Claudette Cain vividly recalls her final council session as mayor of Gloucester before the City of Ottawa absorbed her municipality on January 1, 2001. She emotionally removed the chain of office, passing it on for safekeeping. Janet Stavinga also had to relinquish her chains and her community’s historic seal as the last mayor of Goulbourn Township, transitioning to a councillor for the new City of Ottawa. The solemn atmosphere during the swearing-in ceremony at the National Arts Centre was marked by the symbolic raising and disappearance of the flags representing 11 cities and townships along with the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton.
Reflecting 25 years later, opinions remain divided on the impact of amalgamation. While Jim Watson, the final elected mayor of the former City of Ottawa and later mayor of the amalgamated city, lauds the move for creating a more robust and unified city, dissenting voices such as Mary Pitt, the former mayor of Nepean, see it as a regrettable decision. The resistance from various leaders, including those of Gloucester and Goulbourn, underscored the efforts to preserve local governance and community ties.
The amalgamation process, enforced by the Mike Harris government in the late 1990s, aimed at cost savings and streamlined governance by merging municipalities. Proponents like Watson favored a consolidated city structure, while opponents like Cain and Pitt resisted the loss of fiscal independence and local control. Despite initial tax reductions and promises of efficiency gains, critics argue that the projected savings did not materialize as anticipated.
The transition to a single megacity faced pushback as communities grappled with the loss of autonomy and local identity. The debate continues on whether amalgamation truly delivered on its promises, with contrasting views on the impact on services, democracy, and community representation. While calls for de-amalgamation have waned over time due to logistical and financial challenges, the legacy of the amalgamated City of Ottawa remains a topic of ongoing discussion and reflection among its residents and former municipal leaders.