Conference Recap

How do cities evolve in the context of federal structures?  Are principles of federalism sufficiently flexible to accommodate the existence of strong municipalities?  Can they evolve to recognize the current needs of municipal governments?  Is it possible to recognize the powers of municipal governments without amending constitutional arrangements?  This session looks at what is possible under current constitutional arrangements.

Moderator

Nathalie Des Rosiers, Principal, Massey College

Panellists

Konrad Lachmayer, Professor of Law, Sigmund Freud University Vienna

Zachary Taylor, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Western Ontario

Maartje De Visser, Associate Professor, School of Law, Singapore Management University

Amal Sethi, Fellow, School of Law, University of Pennsylvania

Paul Daly, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

Municipal powers have changed by legislation and by circumstance. For example, they changed profoundly by legislation in Quebec about 15 years ago and recently by circumstance as Canadian cities declared a state of emergency to combat COVID-19.  Have municipal powers grown or diminished as a result?  Panellists in this conversation will discuss these recent changes and they will look ahead to what these changes hold for the future.

Moderator

Claire Boychuk, Manager, Policy & Research, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Panellists

David Robitaille, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

Benoit Frate, Associate Professor, Department of Urban Studies and Tourism, University of Quebec in Montreal

Anneke Smit, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor

What can Canadian cities learn about the path forward on local governance and taxation from cities around the world? On this panel, leading international practitioners will discuss how municipalities across the world are driving reform in governance and citizen engagement to help us reimagine alternative possible futures for Canadian cities..

Moderator

Mary W. Rowe, President & CEO, Canadian Urban Institute

Panellists

Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary-General, European Association for Local Democracy

Jean Pierre Mbassi, Secretary-General, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa

Rudi Borrmann, Deputy Director, Open Government Partnership Local

This session explores the complex legal relationships between First Nations and municipalities, including constitutionally-enshrined Aboriginal and Treaty Rights, urban reserve and urban Indigenous lands, and the responsibilities of city governments towards Indigenous peoples that live within the colonial boundaries of municipalities.

Moderator

Chief R. Stacey Laforme, Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation

Panellists

Joanne Heritz, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Brock University

Alexandra Flynn, Assistant Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia

Jean Leclair, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Montreal

Wanekia Dunn, Law Student, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto