Public Policy and Community: The Impact of Regional Government on Pelham, Ontario

Abstract

<p> The focus of this study is the impact of Ontario's regional government schemes on the small town of Pelham where the writer lived as a participant-observer for two years. The argument is made that, while some benefits have been achieved in the provision of certain services, regional government is more of a failure than a success. Pelhamites have found that the new local and regional governments are quite antithetical to what they knew and valued in local politics. Consequently, as a group, these citizens are more antagonistic to their government than they remembered having been prior to the structural reform. This antagonism is felt more intensely among the traditionalists living in the rural areas than among the newly arrived village commuters. The departure from the past is symbolized by planning, a policy framework significantly different from the political style of the old councils. The conflict between local citizens and the new organizations is best illustrated by two public decisions, the implementation of land planning and the closure of schools. These two policies are examined in detail to point out the difficulties that have arisen because of provincial efforts to reform local government institutions without taking into account community values. It is apparent that Pelhamites are not satisfied that the new governments are concerned about their town nor are they confident of their own ability to influence major policy outcomes. The most damaging impact is that it is widely accepted in the town that provincial authorities have not created new communities as promised but have destroyed what community had existed for the people of Pelham.</p>