Top 10 feature stories for 2023
Municipal World’s top 10 online feature stories provide insights and angles on some of the pressing issues facing local governments in 2023.
There was a wide range of pressing topics to cover for local governments in 2023. Municipal World’s top 10 online feature stories for the year provide insights and angles on some of these issues (and a glimpse into what your colleagues were reading). We hope you enjoy.
1. FCM’s Big City Mayors calls for new framework for raising municipal revenue
“As our national population grows, Canadians’ needs are going to evolve as well,” said Federation of Canadian Municipalities CEO Carole Saab. “Local leaders are on the ground every day and know best how to meet those needs.” Photo: Federation of Canadian Municipalities
At a meeting of the Big City Mayors’ Caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) held in Ottawa, Sept. 28, the mayors called for a new “municipal growth framework” to help local governments deal with a host of economic and social challenges ranging from the housing crisis and inflation to mental health. Read more…
2. Ontario’s largest cities renew call for better funding of municipal challenges
Canada has long been seen as a haven for refugees from across the globe. Unfortunately, that safe harbour is being threatened due to a lack of funding for the very municipalities being called upon to provide newcomers with a fresh start. Ontario Big City Mayors issued a statement on July 18 about the lack of municipal capacity to support newcomers to Canada. Read more…
3. Municipal World honours 2023 Women of Influence
“This award is a testament to the pursuit of progress for all women in politics,” Brampton coun. Rowena Santos said. “This award recognizes the power of hard work and the increasing influence women have in our political sphere. Take your place. Own the space. Do it with style, humour, smarts, and grace.” Photo: City of Brampton
It is the first time Municipal World is announcing a single honouree for the Women of Influence in Local Government Award, which celebrates women who have made significant contributions to the field, whether on the administrative or political side of life. Read more…
4. Mayor Dorothy McCabe: Finding balance between city hall, family, and a vibrant community
Mayor Dorothy McCabe calls Waterloo “a thriving municipality” that is also “quite progressive.” With that in mind, McCabe also says she and her colleagues need to make strategic decisions on how to build up and to build differently to help with the affordability issue that is facing Waterloo.
Dorothy McCabe has more than 20 years of experience working in leadership positions. In that time, she has worked with mayors, city councils, and senior corporate leaders. She has also worked with many boards and community organizations along the way. But since her election as mayor of Waterloo, Ont., in October 2022, the view has changed a lot. Read more…
5. Forging a path for next generation of local government women
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is one of two recipients of honourable mentions in the 2023 Women of Influence in Local Government Award. Photo: Jyoti Gondek
Jyoti Gondek made history in 2021 when she was sworn in as Calgary’s 37th mayor. She also became the first woman to ever serve as mayor in the city’s nearly 150-year history. One would think she has become accustomed to the spotlight, but the spotlight is just where she found herself after being named of one of two honourable mentions for the 2023 Women of Influence in Local Government Award. Read more…
6. Dover mayor reaches finals of World Mayor contest
“It brings in a lot of emotions to be honest,” Dover Mayor Tony Keats said. “When you do stuff for your community, and for other communities and the organizations that I’ve been a part of … it’s nice to see that you meant so much to them.”
When Tony Keats was told by his town manager in Dover, Nfld., that she was nominating him for the World Mayor Prize, he thanked her and then quickly put the notion of winning behind him. Now he has been named one of the nine finalists for the award. He still is not thinking much about the possibility of winning but says it feels “very overwhelming” to have reached the list of final nine mayors. Read more…
7. Local government positions for women becoming more equitable
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ goal of having women represent 30 per cent of elected representatives by 2026 has not only been accomplished three years ahead of schedule but has been surpassed as well.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities set a goal of having women represent 30 per cent of elected representatives by 2026 in 2010. That goal has not only been accomplished three years ahead of schedule but has been surpassed as well. Read more…
8. To support Reconciliation, governments must better engage with Indigenous communities
At the 2023 Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Vancouver, municipal officials and Indigenous leaders held workshops to consider ways municipalities can support Reconciliation. Photo: UBCM
As Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, many have called on federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to prioritize Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. At the Union of BC Municipalities convention in September, municipal officials and Indigenous leaders held workshops to consider ways municipalities can support Reconciliation. Read more…
9. Prince Rupert launches innovative wastewater pilot project
An old lift station that will be upgraded as part of the Prince Rupert Wastewater Pilot Project. Photo: MAGNA Engineering Services Inc.
Climate change is more and more exacerbating the effects of weather-related disasters like wildfires and floods. Some municipalities are trying to find green ways to provide services and build the infrastructure their communities need. Prince Rupert, B.C., started work on a new pilot project that could eventually provide the city with a completely green wastewater management system. Read more…
10. B.C. targets single-family zoning to ease housing shortage
If you live in one of Canada’s largest cities – or any large city in the world – you’ve probably heard the words “housing crisis.” Property values have skyrocketed in many cities, as have rental costs. While eyewatering housing costs have long been the norm in larger cities like Vancouver or Toronto, other cities are now grappling with the issue. Read more…
These are just a few of the 2023 highlights, with more great content published every week. Happy reading! MW
✯ Municipal World Insider and Executive Members: You can access the complete set of Digital Editions for Municipal World magazine from past years (plus so much more!) in our Research Article Vault.
Cassidy Meath (they/them) is production editor for Municipal World.
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