Facing the prospect of a 300% property tax hike, a small town just outside of Timmins, Ontario, is throwing in the towel.
What happened: On the brink of financial collapse, the Township of Fauquier-Strickland in northern Ontario voted to dissolve itself and shut down all municipal operations by August 1. The move will eliminate the town’s largest local employer, the municipality itself.
Catch-up: The township of roughly 400 people tried to secure a loan to pay off $2.5 million in debt, and even considered selling its only snow plow for cash, but couldn’t drum up the money to keep running its essential services like road maintenance, waste management, and fire protection.
Why it matters: The disappearance of small towns has become a recurring story in rural Canada. Declining populations and dwindling economic opportunities have taken their toll on local governments' finances, with at least 10 communities dissolving in the last two decades.
- Earlier this year, the population of Canada’s smallest town — the once-thriving mining township of Tilt Cove, N.L. — relocated to a nearby town for similar reasons.
Big picture: Between 1966 and 2021, the proportion of Ontario’s population living in rural areas fell to 17% from 37%. With young people leaving, immigrants heading to cities, and rural populations aging, small towns are facing a serious demographic challenge.—LA