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rfmcdonaldAs people in the area of southern Ontario lurch towards integrated mass transit systems, no longer are people referring to the Greater Toronto Area. Now, it's the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. This CBC Hamilton article demonstrates the term's use.
The shift in nomenclature from GTA to GTHA isn't just a matter of appealing to Hamilton voters. It does make a certain amount of sense, inasmuch as Hamilton is a county-level division of Ontario to the west of (though bordering upon) the Greater Toronto Area, and moreover has a long history of development separate from Toronto that (say) a Mississauga produced by spillover suburban and exurban growth from Toronto lacks. Then again, Mississauga has twice the population of Hamilton, and Brampton isn't far behind, either.
Ontario's transportation agency is recommending new fees that will total about $500 for an average household to raise $2-billion annually to fund public transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, a project called The Big Move.
[. . .]
“The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) is facing a gridlock crisis that is costing our economy an estimated $6 billion a year and is compromising the quality of life for residents,” said Ontario transportation minister Glen Murray in a statement. “If not addressed, this problem will continue to grow as our population increases and further burden our economy.”
Murray said the Ontario government “accepts the guiding principles of the Metrolinx funding strategy.”
The shift in nomenclature from GTA to GTHA isn't just a matter of appealing to Hamilton voters. It does make a certain amount of sense, inasmuch as Hamilton is a county-level division of Ontario to the west of (though bordering upon) the Greater Toronto Area, and moreover has a long history of development separate from Toronto that (say) a Mississauga produced by spillover suburban and exurban growth from Toronto lacks. Then again, Mississauga has twice the population of Hamilton, and Brampton isn't far behind, either.
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