Before amalgamation, we lived in the former city of North York, now amalgamated as part of the city of Toronto. Everything was shining for "the city with a heart", as we had twice-weekly garbage pick-up, our city was kept 'pristine', the residents were proud of what was once called "civility", and our little mayor that could, his Worship Mel Lastman, was well liked and thought of fondly.
In the early days, when Toronto had Mayor David Crombie, another little mayor that could and did, the city had someone with a brain, and a council that actually worked quite well in accomplishing and setting out city agenda, with people such as Paul Godfrey alongside. Of course, those days were those days, when each mayor took care of their own jurisdiction -- city of East York, Scarborough, city of York, city of Etobicoke, etc.,etc.
To think that amalgamation has benefitted Toronto now as a whole, with one mayor and a council making decisions at City Hall, with not much input anymore from the other jurisdictions, as it used to be before, when it seemed that with all the different mayors and councillors representing the pre-amalgamated cities, everything somehow flowed very well. It comes to show you just how badly we fare today when decision-making, planning, vision, seem to have become devoid of any sense of proper sensibilites and priorities.
I love having lived in North York, and now Toronto,always my home, always will be. Call me a proud Torontonian!