Population matters

One more reason to consider amalgamation is because as 13 separate local governments our region carries a lot less weight provincially and nationally than it should.

Ranked by population

•    City          BC  Canada   
• Saanich          8th  44th
• Victoria        14th  67th
• Langford        28th
• Oak Bay         36th
• Esquimalt       40th
• Colwood         41st
• Central Saanich 42nd
• Sooke           48th
• Sidney          52nd
• North Saanich   53rd
• View Royal      59th
• Metchosin       78th
• Highlands      107th

We have 13 different local governments seeking support from the province and feds.   The smaller the staff a local government has the less capacity it has to access funds and have any impact on the senior governments.

Being split up like this means we do not have a single strong local government voice for our city.   If we were one local government we would be the third most populous one in BC and 16th nationwide.  We would have one mayor that could speak for the whole city not just some of the neighbourhoods.  Instead we are generally ignored because we lack a single strong voice, at best we end up being lumped in with Kelowna, Kamloops and Nanaimo

With the larger population of a single local government we would be much better able to use the resources of the local government to attract business and development.