Ten years ago, our neighbors in Canada began a bold experiment. Under the banner of reducing costs, improving services and increasing efficiency, they imposed a consolidation of local governments.

By now, the results are clear. None of the goals they had hoped to achieve have been realized. Instead, it essentially eliminated civic spirit and destroyed the community character of the old towns.

Their citizens suddenly found themselves embedded in large jurisdictions where they had no public role or local identity. Instead of their previous volunteerism and reliance on citizen-leaders, they found themselves dealing almost exclusively with professional bureaucrats. The new governments were even less efficient and slower to respond to citizen needs than the old ones.

Adding insult to injury, they ended up costing more to govern, not less, than the smaller units they replaced.

There's a movement afoot in Pennsylvania to try the same experiment. As we learned from watching the decline of civic culture in Ontario, this would gravely undermine the community spirit which has been fundamental to municipalities across the state.

Of course there are issues such as traffic planning, watershed management and environmental pollution, which require joint action by different governmental units. And there are other activities, such as purchasing, which can also benefit from a common effort.

There are already ways in which units of local government can cooperate with one another -- as well as with partners in the private and nonprofit sectors -- to accomplish goals which might elude them individually and can save taxpayer dollars.

And that's the key: it's choosing freely to work with others where it's mutually beneficial and not being forced into unwanted arrangements which have clearly demonstrated their failure.

The township form of government has proved to be both resilient and responsive to changing needs. It has been a keystone of Pennsylvania's strength for more than 200 years. It deserves to be protected.

Next week, Matthew Hutcheson, superintendent at Austin Area School District, will be our contributor for My Side. He'll discuss the economic and social challenges of operating the least populous school district in Pennsylvania.