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York Region pushing for seat with big city mayors

York considers backing out of Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Newmarkettoday.ca
June 7, 2021
Joseph Quigley

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is calling for action on hate speech and transit, but York Region’s participation in it has become tenuous.

The region temporarily lost its FCM vote after not immediately paying dues, according to a staff report. Council voted June 3 to re-up for FCM, though with the understanding that future participation would be contingent on becoming part of the Big City Mayors’ Caucus.

York Region CAO Bruce Macgregor said council should reconsider its participation in FCM given rising costs ---50 per cent over five years, up to $224,057 for 2021 membership.

“I would be hard-pressed to put a business case in place," MacGregor told council.

The FCM brings together thousands of municipalities across the country to advocate and lobby on their behalf. On June 3, FCM made several resolutions as part of its annual conference, including calling for strengthened hate speech laws, emergency support for an inter-community passenger bus service and prevention for accidental 911 calls.

York Region passed a resolution June 2020 seeking representation at FCM’s Big City Mayors’ Caucus, made up of Canada’s largest municipalities. That request has gone unfulfilled, and York councillors agreed that should change to continue membership beyond this year.

“Let them know we won’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt said. “We need to exercise, certainly, our political fortitude.”

King Mayor Steve Pellegrini, who serves on the FCM board, said the organization would take action on York Region's request.

“It is on their radar. They will work on it,” Pellegrini said. “It does take time.”

With the decision, Pellegrini said York Region's standing was quickly reinstated. He said being on the big city caucus would give York Region a better ability to advocate for its interests.

"If you're not at the table, you're not being heard," he said.

Meanwhile, the FCM called for the federal government to further clarify and strengthen its hate speech laws, including recognizing the effect of hate symbols.

In a separate resolution, the FCM also called for immediate federal funding for busing providers as early as this summer in response to the closure of Greyhound Canada.

Pellegrini said it is an important issue to address and Greyhound was an important service to people in York Region.

“It’s having a profound impact that people don’t truly realize until they need the service,” he said. “We need to make provisions that when things return to some form of normality, we’re able to move people around.”