There is a complex web of infrastructure behind the day-to-day operation of a Canadian city. Flick the switch and the light comes on; turn the tap and the water is there; flush the toilet and the sewage disappears. But what price are we paying for these services that make our lives easier?

In an age of blackouts, water problems, overflowing sewers, dangerously smoggy skies, and overburdened highways - problems that have led to an increasingly fragile environment with serious consequences for all Canadians - author Tony O’Donohue offers The Tale of a City, an essential primer in helping us to understand and improve our relationships with our engineered and natural environments.

Tony O'Donohue's twin career paths as an engineer and a civic politician have given him an intimate understanding of the troubling issues confronting the urban environment. He has received the Citizenship Award from the Ontario Association of Professional Engineers for his "substantial contribution to humanity." He lives in Toronto.

Tony O'Donohue's profile page