Municipal Boundary Battles

Municipal Boundary Battles explores the motivations, land use effects, and financial implications of municipal boundary adjustments across Canada, focusing mainly on annexations and amalgamations-the most frequent means to adjust boundaries and reform local governments in this country. With a focus on mid-size cities and small towns rather than major Canadian metropolitan areas, the authors uncover hidden motivations, untangle behind-the-scenes political machinations, and document the resulting conflict. Through empirical evidence, case studies, and examples, the collection helps develop generalizations and inform best practices for municipal boundary adjustments and reform. The contributors explain how the esoteric aspects of adjustments work in more practical applications, offering political scientists, geographers, municipal officials, and planning practitioners fresh perspectives that contradict much of the prevailing understanding of boundary adjustments.

Contributors: Sandeep Agrawal, Cody Gretzinger, John Heseltine, John Meligrana, Jordan Rea, Amrita Singh, Jon Taylor, Zack Taylor. Afterword by Andrew Sancton. "Municipalities have not always been mere providers of local services and zoning rules; historically, they have often been ruthless competitors with their neighbours to obtain private-sector investment and economic development." Andrew Sancton, from the Afterword Municipal Boundary Battles uncovers the hidden motivations, behind-the-scenes political machinations, and the ensuing battles around city boundary debates. Municipal Boundary Battles uncovers the hidden motivations, behind-the-scenes political machinations, and the ensuing battles around city boundary debates. 7 maps "While there are several books and articles about municipal restructuring in Canada, this is the only book that I am aware of in which the contributors are planners, and many of the chapters provide a valuable planning perspective." David Siegel, Emeritus Professor, Brock University



• Table of Contents


• Acknowledgements


• Chapter 1 Introduction / Sandeep Agrawal


• Part I: Boundary Changes in Alberta and Saskatchewan


• Chapter 2 Annexations in Small Town Alberta / Sandeep Agrawal


• Chapter 3 Municipal Annexations, Water Scarcity, and Intermunicipal Conflicts in the Calgary Region / Cody Gretzinger and Sandeep Agrawal


• Chapter 4 The Fiscal Impact of Annexation: Lessons from American Jurisdictions and a New Perspective from Alberta / Amrita Singh


• Chapter 5 Motivations Behind Annexations in Saskatchewan / Jordan D. Rea and Sandeep Agrawal


• Part II: Boundary Adjustments in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick


• Chapter 6 Post-amalgamation Impact on Developing Land-use Planning Policy: A Case Study of Ontario Municipalities / John Meligrana


• Chapter 7 Getting There: Municipal Restructuring in Nova Scotia / John Heseltine


• Chapter 8 Boundary Battles in New Brunswick / Zack Taylor and Jon Isaac Taylor


• Afterword / Andrew Sancton


• Contributors