Unicity
Encyclopedia
The term Unicity refers to reforms in the structure of the metropolitan government of Winnipeg
in 1972. Unicity, an ambitious experiment in local government reform, established the City of Winnipeg as one unified city; until that point, the greater Winnipeg area had been composed of several municipalities
under a single metropolitan
government, in a "two-tier" system.
The City of Winnipeg Act
incorporated the rural municipalities of Charleswood, Fort Garry, North Kildonan, and Old Kildonan
; the Town of Tuxedo, the cities of East Kildonan, West Kildonan, St. Vital, Transcona, St. Boniface
, and St. James-Assiniboia
; the City of Winnipeg and the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg
into one city. The Unicity system replaced the two-tier metropolitan system established in 1960.
The Unicity reforms were originally proposed by the New Democratic Party
(NDP) government elected in 1969. NDP's goals included greater citizen participation in government; "financial equity, the elimination of conflict and stalemate between the Metro and municipal levels, greater efficiency in the delivery of services, and a greater degree of involvement by the public at large in local politics". However, the Unicity reforms as actually enacted were far from those laid out in the NDP's original "White Paper
" on the subject (Proposals for Urban Reorganization in the Greater Winnipeg Area, December 1970).
While the Unicity experiment has been widely regarded as a failure in that it did not achieve many of its lofty goals, it did have some success in equalizing property tax
rates across the city, eliminating the suburb
an "property tax havens" which had coupled low tax rates with a high level of services provided by the city at the cost of higher tax rates overall.
A government review in 1986 concluded "that the Unicity structure, with its many suburban councillors and large tax base, facilitated the building of suburban infrastructure
, to the detriment of inner-city
investment." This may have been inevitable, since the incorporation of so many large suburban areas into Unicity naturally increased the political clout of the suburbs at the expense of the old city. Since Unicity, almost all growth in Winnipeg has occurred in the distant southern, northern, or eastern suburbs, and the population of the inner city has declined. Like Detroit, St. Louis and many other North American cities, Winnipeg is increasingly suffering from a "doughnut effect", and continues to decline in economic importance relative to other cities in Canada and North America.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
in 1972. Unicity, an ambitious experiment in local government reform, established the City of Winnipeg as one unified city; until that point, the greater Winnipeg area had been composed of several municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
under a single metropolitan
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
government, in a "two-tier" system.
The City of Winnipeg Act
City of Winnipeg Act
The City of Winnipeg Act was enacted on July 21, 1971 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The act incorporated the municipalities of Charleswood, Fort Garry, North Kildonan, Old Kildonan, Tuxedo, East Kildonan, West Kildonan, St. Vital, Transcona, St. Boniface, St. James-Assiniboia, Winnipeg and the...
incorporated the rural municipalities of Charleswood, Fort Garry, North Kildonan, and Old Kildonan
Old Kildonan
Old Kildonan is a city ward of Winnipeg, Manitoba, represented by a member of Winnipeg City Council. Before the City of Winnipeg Act of 1972, it was an independent rural municipality...
; the Town of Tuxedo, the cities of East Kildonan, West Kildonan, St. Vital, Transcona, St. Boniface
Saint Boniface, Manitoba
Saint Boniface is a city ward of Winnipeg, home to much of the Franco-Manitoban community. It features such landmarks as the Cathédrale de Saint Boniface , Boulevard Provencher, the Provencher Bridge, Esplanade Riel, St. Boniface Hospital, the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface and the Royal...
, and St. James-Assiniboia
St. James-Assiniboia
St. James-Assiniboia is a major district in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Located in the far western part of the city, it is bounded on the north by the Rural Municipality of Rosser and the Canadian National Railway's Oak Point line, on the south by the Assiniboine River, on the west by the Rural...
; the City of Winnipeg and the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg
Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg
In 1960, the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg was created as a separate layer of municipal government in the metropolitan area of Winnipeg, Manitoba...
into one city. The Unicity system replaced the two-tier metropolitan system established in 1960.
The Unicity reforms were originally proposed by the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) government elected in 1969. NDP's goals included greater citizen participation in government; "financial equity, the elimination of conflict and stalemate between the Metro and municipal levels, greater efficiency in the delivery of services, and a greater degree of involvement by the public at large in local politics". However, the Unicity reforms as actually enacted were far from those laid out in the NDP's original "White Paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
" on the subject (Proposals for Urban Reorganization in the Greater Winnipeg Area, December 1970).
While the Unicity experiment has been widely regarded as a failure in that it did not achieve many of its lofty goals, it did have some success in equalizing property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
rates across the city, eliminating the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an "property tax havens" which had coupled low tax rates with a high level of services provided by the city at the cost of higher tax rates overall.
A government review in 1986 concluded "that the Unicity structure, with its many suburban councillors and large tax base, facilitated the building of suburban infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
, to the detriment of inner-city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
investment." This may have been inevitable, since the incorporation of so many large suburban areas into Unicity naturally increased the political clout of the suburbs at the expense of the old city. Since Unicity, almost all growth in Winnipeg has occurred in the distant southern, northern, or eastern suburbs, and the population of the inner city has declined. Like Detroit, St. Louis and many other North American cities, Winnipeg is increasingly suffering from a "doughnut effect", and continues to decline in economic importance relative to other cities in Canada and North America.
See also
- Law, government, and crime in Winnipeg
- Politics of ManitobaPolitics of ManitobaLike all Canadian provinces, Manitoba is governed by a unicameral legislature, the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The executive branch is formed by the majority party; the party leader is the Premier of Manitoba, the head of the executive branch...
- Political culture of CanadaPolitical culture of CanadaCanadian political culture is in some ways part of a greater North American and European political culture, which emphasizes constitutional law, freedom of religion, personal liberty, and regional autonomy; these ideas stemming in various degrees from the British common law and French civil law...
- Saskatoon Metropolitan AreaSaskatoon Metropolitan AreaThe Saskatoon Region is the metropolitan area based around Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The region has a population in excess of 265,000 as of 2010The area is served by the Saskatoon John G...
- Subdivisions of WinnipegSubdivisions of WinnipegWinnipeg, Manitoba, is subdivided in different ways for different purposes. The suburbs and neighbourhoods of Winnipeg take their names from former administrative districts, parishes, and geographic features.- City wards :...