Merger (politics)

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(Redirected from Amalgamation (politics))

For other uses, see Amalgamation.

A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities (in other words cities, towns, etc.), counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity. In United States politics, such an entity may be called a consolidated city-county. Unbalanced growth or outward expansion of one neighbor may necessitate an administrative decision to merge; in some cases, common perception of continuity may be a factor in prompting such a process. Some cities (see below) that have gone though amalgamation or a similar process had several administrative sub-divisions or jurisdictions, each with a separate person in charge.

Annexation is similar to amalgamation, but differs in being applied mainly to two cases:

The units joined are sovereign entities before the process, as opposed to being units of a single political entity.
A city's boundaries are expanded by adding territories not already incoporated as cities or villages.

[edit] Notable municipal mergers

Over the years political parties have taken aim at cities as part of a larger political agenda. Often the abolishment of a level of government results in the growth of another level - negating the original purpose of the merger. Some of the more politically charged transformations of city governments have been led by conservative parties, as to target the usually more liberal voting urban regions.

Some of the more notable amalgamations are noted below:

Within Canada:
- Metro Toronto - Eliminated by the Mike Harris government as part of the reform package entitled 'Common Sense Revolution', to create the new city of Toronto.
- City of Ottawa - In 2001, the municipalities of Cumberland, Osgoode, Rideau, Goulbourn, West Carleton, Nepean, Kanata, Gloucester, Vanier and Rockcliffe Park became part of Ottawa.

In 1970 the two cities of Fort William and Port Arthur, including the townships of Neebing and McIntyre combined to become the city of Thunder Bay in North Western Ontario.

- City of Hamilton - In 2001, the former City of Stoney Creek and the former towns of Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough and Glanbrook merged with the old city of Hamilton to create the new City of Hamilton.
- City of Winnipeg - in 1971, the municipalities of Transcona, St. Boniface, St. Vital, West Kildonan, East Kildonan, Tuxedo, Old Kildonan, North Kildonan, Fort Garry, Charleswood, and St. James were amalgamated with the Old City of Winnipeg via the City of Winnipeg Act.
- Many municipal mergers in the province of Quebec, brought upon in 2002 by the Parti Québécois government, including:
  - Ville de Montréal - In the Montreal Merger on January 1, 2002, the Parti Québécois merged all municipalities on the Island of Montreal into the city of Montreal. On January 1, 2006, the Quebec Liberal Party granted some of the merged municipalities a return to city status when more than half the population supported a de-merger.
  - Further information: Municipal reorganization in Quebec
- In 1996, the City of Halifax, City of Dartmouth, Town of Bedford, and Halifax County combined to form the Halifax Regional Municipality