OPINION – The authoritarian sentiment appears not to be creeping – but apparently sweeping – up from south of the border into Queen’s Park.
There has been public outcry as democratic institutions and processes are being seen as under threat, and transparency and accountability, are seemingly being eroded.
Ford’s Bill 97, has been criticized for threatening privacy and public accountability in Ontario. There have been charges of lack of transparency as evidenced by the Ontario greenbelt scandal, and the lack of accountability over multi-billion and multi-year delays in major transport projects.
The latest is the move by Ford government to wrest control of relatively smaller and less-powerful municipalities – among them the Region of Durham.
Larger and more powerful municipalities, like Toronto, have been left alone.
Installing Its Own Chair
The Ontario government now wants to bypass a democratic election process by tax-paying residents to select its own chief executive and directly instal Ford’s own man or woman – and give them ‘strong chair’ powers.
Yesterday, the Ontario government introduced the Better Regional Governance Act, 2026 that would, if passed, give the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the power to appoint upper-tier council chairs in eight fast-growing regions and granting these council chairs ‘strong chair’ powers.
The bill will allow the minister to appoint regional chairs in
- Durham,
- York,
- Halton,
- Muskoka,
- Niagara,
- Peel,
- Waterloo and
- The Warden of Simcoe County.
Under previous legislation, the minister had the authority to appoint chairs in Niagara, Peel and York regions for the 2022-2026 council term only.
Why Takeover Just These 8 Municipalities?
To be fair, if the Ford government intention is altruistic, then it should try and take control of all municipalities – including Toronto.
It is not clear why just eight specific regional municipalities and a county, generally in and around or within proximity of the Greater Toronto area, are being targeted, while others have been left untouched.
Queen’s Park Rationale
According to Queen’s Park, these changes would support lower costs for municipal taxpayers and better alignment between regional decision-making and shared provincial-regional priorities.
It said regional chairs in the eight municipalities would receive ‘strong chair’ powers which mirror ‘strong mayor powers, providing more efficient, streamlined local decision-making, enabling them to deliver faster results for residents and support efforts to advance shared provincial-municipal priorities.
But At What Cost?
The bill, if passed will result in that taxpayers in Durham and the seven other named municipalities will have no say over who runs their region. Decisions affecting their daily lives and future will be imposed on taxpayers. Residents may not have any recourse going by the province’s past accountability and transparency record.
Now it is up to our Members of Parliament (some of whom are in or support the Ford government) – and ultimately the voters – to decide if the bill is a good thing or bad.
You May Also Wish To Read
816 notices issued during stop vehicle fatalities initiative