In the 1990s, Ontario's provincial government downloaded significant responsibilities to municipalities without corresponding revenue transfers, fundamentally changing municipal finance and service delivery. Downloaded services included social assistance administration, social housing, public health, land ambulance, and portions of highway maintenance. While some costs were subsequently uploaded back to the province, downloading increased property tax burdens and municipal responsibilities for income-redistributive programs better suited to provincial funding. The downloading era created lasting fiscal pressures municipalities continue addressing. Ontario's experience illustrates how provincial decisions can dramatically affect municipal operations and demonstrates why municipal associations monitor proposed changes to provincial-municipal service arrangements.