Browse Our Research
IMFG Paper | 2014
A Better Local Business Tax: The BVT
Richard M. Bird
This paper makes the case for a local business tax. The BVT is better than the discriminatory and heavy real property taxes currently levied on businesses in Ontario and other provinces. Moreover, such a tax would be complementary rather than competitive to VATs like the GST and HST.
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Perspectives Paper | 2014
Approaching an Inflection Point in Ontario’s Provincial-Municipal Relations
André Côté and Michael Fenn
Three major trends are pushing us towards an inflection point in provincial-municipal arrangements. Adapting provincial-municipal arrangements to changing circumstances will require a shift in how the two orders of government understand their roles and the nature of their relationships.
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IMFG Paper | 2014
Provincial-Municipal Relations in Ontario: Approaching an Inflection Point
André Côté and Michael Fenn
Three major trends are buffeting provincial-municipal arrangements in Ontario. The first is a growing recognition of the role cities and metropolitan regions play as centres of growth and national prosperity. The second is increasing complexity in the provincial-municipal relationship. The third is the emergence of threats to the fiscal health of Ontario municipalities.
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Presentation | 2014
Cooperation, Coordination and Competition: The Mechanics of Formalizing Inter-Municipal Agreements
Zachary Spicer
This talk examines the policy and fiscal aspects of inter-local cooperation agreements in six Canadian metropolitan areas—Toronto, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary.
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Presentation | 2014
Property Tax Incentives 101: Pros and Cons
Enid Slack
Presentation delivered by IMFG Director Enid Slack to the Windsor-Essex Policy & Solutions Forum on May 15, 2014.
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Presentation | 2014
Toronto: Looking Forward 2014-2018: Investing For the Future
Joe Pennachetti
Toronto City Manager Joe Pennachetti discusses the key challenges facing municipalities, the City’s fiscal position, and the strategic directions the City must weigh to build for the future.
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Video | 2014
Toronto: Looking Forward 2014-2018
Joe Pennachetti
This video features Toronto City Manager Joe Pennachetti in his third annual address to IMFG. In the presentation, he discusses the key challenges facing municipalities, the City’s fiscal position, and the strategic directions the City must weigh to build for the future.
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Presentation | 2014
The Infrastructure Funding Gap: How Are Municipalities Managing?
Daniella Dávila Aquije
This seminar explores the infrastructure asset management tools used by municipalities in Canada. IMFG Graduate Fellowship winner Daniella Dávila Aquije profiles the City of Mississauga, and the strategies it has implemented to address the deficit.
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Search Research Archive
CBC New Brunswick: Aaron Moore on Opaque Property Tax Increases
January 27, 2026
CBC Calgary: Enid Slack on Paying for Infrastructure
January 26, 2026
Radio-Canada: Enid Slack on Toronto’s Proposed Budget
January 14, 2026
