OPINION: Why are we so separated?
Many people who claim that they live in Vancouver don't actually live in the city itself. Metro Vancouver has a population of 2,642,825 according to the 2021 Canadian census, but only 662,248 actually live in the city of Vancouver. In fact, Surrey is on pace to overtake Vancouver as the biggest city in the Lower Mainland in the coming years.
But even if that happens, people in Surrey will still say they are from Vancouver. It just makes sense, from travelling abroad or even within Canada. Nobody in Saskatoon likely knows what Port Moody is, but they likely know where Vancouver is. The same goes for people who live in Richmond, Burnaby, and many other cities in the Lower Mainland. People in all these towns root for the Canucks and the Whitecaps just as much as any proper Vancouverite, travelling relatively long distances to attend games.
The point I am making here is that many people in the Lower Mainland identify with Vancouver, even though they are not from Vancouver themselves or born there.
A look at Metro Vancouver’s population distribution from 2016. Image courtesy of BCIT.
So that brings us to a broader question. Why is Vancouver split up like this? Why are Richmond, Burnaby, Surrey, and other cities not a part of the city of Vancouver? The issue of city decentralization has been brought up in recent weeks, with a petition by residents of White Rock to amalgamate White Rock with the City of Surrey.
Many municipalities have faced allegations of secrecy, needless red tape, and other areas that don’t make adequate use of their constituents’ tax dollars. Wouldn’t it be easier to consolidate many of the municipalities, as some of them are, frankly, too small to effectively deliver services?
Look at Pitt Meadows, a city that has 20,000 residents. Is it really necessary for Pitt Meadows to be its own city with its own mayor, council, and government employees? I mean, I’m sure it has its benefits. There might be more direct access to public officials, more responsive help, and more say in the community. However, if the result is a worse future than their parents, is it worth it?
I should note, however, that I have never lived in Pitt Meadows, thus I know very little about the public sentiment of that city. Thus, I think there would be a better way to solve this. Why not have a referendum, asking if each municipality would like to merge with other municipalities to create larger but fewer cities in the area? It would reduce complexity, make processes simpler, and ease communication with other governments. We could carve the Lower Mainland into, say, three to four large municipalities as opposed to the dozen we have today.
Now, I understand that my opinion may not be popular. That is why asking the question of voters would be ideal. If the people of Delta want to remain their own city, they can. Many mayors and top public officials may oppose this plan, as it likely threatens their jobs and their pay, but voters aren’t beholden to them. They are beholden to the voters.
Democracy is messy; there is no question about that. As Winston Churchill once said, “democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried.”
I am not at all advocating for a centralized, bureaucratic government where millions of people are under one jurisdiction. New York City is a famous example of millions of people under one municipal government can still have problems and dysfunction. But the opposite can be true, where too much decentralization can lead to a backlog that can hinder the welfare of the people. A solution in the middle may be what’s needed to fix what’s wrong in this region. You don’t know until you try.
