User:WilyD/Amalgamation of Toronto

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The City of Toronto has expanded several times by amalgamating with and annexing neighbouring cities, villages, towns and boroughs. The most recent occurance of this was the 1998 amalgamation, which resulted in Toronto's current boundries.

Contents 1 1791-1882: Founding of Settlements 2 1883-1914 Growth, Amalgamation and Annexation 3 1915-1966: Growth and Sprawl 4 1967: The First Round of Amalgamation 5 1968-1997: Boroughs Promoted 6 1998: The Second Round of Amalgamation 7 References

[edit] 1791-1882: Founding of Settlements

1791:The townships of Etobicoke, York and Scarborough are surveyed in preparation for settlement.^[1]

1793:The unincorporated town of York is founded within York township on August 27th.^[2] This is named in honour of the Duke of York, King George III's second son.^[3] The area had previously been known as Toronto.^[4]

1830: The unincorporated Village of Yorkville was founded.

1834: York was incorporated under the city name of Toronto, coming into force on March 6.^[2] It was the largest town in Upper Canada wth a population of 9250^[5] The city had five wards, bounded by Bathurst Street in the west, Parliament Street in the east, the lake to the south and Dundas Street to the north. Beyond this was an area known as the "Liberties".

1853: The village of Yorkville was incorporated.^[1]

1859: The Liberties of Toronto are abolished.^[2]

1876: The village of Brockton was incorporated.^[6]

1878: The village of Parkdale was incorporated on June 28th, to go into effect January 1, 1879.^[6][7] Parkdale covered 487 acres, extending from Dufferin Street in the east to Roncesvalles Avenue in the west, from Lake Ontario in the south to the Grand Trunk Railway property and a line between Fermanagh and Wright avenues.

1881: Weston was incorporated.^[8] The village of Brockton became the town of Brockton.^[6]

[edit] 1883-1914 Growth, Amalgamation and Annexation

The city retained the same boundries until 1883, when it began to amalgamate with the small surronding communities. This continued until 1914, after which no more expansion of Toronto would take place until 1967.

1883: The village of Yorkville was annexed by the city of Toronto.^[1]

1884: The town of Brockton and the unincorporated community of Riverdale were annexed by the city of Toronto.^[1][9]

1886: The village of Parkdale becomes the town of Parkdale.^[6]

1887: The village of West Toronto Junction is incorporated on land severed from York township.^[1] The population of West Toronto Junction was 579.^[6]

1888: The unincorporated community of Seaton Village in York township was annexed by Toronto. The unincorporated community of Sunnyside was annexed by Toronto. Sunnyside was located in York township, and covered 108 acres.^[6] On October 27th, the residents of Parkdale vote in favour of being annexed by Toronto.^[7]

1889: The town of Parkdale was annexed by the city of Toronto on March 23rd.^[6] Parkdale had grown to 5651 residents by the time of annexation. The town of East Toronto was incorporated on land previously belonging to York Township.^[1] West Toronto Junction became a town on March 23, annexing the communities of Carlton and Davenport.^[6]

1890: The town of North Toronto was incorporated on land previously belonging to York township.^[10]

1891: The town of West Toronto Junction was renamed the town of West Toronto.^[6]

1908: On April 14th, the town of West Toronto became the city of West Toronto.^[6]

1909: The town of West Toronto Junction was annexed by Toronto on May 1.^[6] West Toronto covered 1600 acres and had 12 000 residents. The unincorporated communities of Wychwood and Bracondale were annexed by Toronto in February.^[6]. Covering 575 acres, they formerly stood on the land of York township. The town of East Toronto was annexed by Toronto.^[1] The unincorporated community of Midway in York township was annexed by Toronto.

1910: The communities of Earlscourt and Dovercourt are annexed by the city of Toronto in January. They formerly stood on land belonging to York township.

1911: Mimico is incorporated, severing the land from the township of Etobicoke.^[1]

1912: The community of Moore Park is annexed by the city of Toronto. Moore Park had previously been within York township.

1913: The village of Leaside was incorporated on land from York township on April 23rd.^[11] The town remained sparsely populated despite a well developed plan for growth, its population would not exceed 500 until 1929. New Toronto is incorporated on land from the township of Etobicoke.^[1]

1914: Mount Pleasant Cemetery is annexed by the city of Toronto, out of York township.

[edit] 1915-1966: Growth and Sprawl

1922: The township of North York is severed from the township of York.^[1]

1923: Forest Hill is incorporated on November 23rd, on land formerly in York township, which went into effect on January 1, 1924.^[1][12] The township of East York is severed from the township of York.^[1]

1925: Swansea is incorporated as a village from land formerly in York township.^[1]

1931: Long Branch is severed from Etobicoke township to become a village.^[1]

1953: Metropolitan Toronto is created as a new level of government.^[1]

[edit] 1967: The First Round of Amalgamation

A round of amalgamation was conducted among the municipalities in Metro Toronto in 1967. Forest Hill and Swansea were annexed by the city of Toronto^[1], Leaside was merged with the township of East York to become the borough of East York. Weston was combined with the township of York to form the borough on York. The village of Long Branch and the towns of Mimico and New Toronto merged with the township of Etobicoke to form the borough of Etobicoke. North York township is promoted to the borough of North York. Scarborough is also transformed into a borough.

[edit] 1968-1997: Boroughs Promoted

1979: North York became a city.^[1]

1983: The boroughs of York, Etobicoke and Scarborough become cities.^[1]

[edit] 1998: The Second Round of Amalgamation

A second round of amalgamation occured in 1998. East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough and York were merged with Toronto to form a single city, and the regional municipality of Metro Toronto was eliminated. The new city of Toronto became the fifth largest municipality in North America after amalgamation, trailing Mexico City, New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The merger was proposed as a cost saving measure by the fiscally conservative provincial government under Mike Harris. By the year 2000, the new city realised savings of $136.2 million (CDN) per year from amalgamation, and had incurred one time costs from amalgamation totalling $275 million (CDN).^[13] Before amalgamation 73% of the expenses taken over by Toronto came from Metro Toronto, and were thus already integrated programmes.^[14] Additionally, municipal affairs minister Al Leach touted it as a measure that would produce a stronger, more unified Toronto better equiped to compete in a global marketplace.

The amalgamation was widely opposed in Toronto and the other municipalities^[15]. A referendum conducted by the municipalities resulted in over three quarters of voters rejecting amalgamation, with one third of elidgible voters participating. Mayor Mel Lastman^[16] of North York, and Barbara Hall of Toronto both campaigned against the merge, as did former mayor John Sewell. However, the municipalities in Ontario are creatures of the provincial government, which decided to go ahead with the merger despite local opposition. Opposition parties in the local parliment engaged in a unique form of filibuster, tabling thirteen thousand amendments to the amalgamation bill^[17], which lasted two weeks, but did not prevent passage of the bill.

[edit] References