For the purpose of clarity, the Commission deems it necessary to emphasize several points.
Many more statistical tables and charts were prepared by the research staff under the direction of Professor R. C. Bellan, but only those which were considered of prime importance are included in this report.
As a result of a very careful analysis of the information contained in the statistics, it became clearly evident that no statement could be prepared which would, with any degree of accuracy, forecast the immediate impact on the mill rate of each of the areas involved, if the recommendations in this report were implemented.
Using the information, however, in a manner somewhat similar to that which was used in the final brief by the City of Winnipeg, it is obvious that no real hardship will result. On the contrary, the benefits to the whole area will become apparent within a comparatively short time after the new authority has been established.
The fear that the creation of a fourth level of government will result in additional costs, as well as multiplicity of government, was carefully reviewed and discussed, and the Commission failed to find any justification for this fear. The establishment of a so-called fourth level of government is simply a necessity that has come about as a result of our modern way of urban living.
It is only the better part of wisdom and the application of sound business principles to say that there is a task that must be done, therefore let us find the most efficient and economical way to do it. The form of such authority, as recommended, appears to the Commission to be the proper one. Insofar as costs are concerned, it can safely be predicted, if no new additional services will be provided, that the savings which will result to the Metropolitan Area, through the issuance of debentures on a metropolitan basis, will more than defray the costs of administering the Metropolitan Authority.
Metropolitan Toronto proved this in the short period of four years.
It is interesting to note that shortly after the Commission was set up, the position which Winnipeg took was to establish a Metropolitan Authority somewhat similar to the one in Toronto, whereas the "suburbs" preferred the status quo, excepting the possible co-ordination of the various existing inter-municipal boards or commissions under one authority.
As the study progressed, a change took place. Winnipeg asked for outright amalgamation into one City, and the suburbs assumed Winnipeg's former position by asking for a Metropolitan Authority, similar to Metropolitan Toronto.
There is no doubt that these changed views were the result of closer study which the various groups made of the many problems involved, and the suburban representatives were influenced, no doubt, by a visit which they made, in a group, to study Metropolitan Toronto.
The Commission is pleased to note this change on the part of all groups concerned, as it shows a readiness to accept a change when more information became available, and suggests an implied admission by all municipal representatives that their initial reaction, based entirely on their own thinking, without sufficient facts, may have been wrong.
This is only natural, and the willingness to adopt a changed position is to the credit of all municipal representatives who appeared before the Commission, and who were very helpful in the public discussions. One must not lose sight of one fact -- that the responsibility of each elected official is to judge the problem in the light of his duty to his municipality. The Commission is pleased to note that in the case of Winnipeg, as well as the suburbs, the elected representatives adopted a stand which could, with justification, be said to be as far as they could respectively move while not sacrificing too much of their status quo.
The task of the Commission, however, was somewhat different. The terms of reference clearly required a study of the whole area, and no one part of it exclusively, so that the members of the Commission had to forget their first responsibility.
There is no doubt, however, that the municipal representatives who appeared before the Commission will, on careful study of this report, realize that the implementation of the recommendations will unquestionably achieve the desired result -- the welfare of the whole area, and the welfare of each of its component parts.
The respect for elected officials, and the courtesy from the elected to the electors, and vice versa, could be a useful experience for us in the "Western World." The dedication to public service that is evident in British public life was truly an inspiring experience, and it might be suggested that we could benefit by some of this spirit, and by a sincere effort to perform our respective tasks for the welfare of these people whom we represent, rather than to seek news headlines which are of questionable value.
In the opinion of the Commission, after carefully studying many years of local government without the use of the referendum, the result has been that the calibre of elected official has tended to improve. by the simple process of elimination. Where an official has been consistently wrong in his judgment, the electorate have simply replaced him at the opportune time.
By compelling the elected officials to "stand up and be counted", the community is better able to judge the qualities of each. This has a two-fold effect. The first is that the candidate who has proven both ability and good judgment is usually returned by a comfortable majority, while the one with poor judgment is eliminated. The second is, that the former invariably deserves and receives the confidence and respect of the electorate.
In making this recommendation to dispense with a referendum, the Commission intends that this apply to dispensing with all referendums where two-thirds of the council vote in favour of a certain project. The fear that improper conduct on the part of elected officials will result if they are left to use their own judgment is ill-founded. On the contrary, in those localities where the referendum is resorted to for every imaginable issue, one finds the greatest number of violations of public trust. In those areas where the referendum is seldom used, however, there are very few, if any, such instances on the part of elected officials.
The use of the referendum enables the lazy, irresponsible, and uninformed official to escape his responsibility by simply "passing the buck" to the electorate on any issue where there may be controversy. As a result, the ratepayers have no way of judging him on his merits.
Responsible British officials told the Commission that the use of the referendum unnecessarily is a negation of democracy, in that it does not compel the elected official to act in a responsible way, and to be responsible for his actions and judgment to the electorate.
This comment could best be closed by simply quoting Edmund Burke who, in 1774, while addressing his constituents, stated:
Certainly, gentlemen, it ought to be the happiness and glory of a representative to live in the strictest union, the closest correspondence, and the most unreserved communication with his constituents. Their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinions high respect, their business unremitted attention. It is his duty to sacrifice his repose, his pleasure, his satisfactions, to theirs; and above all, ever, and in all cases, to prefer their interest to his own. But his unbiased opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you, to any man, or to any set of men living. Your representative owes you, not his industry alone, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
If government were a matter of will upon any side, yours, without question, ought to be superior. But government and legislation are matters of reason and judgment, and not of inclination; and what sort of reason is that in which the determination precedes the discussion, in which one set of men deliberate and another decide, and where those who form the conclusion are perhaps three hundred miles distant from those who hear the arguments?
Authoritative mandates issued, which the member is bound blindly and implicitly to obey, to vote, and to argue for, though contrary to the clearest convictions of his judgment and conscience -- these are things utterly unknown to leave to the laws of this land, and which arise from a fundamental mistake of the whole order and tenour of our Constitution.
This is the accepted practice in Federal and Provincial affairs, and it is suggested, with respect, that the Metropolitan officials could be trusted to use as good judgment in municipal affairs as obtains in Provincial and Federal circles, where no referendums on expenditures are ever sought.
In recommending the annexation of certain areas, however, it was not intended that these areas lose their identity, nor that the high standard of residential and other values be impaired. On the contrary, it is to be hoped that within each of the eight (8) cities and municipalities the present names of each area be retained; the section known as North Kildonan, and the part known as East St. Paul.
It is also hoped that the Metropolitan Council, through intelligent use of the wide powers of planning and zoning which are recommended, will ensure that the residential standards in that part of the enlarged Winnipeg, known as Tuxedo, will be rigidly maintained and, indeed, that other areas of similarly high standards will be encouraged.
In its study of the report by Wilbur Smith and Associates, the Commission was not surprised at the recommendations regarding the construction of future arterial highways and bridges. If any benefit is to be derived from this excellent study, a central authority is imperative, and this should be established with as little as possible.
The report of the Ontario Municipal Board, dated January 20, 1953, on the applications of Toronto and Mimico, was studied very closely, and some of the recommendations contained in that report were incorporated herein.
The Commission accepted the accuracy of the statistics, and finds that the conclusions reached were not affected too seriously due to this change. The principles remained constant.
The conclusions reached from the available information, however, are and must be the responsibility of the members of the Committee.
It is inconceivable that one could expect anyone who is sincerely trying to do what is right, to discuss and debate some issue in public, when he may merely be trying to obtain information or exchange ideas. The questions he asks may appear to be, and may indeed be foolish, but this is inevitable when one "thinks out loud". It is not inconceivable that the same official who argues one side of an issue in committee, may vote otherwise in council, he has had time to digest whatever information he was able to obtain.
Meanwhile, if the topic happens to be of particular "news" value, the community will be given an impression of that particular official which may be entirely unfair to him, and that same official may consider it more prudent to say nothing at committee meetings, and abstain from voting until the issue comes to council. As a result of this attitude on his part, the other members of the committee may be deprived of the benefit of some searching questions and comments which might have changed their thinking.
Very few humans are blessed with the gifts of sound thinking, quick thinking, simple expression of thought, and fearless convictions. Still, it would take all of these qualities, and more, to ensure an accurate report of one's actions in a committee meeting.
If one has to keep one eye and one ear to the news medium, and the other to the proceedings of the meeting, we can only expect, at the best, a guarded discussion devoid of frankness and candor. This is unfair to the elected official and to the community who elected him.
The foregoing is not necessarily a criticism of the reporting of the press, but, after all, no one suggests that the interests of the press and the interests of the community are always identical.
Unfortunately, too many officials in public life accept the premise that publicity of any kind is good, if one wishes to stay in public life. This may be true, but the same reasoning has also created national heroes from some of the characters in the comic pages.
The only way to improve the calibre of our public servants is not to subject them to the constant glare of publicity, but to allow them the opportunity to think and discuss. When the issues are brought up in Council, there is a sufficient number of council members who have not sat in on the committee meeting, and who can and should question the various items and then expect the committee members to defend or criticize the committee report.
There is a vast difference between a newspaper's reporting facts, expressing editorial comment, and thereby influencing public opinion, and the same newspaper unwillingly using its power to influence the thinking of elected officials.
Although the above is not done deliberately, it is suggested that the effect is the same, and here, too, we might take a leaf out of the British system, where the press is never present at committee meetings and where, as a result, one seldom sees headlines of the type we find here. These may be temporarily amusing, but in many cases they serve to keep the sincere, honest and dedicated person out of public life.
The Commission is convinced that the adoption of this suggestion -- to hold all committee meetings in camera, excepting the meetings dealing with education -- will improve the efficiency of municipal government in the Metropolitan Area which, by the terms of reference, the Commission was charged to study.
True democracy can never be spelled out in a few words. It is not either black or white, except in poetic form. The closest one can approach a real definition is by saying that it simply implies the application of the Golden Rule as between an individual and the community, or as between one community and another. Although this may be oversimplifying the facts, nevertheless, it is a fair approach to a simple definition.
It was not an accident that we found what we consider a "solution" in Britain, and partially in Canada, rather than elsewhere; and it is earnestly suggested that we look to the home of the Mother of Parliaments for help and guidance in our local governmental problems.
The remarkable fact is that there was no compromise necessary, and no attempt was made to influence each other's thinking. When all the facts, briefs and evidence were reviewed and discussed, only one solution was clear to all, and it was simply a matter of allocating the services.
Countless meetings and discussions were held, and the degree of harmony and frankness which prevailed is an experience which each of the members will long remember. It is only to be hoped that the impartial attitude which characterized the deliberations of the Commission will be reflected in the attitude of the officials who will have to deal with this report and its implementation. It is also to be hoped that the whole community will accept the concept that each one of us as individuals, and that each city or municipality as a group of individuals, are a part of a growing community which, on the whole, has set a wonderful example of inter-municipal co-operation in the past, and which can act as a beacon light to other communities in the future.
In the spirit in which the report was prepared will be in evidence when the recommendations are being implemented, there is no doubt in the mind of the Commission that the Greater Winnipeg community will benefit immeasurably. Should the opposite prevail, however, and no real progress be made to provide a clean, healthy and pleasant atmosphere for the urban dweller, to enable him to enjoy the fresh air, pleasant parks, comfortable transit or driving facilities, and all the other amenities which should be his, then the same urban dweller, fighting his way through traffic bottle-necks, working (and probably living) in an area surrounded by skyscrapers which keep out both sunshine and fresh air, and miles away from lakes or parks where relaxation and long walks would be possible, may in time develop into a short-legged, round-shouldered, near-sighted, high-strung and nervous creature who will not know his way unless he is being guided behind the whee of his own car, driving bumper to bumper, or unless he is being guided by traffic lights and directional arrows. What a future for man of the 20th century! The same man who not only conquered space, but who is trying to compete with nature herself!
When one but reflects on the developments during the lst half-century, and upon the hundreds of billions of dollars that were spent in such achievements, one must say that the challenge is great, but the prospects are even greater. We have overcome difficulties which were not of our own making; surely we can solve problems which we ourselves created.
I, ______________________, do swear that I will truly and faithfully execute the powers and trusts vested in me by His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, under and pursuant to "The Manitoba Evidence Act," according to the best of my knowledge and judgment. So help me God.
TAKEN, subscribed and sworn before me
at Winnipeg this 16th day of September, A.D. 1955
The obligation inherent in the above oath has been before us in our task, and we hope that we have performed our duty in that spirit.
Respectfully submitted,
J. L. Bodie, Chairman
Geo. E. Sharpe, Deputy Chairman
J. G. Van Belleghem, Commissioner
Thos. B. Findlay, Commissioner
C. N. Kushner, Commissioner