I would say that my experience in three Ontario universities has been that it's less about being in a major city than it is the track record of that institution in terms of grants. The people who sit on granting agencies and review grants—as I have—are successful researchers. They have typically come from U15 schools traditionally. That expanded out to include more and more institutions as they became successful.
As you saw Toronto Metropolitan University—formerly Ryerson—become a university and come into its own, it won win more and more grants in time. I'm seeing the same thing at Ontario Tech. You have to prove yourself, establish yourself in larger partnerships, and then lead those partnerships, etc.
It's a long process to get to the top. It's not always the most efficient process. It's not always, to speak to Michelle Rempel Garner's question, based on the merits of who can do the work the most effectively as much as it is who's traditionally done the work.
It is really important to note that each university has its own niches it excels in. In my view, it's to be able to target those areas where it indeed can perform to its highest capacity.