Province of Toronto
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Some politicians and urban affairs commentators have proposed that the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada secede from the province of Ontario to become the Province of Toronto, the eleventh province of Canada. Some of the proponents of provincial status argue that Toronto's 2.5 million residents are politically and economically exploited by the rest of the province, and by the suburban Greater Toronto Area.
The provincehood movement idea has been supported at times by the late urban activist Jane Jacobs, entrepreneur Ed Mirvish, councillor Michael Walker, former councillor and current MPP for Beaches East-York Michael Prue, and former mayor John Sewell. Mel Lastman proposed creating a Province of Metro in the 1980s when he was mayor of the City of North York. North York was merged with other municipalities into the City of Toronto in 1997, and Lastman was elected mayor of the new city. He did not pursue the idea during his six years as mayor of Toronto. Tooker Gomberg, now deceased, who placed second to Lastman in the 2000 mayoral election, also favoured the idea.
2003 Toronto mayoral candidate Paul Lewin, who actively promotes the idea of a separate province, placed 37th in a field of 44 candidates, with 271 votes, 0.03% of the total.
The creation of a new province is unlikely because it would require a constitutional amendment supported by the House of Commons, the Senate and two-thirds of the provinces making up 50% of the population. The issue is not currently being debated seriously.
[edit] Roman Catholic Church
Within the Roman Catholic Church, the Province of Toronto is the area under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Toronto. It includes the Greater Toronto Area (except Clarington), Western Ontario, and Thunder Bay, Kenora, and Rainy River districts in Northern Ontario.
