<p> The thesis examines the causes of intermunicipal cooperation and noncooperation in Grimsby, North Grimsby, Saltfleet, and South Grimsby. After reviewing the geographical literature on municipal government and the literature on interlocal relations, the thesis records the territorial and functional evolution of the study area's municipalities. The thesis then examines specific examples of intermunicipal cooperation and noncooperation in the Grimsby area. Stress is placed on identifying those variables that play a key role in producing agreement and disagreement between local governments. The final chapter attempts to rank the factors thus identified into categories of their relative importance and to evaluate the methodology of the thesis. Two appendices discuss the Regional Municipality of Niagara and present the master interview schedule used in the thesis.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)