Half of Metro Vancouver residents support amalgamation of some sort, with support for amalgamation highest in North Shore, according to an Angus Reid survey.
The proposals receiving the highest levels of enthusiasm for amalgamation are: Tri-Cities (35%), the North Shore (34%) or Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge (31%).
In the North Shore itself, half (48%) say they support North Vancouver and West Vancouver coming together as one city.
Eight per cent of respondents say they would combine all Metro Vancouver municipalities into one, while three-in-ten say the current system is fine. The current system saw voters in the region participate in 21 separate mayoral and council elections.
Respondents in the survey also want their elected representatives to focus on three core issues: housing, homelessness, and crime. Half (49%) call housing policy a top-two priority for their city, while three-in-ten say so of homelessness and poverty (31%) and crime and safety (29%).
Asked to evaluate how their previous governments had been performing on these matters, responses are overwhelmingly negative.
Four-in-five (81%) in Metro Vancouver say their local governments performed poorly on housing. Three-quarters (77%) are critical of mayor and councils’ performance on poverty and two-thirds (64%) give a thumbs-down to the governance on crime and safety. Negativity is more common in Surrey and the city of Vancouver, where incumbent mayors were ousted, than in other communities in the region.
The entire survey can be seen here.
The question really should have been about the two North Vancouver’s, ….Having five square miles of ‘City’, let’s call it the core of North Vancouver, (which broke away from the District to pursue it’s own land development and profit), form decisions irrespective of big picture planning that affects all residents of North Vancouver is simply a ludicrous situation. Logic – no matter what – dictates amalgamation. End of discussion.
Perhaps I missed it… who paid for this ‘survey’??
I want MY council to listen to ME. Amalgamation is an attempt to consolidate control. A power grab. Period.
SAY NO to amalgemation.