Winnipeg: The Unicity Concept

Speech: 21 pp.; digital file.This is a transcription of a speech given by Dr. Lloyd Axworthy to a seminar on regional government in 1976. It looks back candidly at some of the outcomes of Unicity, both from an administrative and democratic perspective. Axworthy pays particular attention to the original intent of the Resident Advisory Groups (RAGs) to be a more robust and decentralized form of political representation. The RAGs soon found themselves not adequately provided with necessary resources from either the City or Province, and became ineffective and largely irrelevant to the decision-making process. In looking at the political structure, this speech discusses how Unicity was seen as an attempt at creating a parliamentary system at the municipal level, and how the popular Winnipeg mayor Stephen Juba successfully fought for a directly-elected mayor. It also examines how Unicity created further dominance of suburban home-owner’s interests in Winnipeg politics. In spite of Unicity being an act aimed at reform, Axworthy suggests there was a lack of reform in the general political attitudes on council. Financial benefits of the Unicity structure, including the amalgamated city’s better position in the bond market, and more equitable taxation levels, are also highlighted

A decade of urban reform : a paper

33 leave

National goals for the urban environment - a democratic society : notes for an address to [the] Town Planning Institute of Canada National Conference, Edmonton, July 21, 1970

Report : 13 leave

Participation and planning : spontaneous town planning : a paper presented to the Congres d'Architecture et d'Urbanisme, Brussels, November 22, 1971

16 leaves

Urbanization and leisure, what about me? : comments on community management of leisure

10 leaves

Roosevelt Park redevelopment

23 leaves

The case of Manitoba : notes for an address delivered Friday, April 3,1970 to Canadian Association for the Social Studies Annual Convention

11 leaves

Presentation to the Institute of Public Administration of Canada seminar, February 16, 1973

13 leaves ; 28 cm

The politics of urban innovation

Paper presented to the Harrison Liberal Conference, held in Harrison Hotsprings, British Columbia, November 20-23, 1969. Also published in The Structure of Policy-Making in Canada. Edited G. Bruce Doern and Peter Aucoin Toronto: The Macmillan Company of Canada Limited 1971.Conference paper: 12 pp., digital fil