Commissioner takes part in conference honouring international success

Municipal politicians, administrators, academics and students gathered recently at the University of Western Ontario's Local Government Program Alumni Conference to celebrate the economic success of Canadian municipalities on a global stage.

The conference featured a keynote address by renowned advisor on urban economic growth, Dr. Michael J. MacDonald, who outlined what municipal leaders and administrators need in order to compete in the international marketplace.

"Today's municipal governments have a tremendous capacity to look beyond their boundaries to build opportunities and partnerships internationally," explained MacDonald. "In order to ensure our communities remain competitive, municipal leaders and managers will have to learn to balance local issues with the need to compete on regional and international levels."

The 2007 conference theme, Borderless Municipal Worlds, emphasized the potential of Canadian municipalities to compete with cities worldwide. Universal issues such as economic trade, immigration, and environmental issues are forcing today's municipal governments to look beyond their own boundaries to succeed in the international marketplace.

York Region's Commissioner of Community and Health Services Joann Simmons was a guest panelist at the conference.

"While some municipalities are struggling to attract and retain skilled immigrants, York Region's recent immigrant population was growing faster than any other in the Greater Toronto Area as of the last census release and was growing at a significantly faster rate than the non-immigrant population in York Region," said Simmons. "Recent immigrants bring needed skills, talents and education to offset the shrinking Canadian-born labour force."

Discussing the theme Municipalities Leading and Succeeding in the Global Marketplace, Simmons said there is increasing global competition to attract, and as importantly, retain a skilled labour force. "In 2004, immigration accounted for about 70 per cent of net labour force growth in Canada, and it is estimated that it will account for 100 per cent by 2011," she said.

"York Region has learnt, among other things, that senior levels of government, municipalities, community agencies, organizations and employers must work together to attract and integrate immigrants who play an integral role in growing their economies," Simmons suggested. "The more quickly newcomers start and keep contributing positively to their community and to the economy, the more competitive York Region will be."

Dr. Andrew Sancton, director of the Local Government Program, remarked that this year's conference encouraged those in the municipal sector to broaden their horizons in the field of economic development.

"I sense that the themes discussed today opened a lot of individuals' minds to the realm of opportunities available to Canadian municipal governments," he commented. "It was a provocative and stimulating day."

MacDonald consults widely in Canada, the United States, Western Europe and Japan, on a wide range of economic and urban issues. He is a Woodrow Wilson Scholar and has received a number of awards including the British Commonwealth Fellowship, Canada Council Fellowship, Massey College Fellowship and the O'Brien Fellowship in the Humanities.

The UWO Local Government Program Alumni Society sponsors the annual event to examine current issues and perspectives in local government. The Alumni Society is comprised of over 800 graduates, and contributes to the quarterly newsletter, Alumni News and Views.