What is a Ward?
A ward is a geographical division of a city or town for administrative or political purposes.
What is a Ward Boundary Review?
A Ward Boundary Review (WBR) is a task conducted on behalf of a municipality to assess whether the present wards constitute an effective and equitable system of representation and, if not, to propose alternatives. Pickering’s system of representation consists of a seven-member Council, composed of a Mayor and six Councillors, two representing each of the three wards, one a Regional Councillor and one a City Councillor.
Why did Pickering conduct a Ward Boundary Review?
The City of Pickering was established under provincial legislation at the beginning of 1974. The present ward boundaries have not been modified since 1982 with one exception, a minor adjustment in 2005. See the Interactive Ward Map.
Despite being familiar to many Pickering residents, the wards themselves should be seen as “temporary” not permanent: wards normally have a limited lifespan since they are designed to capture the distribution of population at a given time. When that population distribution changes, the wards should change, meaning that the collections of identifiable neighbourhoods and communities within the City should be regrouped to achieve a more equitable ward system.
When Pickering was created, the population was less than 40,000; in 2020 it is approximately 92,000 and will grow by a further 40,000 – 50,000 by 2030, primarily in the present Ward 3. Moreover the population growth has not been uniform across the City and future growth will be concentrated in the northern parts of the City.
What does the Ward Boundary Review mean for me?
Pickering’s Council makes important decisions about the City that impact your daily life. The City is responsible for Fire Services, Community Centres, an Official Plan for land uses within the City, standards for property maintenance, the maintenance of playgrounds, boulevards and green space plus much more.
A successful ward system should ensure that all areas of the municipality are represented in such a way that your voice and needs are reflected fairly and accurately in council decision making on these and other topics.
What was considered in the Ward Boundary Review?
The objective of the WBR was to ensure that residents benefit from an effective and equitable system of representation. One preliminary question will be to confirm whether having three City Councillors (the same number as when Pickering’s population was under 40,000) is sufficient from a democratic perspective to provide effective representation to a City twice that size and growing.
The WBR began by evaluating the suitability of the present wards using the guiding principles established in the Terms of Reference for Pickering’s Ward Boundary Review and applied the principles to all proposed alternatives.
Terms of Reference
1. Representation by Population
2. Protection of Communities of Interest
3. Current and Future Population Trends
4. Physical Features as Natural Boundaries
5. Effective Representation
No ward system design can uniformly meet all the guiding principles since some criteria may work at cross-purposes to one another. As well, different observers will prioritize certain principles over others. Ultimately, the final ward design should be the one that best fulfills as many of the guiding principles as possible.
Effective representation served as a kind of summary evaluation built around the other four principles. For example,
- Are the individual wards proposed plausible and coherent units of representation?
- Do they provide equitable access to councillors for residents of the municipality?
- Are the proposed wards of a size, scale, and shape that a representative can serve her or his constituents successfully?
In sum, do the wards constitute a system that can be judged on balance to deliver effective representation even if some of the specific principles are only partially successful?
What is Effective Representation?
The concept of “effective representation” has become an integral part of the evaluation of electoral systems in Canada.
To help ensure that a municipal council effectively represents the population of the community within the limits imposed by the social and natural environment, it is important to make voter parity (“representation by population”) a priority but also to consider other important factors, including geography, community history, community interests and minority representation. According to the Supreme Court of Canada, all these factors contribute to meaningful on-going representation after the election which is captured in the “overriding” principle of effective representation. When a Councillor casts a vote around the council table, each one should be reflecting roughly the same number of the City’s residents.
Who conducted the Pickering Ward Boundary Review?
The City retained Watson and Associates Economists Ltd. and Dr. Robert Williams to conduct a comprehensive and independent WBR through a process established by Council (see CLK 05-19.)
Together the consultant team has conducted over twenty ward boundary reviews in Ontario. They will use their experience to assess the present electoral arrangements in Pickering and design alternatives consistent with the guiding principles.
Timeline of the Ward Boundary Review
Discovery - December 2019
First, the consultants will gather information on the present ward system from interviews with municipal staff and elected officials, and compile data on the present and projected population.
Development - Fall 2020/Winter 2020
The consultants will assess the present ward boundaries and develop alternative designs.
Engagement - October 2020 and Spring 2021
Public consultation is essential for the review process to be legitimate and effective, by allowing the community to provide input on the current and proposed ward boundary structures:
- Public consultation sessions (i.e. open houses) will be held virtually to advise the public and gain their feedback.
Surveys will be available during the sessions, as well as on this website
Approval / Adoption - June 2021
A final report was submitted to Council, who will:
- determine how members of council are elected (i.e. in wards or at-large); and,
- adopt a by-law divide, redivide or dissolve existing wards.
Reconsideration (if required) - November 2021
Municipal electors may appeal ward boundary decisions to the Ontario Land Tribunal once a by-law has been adopted.
Who should I contact for more information about the Ward Boundary Review
Email: clerks@pickering.ca
Phone: 905.420.4611
