Too Big, Yet Still Too Small: The Mixed Legacy of the Montréal and Toronto Amalgamations

Canada’s two largest cities present interesting and very different cases of municipal amalgamation in Canada. Since amalgamation, Toronto’s borders and governance model have remained largely unchanged, while Montréal has undergone a dramatic series of counter-reforms, including the creation of 27 new boroughs, and the “de-amalgamation” of 15 communities. More than a decade since the amalgamations, two recent IMFG Papers examine the impact these reforms have had on the finances and service delivery in the country’s two biggest cities. This Perspectives paper highlights the key themes and arguments from the two papers.