What Broke that Watermain?
By: Craig Hermanson,
LockeStreet.com Coordinator
28 January 2003: Since the river of water flowed through
our neighbourhood and people's basements two other pipes have burst
in our neighbourhood. Yes, it has been cold. But it's also been
colder. It's clear the problem isn't the weather, but an aging and
neglected infrastructure.
It may not be as simple as this, but it seems to me the city continues
to expand the urban boundary at the expense of older neighbourhoods.
The City argues it must expand the tax base with new subdivisions
and power centers in order to raise the revenue needed to maintain
the system. But I think it has more to do with the fact that it's
just so much easier to build where there aren't people yet. People
on Herkimer had to put up with months of inconvenience (as did those
on Dundurn and other streets) as the watermain was replaced. I'm
sure the City and our councilor received many calls about the length
of the interruption. To Council and the City staff it must be a
dream to know a groundhog doesn't have a phone.
So what's the problem with expanding the urban boundary to increase
the tax base. Well, first it's a huge drain on capital budgets to
build new services while neglecting maintenance. It's also more
expensive per capita to maintain services to subdivisions because
of the low density of housing.
Second, it has the potential to erode the tax
base. A well-meaning letter in Saturday's spectator by a writer
from Dundas suggested the neglect of the infrastructure in older
areas was discrimination based on affluence. The writer was suggesting
the people affected by the watermain lived in small homes crammed
close together and were poorer. I'm not here to argue where the
poverty and where the wealth is in our neighbourhood. But I thought
the writer's comments were telling in the perception
of neighbourhoods like ours. If people think that older neighbourhoods
are being neglected because the residents are poorer it drives down
the desirability of the area, which harms property values which
erodes taxes based on those values. Neglecting existing infrastructure
is a recipe for hollowing-out the core of a city.
Third, expanding the boundary means car-reliant subdivisions and
these require investments in expanding the roads network and building
new highways. New highways sound OK until someone mentions expanding
five lanes of the 403 to twelve. Then you realize the impact the
highways have.
To be fair, governments are beginning to look at the issue of urban
sprawl. But when or will they come to some sense? After more flooding,
clean up and worry and heartache? After property values and the
tax base start to slide? After the 403 is more than doubled in size?
After neighbourhood schools are closed due to low enrollment? Or
before.
To learn more about urban sprawl visit:
There's also more about the Watermain break on this site including
photos, video and discussion.
LockeStreet.com welcomes your comments
and suggestions. Read more about this
site.
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