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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-10-14, Page 2a:. l • -,i'AR,THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 19b Sinal -Star pre . election special Local govt and its purposes At present, on a once Colbert, who felt .that the weekly basis, a series of common people had no seminars is being conducted business in the • affairs of at. Stratford on the subJect of government. And so it municipal government. W.M. remained for nearly a cen- Fenn of Stratford was one of tury.. -the early' presentation. Many thingschanged after Speakers and he outlined for Wolfe defeated Montcalm in those attending a "His"tory of 1761 but the British and Local Government in French colonial ", • ad - Ontario,." With municipal ministrations shared one electionsscheduled for this point -of -view: there should be • December the Signal Star felt no local gev.erininent in Mr. Fenn's presentation was Canada. These attitudes were of timeIy. interest and greatly re -enforced when the reproduces it here in full. , American Revolution erupted a decade -later: The British Were . ppnyinced, and rightly •• so, that much of the desire for From our vantage point in- democratic self-government 1976, with the voter turnout at had arisen out of ` the municipal :elections American settlers' ex- chronicatly,iow and with our '' perience with elected parish students almost totally ignorant of the government of their community, it's hard to' y British government blamed imagine . that' our forefathers were n the ba a risk ti>verr self-governing .far colonies,, Wes on battlefield and at �g g e gallows tri;ha Oleca1 self Lieutenant -Governor is clear evidence of that. Simcoe had great plans for Upper Canada but democratic local government wasn't among them. In fact, Simco.e's whole - attitude: towards the . common man. and democracy was net encouraging to. the prospects for responsible gov'ernirnent at any level..: Let me quote you what he wrote to ..the Arch - Session Courts in the in- tervening years,•so that byP 1830, despite two hundred years of settlement, there": was. not a single municipal government anywhere in Upper Canada. ,But change was in the wind. In 1828, Belleville and property-owne#s in districts were allowed. to elect members to District Coun- cils, roughly the forerunners of .our present-day County Councils.. Still reluctant to give local government too much •authority, ' the a Act" provided for r•the Governor to By 1830, no t- a. single bishop of Canterbury in 1790:, , •. f. ° '"..:every establishment of municipal govt in • Canada Church and 'State . that. upholds the distinction f • Kingston initiated private 'rank's and lessens the undue legislation' -to obtain elected weight of the democratic municipal. governments. The influence,' ought to be .in- bills passed the Assembly but troduced, and will no doubt:,• were vetoed -by the Executive in the hands of Great Britain, Council' -- the famous hold out a purer , mode of ...Family Compact". By 1832 the. time was ripe for another try and a petition for. a police town. with an elected' board was approved for the Town. of Brockville. Two years later in -1834, the government in a practical Assembly -felt more. daring form, than, has been ex- and incorporated the first patiated upon in all the 5elf-governing municipality theoretic 'reveries of self- in Upper Canada -- the City of named philosophers. Toronto. • But . the • in. - Rather than give . in to the • corporation of Toronto did pressure for municipal exactly what the detractors of government, Simcoe decided,. municipal governmentfeare.d to build upon the C urts of it would do: it encouraged Quarter Session andj in 1792. demands, for responsible. divided the districts further • government among radical into counties. West of Toronto elements: Within three years lie established the geographic after Toronto elected William counties' of Lincoln, Norfolk, - Lyon Mackenzie, ' Upper Suffolk, Essex and.Kent; but Canada's ' first • attitudes towards local. ..transportation and" scattered.. these vete for militia and democratically -elected. government -in Ontario. One • 'settlement made European- electoral purposes rather, , mayor, he was in hiding in the. school of thought holds that style central government "than for • any. municipal United States and wanted for • the`Prevince, either directly almost impossible, but from purpose: - • treason. or •indirectly, ' can provide S mcpe'stime onwards . an Some members of the new When Lord Durham, con - most of • the governmental attempt was made to Upper Canada . Assembly eluded that the 1837 rebellion services that people require decentralize the colonial. were not satisfied with the . had, been caused more by not in a better and maybe even administration so -as to make `approach 'and in the same • having 'municipal govern more economical ;Manner- municipal institutions un- year, .a Bill to elect certain . :ment :than by what little there than can be achieved by necessary -..The basis of the .local officials in each parish was, the `long-standing . op- municipal councils and school 1 system established in Canada was introduced. It was im position to local governrhent • boards. :These people feel : • after the Amkrican: mediately defeated but;.. was'• ''began to crumble.:,Durham's. local government can often Revolution was the Courts of . re -introduced in . 1793 and. comments were short and to • be more trouble than it's Quarter Session. ; passed. This Act, The Parisli the point: "The establish - worth. ,The second.school of. • Originally organized in 17'64 and Town'Officers : Act, ment of a good system of thought holds that locally- • to administer justice, thk authorized local residents- to 'municipal institutions •:elected municipal govern- :Courts ;were gradually;;come together and• elect, a throughout these Provinces is ;rnents. are usually. the• best •granted additional . powers ''elerk,' an assessor; a tax a matter of vital im- • means. to provide basic over civil • government and &Hector, a ' fence viewer,, portance. A general services to people. military affairs. At first they road inspectors, a pound legislature'_ which. manages • The history 'of<' .local were charged with. super kee ,r and two town wardens the .private business of every • government in Oritari'k� is vising the election of local to ac,ftr the community in parish in addition to the really • the- history of `the bailli:s and forwarding the law Stilts. One warden was to common business . of the struggle:: between these .two names of those.. elected to the be appointed by the local scountry,wields a power Camps: on one side, those` Governor for his approval. •Anglican°pastor, the other to . which no ._'tringle body, 'who have faith in- the local The. baillis' were basically be elected•,,by the local however popular in its 'electorate and the 'people they' constables'" and read in residents In• large measure, • constitution, ought to have." elect; and •on the' other side. • spectors. This fitted in -well however, these officials were And so the Act of Union was d r government. But when Lord councils andtown rneetings:in Prrrham was eninnerating New England and the Middle- , the iddle::the causes. a of the. 1837 Atlantic .colonies. -� Holding "rebellion, right up' dear the municipal government partly •`ap df: his list'was the demand, responsible for the lois of the of the people of both^Uppef -` 13 colonies, the British were and Lower Canada for elected '• determined not' to repeat unicipal government. This their mistakes 'in their et ' f ( all the: • more • remaining colonies in North j« remarkable when . you `America. They decided to recognize that the merits of. fight the establishment of municipal = self-government . e1'h.cted municipal . govern - are still being debated.. ment at every turn. Basically there have This policy caused some. always - been two general, problems, because' poor�. those. who ` feel that ,the with the French.cornmunity's controlled by the- central apathetic . and uninformed tradition but after the influx government• and the of Loyalists in the period 1780 magistrates of the Quarter -to 1785, things did not run so Session Courts and so they:.. smoothly. ' were easily.absorbed into. While used to the system of Simcoe's plan for an, alter Quarter Session Courts, the native to municipal gover- •newcomers also had always nment. elected.. "Selectmen" to �In the years following, govern the civil affairs of the greater powers. were parish and saw--rio reason to .assigned _to the_..,fiarter surrender this power to ap- Session Courts, including pointed magistrates. In 1785 special powers over urban they petitioned the: Governor areas, beginning with to separate,; Upper Canada Kingston. in 1816. By 1824 a from the colony of Quebec, as "police town".- system • was they were dissatisfied with established under the the existing -legal and authority of the Courts. •The political system: At first the limited progress made when,. Governor respon'd'ed by in 1816, The Public Schools dividing Upper Canada into Act'provided for the election four districts for the Courtsof of a board :of school trustees, Quarter Session, including , was reversed by increasing one district called Hesse that the power' of the Quarter comprised most of .whai is • now Southwestern Onta.rio.' local electorate inevitably chooses too many mediocre and ._.inefficient municipal governments,` with' little appreciation of the real needs of their respective coni'- munities. Although it is now.. fashionable to• argue that local `governments should be given more authority and more . financial . support, perhaps even at the expense of the Province, there wasa time when such an. attitude was considered revolutionary and perhaps even subversive. . Local government in .. Canada has a history that extends back over three centuries, although it was not - officially acceptable until 'a little nage than a century. ago: The history' 'of) local .r government actually begins' in-164-7--whey-the- p eple-.of-th . first major towns in Canada, Montreal, Trois-Rivieres and Quelaeti City' elected local leaders .to Syndics'` d'Habitations.. These "community . boards" were charged 'with looking after local affairs -and pleading the case of the community before the cclonial administration. By 1663• Governor Fronteriac decided the time had come to give formal status to these groups and proposed. the. election.. of. „ a Board •' of Aldermen for Quebec City. `Paris responded quickly by vetoing: the idea. By 1672 even the community beards, were .. dissolved ori instructions from.. the King's' Minister e- T-is-CouctLwas__granted most of the powers of a municipal government, including construction of roads and public buildings, making• regulations •.over commerce and public welfare, providing. police and fire protection afid levying assessments and taxation.. The -new settlers' were - not satisfied-• with this. response and since the government couldn't question the loyalty of the Loyalists,.: their request for a separate colony and '• an Assembly was .granted. in 1791. But this did not mean 'the, British were satisfied to let things go as they had in the 13 colonies. The appointment sof John ;Gra.ves Simcoe as 197-6. Honey C,top 6 5CPut Lai ' .. • br`'ing your own containers week days to .• our Apiary,and have them filled.. Final closing day for bulk honey is #Saturday, October 16•. After that date honey is available in our .containers , only. - . 14SED WEDNESDAY EVENING AND SUNDAY . • " "Refoilers Welcome.. c s -on. 236«64979 HEN StREEt SOUTH .2, caries passe in,1840 which reunited Upper and -Lower Canada and provided for an'Assembly- to have the power to establish a 'system of municipal governments. Within • a -year_ 'The District Councils Act was Passed by the Assembly (over . the. ,st'renu`ous objections of the Tories) and a system was established whereby the male • NOTICE ' Women°s Hospital Auxiliary' Meeting OCT.. 1.8 - 2 p.m. In theauiciiia'ry room •- • Sli4es;of. Hawhii By: Florence Boyce appoint the Warden' of the District Council and for all by-laws to be su'bmittednto the Governor for approval. • ' Prime Minister Baldwin was not satisfied. with this halting progress and took the • dramatic step of introducing a comprehensive municipal bill . in 1843. The bill passed, but the Executive Council vetoed the measure feeling that.;, the Assembly,i was mowing too fast. Baldwin was defeated the following year but was returned to power`in 1848. This time a sympathetic Lord Sydenham, .Durham's son-in-law, headed the Executive Ceuncil and so. when ,Baldwin's . Municipal Act pased in 1849, it became • law. This Act, known as the Baldwin Act for. obvious reasons, has ' been " con- solidated 16 times since that time and forms the basis of our present-day. Municipal Act. . • Having. ' finally won -the battle • for responsible Local government, the people of Ontario set out to make the system work. By 1867, when the `British North America Act assigned jurisdiction over municipal institutions and local •affairs to . the ' new Province of Ontario, a great deal of authority'had already'. been, delegated to local municipalities and.to' conn ties. • Faced wth scattered settlement and 'poor tran- sportation; the Legislature decided it could not directly control local affairs in an era of. rapd growth and so� it - delegated many tasks to its municipalities " The system worke'd quite well. In 1888, a Commission or}_ Municipal', Institutions reported to the Legislature that Ontario's system. of - (continued on page 3) BAYFIELD MEAT MARKET NEXT DOOR 70 L C E3 0 8AYFIELD.ONT PHONE 565-2160 1 Sides of Fully', processed La... HOME OF QUALITY. MEATS PROFESSIONALLY PREPARED NOW EQUIPPED TO DO . CUSTOM KILLING AND PROCESSING WILL MAKE PICKUPS STORE • HOURS: Closed' Sun. & Morl.'''. Tues. Wed. Thurs. 9 - 6 p.m. Fri. 9 9 p.m., Sat. 9 - 6 p.m-. 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