Publications
New Publication:
Immigrant Settlement Policy in Canadian Municipalities
Edited by Erin Tolley and Robert Young
McGill-Queen's University Press
Canada has, by most accounts, one of the most successful immigration programs in the world, a function of the policies, programs, and services that assist newcomers. Immigrant settlement is a crucial policy field that involves governments, communities, and a range of social forces. Constitutionally, immigration matters are an area of shared jurisdiction, but the federal government has long been the dominant player. Provinces and municipalities, however, are now pushing for an expanded policy role, increased resources, and governance arrangements that recognize the important part they play in immigrant settlement.
Drawing on a great many in-depth interviews with government officials and
front-line workers, contributors provide a comparative assessment of
approaches to immigrant settlement in nineteen Canadian municipalities. This
is complemented by a discussion of the federal government's role in this
policy field, and by a comprehensive introduction and conclusion, which
ground the book historically and thematically, synthesize its key findings,
and provide recommendations for addressing the challenges related to
intergovernmental cooperation, settlement service delivery, and overall
immigrant outcomes. Individual chapters examine the mechanics of public
policy-making but also tell a story about diverse and innovative approaches
to immigrant settlement in Canada's towns and cities, about gaps and
problems in the system, and about the ways in which governments and
communities are working together to facilitate integration.
Forthcoming Publication:
Urban Aboriginal Policy Making in Canadian Municipalities
Edited by Evelyn Peters
McGill-Queen's University Press
The majority of Aboriginal people in Canada - First Nations, Inuit, and Métis - live in urban areas. Public policy making concerning urban Aboriginal people is, however, complex, complicated by geographic variation, and varies greatly in both quality and quantity from municipality to municipality. The responsibilities of different levels of government are hotly debated, and there is competition between Aboriginal organizations. In Urban Aboriginal Policy Making in Canadian Municipalities leading authorities interview both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal leaders, report on research done in a large variety of municipalities, and assess the quality of urban Aboriginal policy in Canada.
Individual chapters highlight the unique issues related to policy making in
this field - the important role of diverse Aboriginal organizations, the
need to address Aboriginal and Treaty rights and the right to
self-government, and the lack of governmental leadership - revealing a
complex jurisdictional and programming maze. Contributors look at provinces
where there has been extensive activity as well as provinces where urban
Aboriginal issues seem largely irrelevant to governments. They cover small
and mid-sized towns, remote communities, and large metropolises. While their
research acknowledges that existing Aboriginal policy falls short in many
ways, it also affirms that the field is new and there are grounds for
improvement as it grows and matures.
Foundations of Governance: Municipal Government in Canada's Provinces
Edited by Andrew Sancton and Robert Young
Institute of Public Administration of Canada
June 2009
Municipalities are responsible for many essential services and have become vital agents for implementing provincial policies, including those dealing with the environment, emergency planning, economic development, and land use. In Foundations of Governance, experts from each of Canada's provinces come together to assess the extent to which municipal governments have the capacity to act autonomously, purposefully, and collaboratively in the intergovernmental arena.
Each chapter follows a common template in order to facilitate comparison and covers essential features such as institutional structures, municipal functions, demography, and municipal finances. Canada's municipalities function in diverse ways but have similar problems and, in this way, are illustrative of the importance of local democracy. Foundations of Governance shows that municipal governments require the legitimacy granted by a vibrant democracy in order to successfully negotiate and implement important collective choices about the futures of communities.
Spheres of Governance: Comparative Studies of Cities in Multilevel Governance Systems
June 2007
Edited by Harvey Lazar and Christian Leuprecht
Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, Queen's University
McGill-Queen's University Press
This is the first collection of its kind to compare systematically the challenges faced by municipalities in the context of the growing complexity of intergovernmental relations and multilevel governance in federations. Experts contribute chapters on Australia, France, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States, paying particular attention to the interaction between municipal and federal governments. Each chapter analyzes the constitutional and fiscal position of municipalities, their relations with the central government, the way provincial and state governments mediate these relationships, and how policy is made (with examinations of two policy sectors per country). Tensions and pressures for change are highlighted.
At a time when local governments are rising in importance around the world, and functions are being shifted across levels of government, this comparative analysis breaks new ground in the study of multilevel governance, intergovernmental relations, and municipal government.
Canada: The State of the Federation 2004: Municipal-Federal-Provincial Relations in Canada
June 2006
Edited by Robert Young and Christian Leuprecht
Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, Queen's University
McGill-Queen's University Press
Cities are rising in prominence within the Canadian federal system. While advocates are demanding more money and power for cities, traditional barriers to multilevel governance are weakening.
Canada: The State of the Federation, 2004 offers indispensable insights on the role of cities in an evolving system of multilevel governance. Contributors provide a background to the recent changes in policy and power structures and an analysis of amalgamation and restructuring. They also explore housing policy, the integration of immigrants, and regional development in places as diverse as Mississauga, Saskatchewan, rural Newfoundland, and Vancouver.
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