose: The Quiet Evolution of Canadian Municipal Law
Logos of IMFG, School of Cities, and University of Toronto

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

4 / Major trends in Canadian municipal law include local empowerment, provincial policy centralization, and judicial deference to local legislation. bit.ly/4pOu9kL

Local governments have more authority and the capacity to exercise it than ever before, yet unilateral provincial government intervention in municipal affairs continues.
- Zack Taylor, Craig Mutter, Joseph Lyons, and Alec Dobson
Power and Purpose: The Quiet Evolution of Canadian Municipal Law
Logos of IMFG, School of Cities, and University of Toronto

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

3/ Defining the relationship between a province or territory and its municipalities is a central task of local government law. bit.ly/4pOu9kL

The question of whether the configuration of the provincial- and territorial-municipal relationship reflects contemporary values and meets current needs is perennial.
Zack Taylor, Craig Mutter, Joseph Lyons, and Alec Dobson
Power and Purpose: The Quiet Evolution of Canadian Municipal Law
Logos of IMFG, School of Cities, and University of Toronto

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

2/ Provincial and territorial governments have expanded the scope of municipal legal authority through revisions to general municipal legislation and the adoption of special statutes for major cities. bit.ly/4pOu9kL

With these changes [in municipal law], Canadian municipalities became defined in law as accountable, democratic governments with broad, flexible powers and greater discretion to exercise them.
Zack Taylor, Craig Mutter, Joseph Lyons, and Alec Dobson
Power and Purpose: The Quiet Evolution of Canadian Municipal Law
Logos of IMFG, School of Cities, and University of Toronto

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

1/ Over the past four decades, Canadian municipal law and the role of municipalities have evolved significantly. @bigcitypolitics.bsky.social bit.ly/4pOu9kL

Logos of IMFG, School of Cities, and University of Toronto
Power and Purpose: The Quiet Evolution of Canadian Municipal Law
Second Edition
Zack Taylor, Craig Mutter, Joseph Lyons, and Alec Dobson
IMFG Papers on Municipal Finance and Governance
No. 74
2026

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Zack Taylor @bigcitypolitics.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

I am excited to renew my association with the University of Toronto as I begin a six month visiting fellowship at the @uoftcities.bsky.social and the @imfgtoronto.bsky.social. I look forward to connecting with colleagues old and new, and getting lots of work done.

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

"What is to stop a mayor from firing the zamboni driver at the local rink if they don't do a good job of cleaning up the ice there?” IMFG Faculty Fellow Gabriel Eidelman reflects on the use of ‘strong mayor’ powers in Ontario since March 31, 2025. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

cbc.ca

Less than half of 'strong mayors' were using powers before Ontario expanded system: reports | CBC News

Less than half of the province’s “strong mayors” were using their controversial powers in the months ahead of a sweeping expansion of the system to 170 additional communities, according to estimates b...

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Miss our sold-out talk on "Maintaining and Renewing the Social Housing Stock: Canada in a Comparative Perspective"? View the slides: imfg.org/research/doc...

Maintaining and Renewing the Social Housing Stock: Canada in a Comparative Perspective
Speaker:
Collin Bernard, 2025-2026 Richard M. Bird Post-Doctoral Fellow, IMFG
Moderator:
Kohbod Khandan-Barani. Manager, Programs and Research, IMFG
December 8, 2025
@imfgtoronto #IMFGTalks
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Did you miss IMFG's 13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address with Paul Johnson? Watch the video: imfg.org/research/doc...

Man standing beside stage with two chairs and a screen with an image of Toronto's City Hall.

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Want to keep on top of all of our news, reports, and events? Join our mailing list! imfg.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

IMFG: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news of IMFG's events, papers, and updates.
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Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Cc: @bikehfxlobby.bsky.social The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner @imfgtoronto.bsky.social @uoftcities.bsky.social imfg.org/research/doc/

The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner
IMFG Papers on Municipal Finance and Governance
No. 73 • 2025

Institute on Municipal Finance and Gover...
1,829 followers
1d • Edited • O
New paper: The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
New IMG report identifies homeless encampments as an urgent human rights crisis and highlights how adopting new encampment strategies based on human rights will achieve a more dignified and efficient public outcome.
The proliferation of homeless encampments in cities across Canada represents both a housing and a governance crisis. Municipal governments are being called upon to respond to a deeply complex issue within a legal, political, and fiscal environment that often constrains their options. Public discourse frequently frames homeless encampments as threats to public safety rather than the result of systemic failings, and this restrictive context often leads to municipal responses that are punitive and costly.
In a new paper for the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG), Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner describe the legislative context of municipal encampment governance in Canada and examine various court decisions related to encampments. The authors discuss how municipalities have traditionally used public space regulations to respond to the crisis, identify barriers to improving encampment strategies, and highlight how rights-based approaches can produce outcomes that are more dignified and efficient than the status quo.
https://Inkd.in/gKbk-AeH
#homelessness #encampments #unhoused #municipalities #localgovernment #localgov #cities #charter #humanrights

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

7/ Homeless encampments are a human rights crisis, and an opportunity for municipalities to catalyze change by aligning their approaches with human rights principles and investing in the conditions that make housing stability possible. bit.ly/3Xl1hEX

The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
The proliferation of homeless encampments in cities across Canada represents both a housing and a governance emergency, resulting in a human rights crisis. This paper describes the legislative context of municipal encampment governance in Canada and examines various court decisions related to encampments. The authors discuss traditional municipal responses to the crisis (including encampment removal), identify barriers to improving encampment strategies, and highlight how rights-based responses can produce outcomes that are more dignified and efficient than the status quo.
By Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner
Read the full report: Bit.ly
Opportunities for reform:
Implement a human rights framework to proactively align municipal policies and practices with human rights norms.
Institutionalize human rights within local governance via independent oversight bodies or human rights impact assessments of proposed encampment responses.
Pursue new intergovernmental partnerships that clarify roles, establish long-term funding, and enable coordinated planning.
Shift public funds toward more effective and cost-efficient responses, such as supportive housing models.
Reframe homelessness as a systemic failing rather than an individual choice to foster the political support needed to pursue long-term solutions.
Partner with Indigenous governments, organizations, and service providers to develop culturally appropriate housing and shelter options.
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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

6/ While cities are often on the front lines of the crisis managing parks, bylaws, and temporary shelters, they lack the revenue tools to independently fund and implement long-term housing solutions for unhoused people. bit.ly/3Xl1hEX

… by aligning municipal enforcement policies with provincial commitments to housing and health care, governments can create pathways out of encampments rather than simply displacing encampment residents.
Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner
The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

5/ One of the key barriers to the adoption of human rights approaches is the persistent belief that they are inefficient, expensive, or permissive. bit.ly/3Xl1hEX

In practice, many punitive encampment strategies are more expensive than rights-based alternatives due to the cost of repeated encampment evictions, legal challenges, and emergency responses.
Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner
The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

4/ The legal landscape continues to evolve, and recent court decisions have largely reinforced the limits of municipal authority to displace encampments in the absence of adequate alternatives. bit.ly/3Xl1hEX

Courts have affirmed that shelter beds must be accessible, appropriate, and voluntary to meet constitutional standards.
Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner
The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

3/ Although the Charter does not contain a right to housing, courts have interpreted the Charter to provide minimum legal protections for unhoused people. bit.ly/3Xl1hEX

…[recent] cases have affirmed that, in the absence of accessible shelter or housing, enforcement of anti-camping bylaws can violate section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees the right to life, liberty, and security of the person.
Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner
The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

2/ The regulation of homeless encampments represents one of the most complex and contested areas of municipal governance in Canada today. bit.ly/3Xl1hEX

Most municipalities remain caught in a reactive cycle – torn between political pressures to clear public spaces and recognition that punitive approaches are expensive and potentially unlawful, and do not solve the problem of homelessness.
Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner
The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

1/ The proliferation of homeless encampments in cities across Canada represents both a housing and a governance crisis. New IMFG report highlights how emerging human rights approaches can better address the issue. bit.ly/3Xl1hEX

Cities rely on their status as property owners to assert the authority to remove unhoused residents and their belongings, often invoking trespass laws and engaging law enforcement to carry out evictions.
Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner
The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

New IMFG report identifies homeless encampments as an urgent human rights crisis and highlights how adopting new encampment strategies based on human rights will achieve a more dignified and efficient public outcome. bit.ly/3Xl1hEX

Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities
The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada
Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner
IMFG Papers on Municipal Finance and Governance
No. 73, 2025

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Local Government Revenue Initiative (LoGRI) @logritax.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

✍️ Check out our latest blog, co-authored with the ACTG, that sums up the key findings from a diagnostic assessment of #PropertyTax potential in 3 Nigerian states! 🔗 logri.org/2025/11/prop... Want to learn more? Read the policy brief on Kaduna State: logri.org/publication/...

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Still time to register for this afternoon's livestream of IMFG's 13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address! Paul Johnson will speak on "Feeding Focus and Starving Distraction: Focusing on Priorities to Deliver on Torontonians' Investment." www.eventbrite.ca/e/livestream...

13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address
Image of a man in a suit
Feeding Focus and Starving Distraction: Focusing on Priorities to Deliver on Torontonians' Investment
November 18 at 4:30 pm
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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

In-person event: Maintaining and Renewing the Social Housing Stock: Canada in Comparison. On Dec. 8, Dr. Collin Bernard will draw on international cases to examine how different systems govern and fund the maintenance and renovation of their social housing stock. www.eventbrite.ca/e/maintainin...

Tall brown buildings line a river with trees and boats below.

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

The 13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address is now sold out! However, our live stream registration is open. www.eventbrite.ca/e/livestream... Tuesday, November 18 at 4:30 pm.

eventbrite.ca

LIVESTREAM: 13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address

City Manager Paul Johnson speaks on "Feeding Focus and Starving Distraction: Focusing on Priorities to Deliver on Torontonians' Investment."

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

Join us for our 13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address as Paul Johnson speaks on "Feeding Focus and Starving Distraction: Focusing on Priorities to Deliver on Torontonians' Investment." Nov. 18 at 4:30 at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. www.eventbrite.ca/e/13th-annua...

13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address
Feeding Focus and Starving Distraction: Focusing on Priorities to Deliver on Torontonians' Investment
November 18 at 4:30 pm
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

5/ However, growth-related gains turn out to be temporary because the corresponding rise in population ultimately puts a strain on services and leads to an increase in per capita spending. bit.ly/FiscalGains

The divergent impacts of growth and size on municipal finances, however, call into question the sustainability of this gain.
Jean-Philippe Meloche
Fiscal Gains from Real Estate Development: The Case of Québec Municipalities
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

4/ Meloche adds that growing municipalities also benefit significantly from one-time growth-related revenues such as building permits, land transfer taxes, and development charges. bit.ly/FiscalGains

... growing municipalities had additional revenues equivalent to almost 7 percent of their tax revenues, compared with non-growing municipalities.
Jean-Philippe Meloche
Fiscal Gains from Real Estate Development: The Case of Québec Municipalities
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

3/ Jean-Philippe Meloche shows that faster-growing municipalities tend to experience smaller increases or even decreases in their property tax rates, indicating a fiscal gain from development. bit.ly/FiscalGains

Québec municipalities with a population of 1,000 or more that had stronger real estate or population growth from 2008 to 2018 were also those in which tax rates increased the least (or decreased the most) over that period.
Jean-Philippe Meloche
Fiscal Gains from Real Estate Development: The Case of Québec Municipalities
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

2/ New IMFG paper examines the relationship between municipal growth and property taxation in Quebec to evaluate the fiscal impact of real estate development on municipalities. bit.ly/FiscalGains

Although growth generates fiscal gains for municipalities, a larger size leads to higher per-capita spending.
Jean-Philippe Meloche
Fiscal Gains from Real Estate Development: The Case of Québec Municipalities
Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

1/ Property taxes are well suited to finance municipal infrastructure and services. But does the dependency on property taxes force municipalities to encourage real estate development as a way to improve their financial situation without having to raise taxes? bit.ly/FiscalGains

Representatives of several Québec municipalities have complained that this level of dependency on property taxes acts as a brake on the expansion of municipal services.

Jean-Philippe Meloche
Fiscal Gains from Real Estate Development: The Case of Québec Municipalities
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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

New IMFG report evaluates the fiscal impact of real estate development on municipalities, by examining the relationship between municipal growth and property taxation in Québec. bit.ly/FiscalGains

Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities
Fiscal Gains from Real Estate Development: The Case of Québec Municipalities
Jean-Philippe Meloche
IMFG Papers on Municipal Finance and Governance
No. 72, 2025

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

“There are a lot of things that are new to municipalities that they weren’t doing 100 years ago that are putting a lot of pressure on their expenditures, but there aren’t any new revenue sources to pay for them,” said Enid Slack. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

cbc.ca

The big headache for Calgary’s next council: How to pay for a growing city when everyone’s strapped | CBC News

It’s a problem as old as time for Canadian municipalities: how do you pay the bills when no one wants to pay more?

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

“When we've frozen property taxes year after year, the infrastructure starts deteriorating.” IMFG Director Enid Slack discusses the impact of freezing property taxes with CBC Calgary as some municipal council candidates in Alberta vow to not to raise them. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

cbc.ca

Some Alberta civic election candidates are vowing a tax freeze. Is it a good idea? | CBC News

Municipal candidates across Alberta are vowing to freeze property taxes. But putting a municipality’s main source of revenue on ice doesn’t translate well to the reality of running a city or town, sev...

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Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Dusting off this all-star paper 'A New Agenda for Local Democracy: Building Just, Inclusive, and Participatory Cities' via Brittany Andrew-Amofah, Alexandra Flynn, & Patricia Wood h/t @uoftcities.bsky.social & @imfgtoronto.bsky.social Cc: @progresstoronto.bsky.social imfg.org/research/doc...

Title Page:

IMFG Papers on
Municipal Finance and Governance
No. 60 • 2022
A New Agenda for
Local Democracy:
Building Just, Inclusive,
and Participatory Cities
Brittany Andrew-Amofah, Alexandra Flynn, and Patricia Wood

About IMFG
The Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG) is an academic research hub and
non-partisan think tank based in the School of Cities at the University of Toronto.
IMFG focuses on the fiscal health and governance challenges facing large cities and cityregions. Its objective is to spark and inform public debate, and to engage the academic and
policy communities around important issues of municipal finance and governance. The Institute
conducts original research on issues facing cities in Canada and around the world; promotes
high-level discussion among Canada’s government, academic, corporate, and community
leaders through conferences and roundtables; and supports graduate and post-graduate students
to build Canada’s cadre of municipal finance and governance experts. It is the only institute in
Canada that focuses solely on municipal finance issues in large cities and city-regions.
IMFG is funded by the City of Toronto, the Regional Municipality of York, the Regional
Municipality of Halton, the Neptis Foundation, Avana Capital Corporation, and Maytree.
Authors
Brittany Andrew-Amofah is a leader in municipal policy and has worked in various
policy, political, and media roles over the last 10 years. Her expertise focuses on social
policy within a Canadian context, combining her passion for civic engagement and local
governance. Brittany has a Master’s in Political Management from Carleton University,
and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science with a specialization in social policy and equity
from York University.
Dr. Alexandra Flynn is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia’s
Allard School of Law. Her teaching and research focus on municipal law and governance,
including Indigenous-municipal legal relationships. She is currently working on several
projects related to precariously housed people in Canadian cities. She has a long history
of volunteer work in the areas of homelessness and access to justice, is a TEDx speaker,
and i

Abstract
There is a crisis of growing inequality in Canadian cities. As COVID-19 spread
through Canadian cities beginning in spring 2020, racial inequities became
apparent, including biased enforcement of bylaws and higher coronavirus rates
amongst racialized and vulnerable communities. These health care injustices
exposed municipal decisions that have led to negative outcomes for marginalized
groups, especially in policing, community safety, housing, homelessness, and
bylaw enforcement. In response, cities have been called upon – again – to change
their governance models to allow for greater participation and better include the
voices and lived realities of racialized and marginalized people in decision-making
processes. In a post-pandemic period of city building, where socio-economic and
racial inequalities have been exposed, municipalities must incorporate social
equity and explicit race-based lenses in their decision-making and reimagine
their governance practices. This paper sets out the ways in which municipal
governance frameworks have worked to exacerbate inequality, with suggestions
on how cities can design more democratic and responsible models. These include
greater engagement with equity-deserving communities and community bodies,
modifications to existing governance models, and legislative changes.
Key words: municipal governance, inequality, justice, inclusion, public
consultation, local democracy, public participation, citizen engagement
JEL Codes: D63, D73, Z18

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Join us for an in-person seminar on November 4 on Municipal Finance in Germany – Caught Between Investment Needs and Transformation Pressures, featuring Dr. Henrik Scheller. www.eventbrite.ca/e/municipal-...

Man standing with arms crossed and windows behind him.

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Latest IMFG report examines how municipalities can use innovative eco-fiscal tools, such as taxes, fees, and charges, to influence behaviour to help fight climate change. bit.ly/4mHizah @fannyrose.bsky.social @enap-qc.bsky.social

Logos for IMFG, University of Toronto, School of Cities
Eco-Fiscal Tools and Municipal Finance: Current Practices and Opportunities
Jean-Philippe Meloche and Fanny Tremblay-Racicot
IMFG Papers on Municipal Finance and Governance
No. 71 2025

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Don't want to miss our upcoming City Manager's Address or our latest paper? Keep up with the latest in IMFG's papers, events, and updates by subscribing to our mailing list here. imfg.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

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IMFG @imfgtoronto.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Former IMFG Post-Doctoral Fellow Julie Mah’s study on Toronto landlords’ behaviour around evictions was profiled in the Toronto Star. She examined about 230,000 eviction applications in Toronto from 2010 to 2019 across purpose-built rental apartments with 20+ units. www.thestar.com/real-estate/...

thestar.com

Canada’s largest private landlord often dramatically increases eviction applications after acquiring buildings, study finds

Starlight Investments filed 15 eviction applications per 100 units each year, while chain owned and managed properties filed seven applications per 100 units, a recent study found.

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