Canadian infrastructure will be hit by city limits

Subject

City governance in Canada.

Significance

In the past 15 months, almost all of Canada's major cities have held municipal elections. These new mayors find themselves guiding cities that are growing in social, economic and cultural importance -- as well as in size. Moreover, with federal politics increasingly defined by rigid partisanship and provincial politics by an overwhelming focus on health and education, governance in Canada is increasingly moving to city hall.

Impacts

• Toronto's construction boom and population growth will further strain public transit in Canada's largest city.
• Housing prices will become key issues of contention, as new buyers are increasingly unable to purchase in downtown districts.
• The collapse in oil prices will place considerable burden on the economies of Albertan cities.