10-Ward Boundary System Approved

• On August 24, 2009 City Council passed By-law 133-2009 to redivide the existing wards into 10 wards in the City of Windsor with one-member representation in each ward. 
• This by-law takes effect on the day the new council of the City of Windsor is organized following the regular municipal election in 2010.  The regular municipal election scheduled for 2010 shall be conducted as if this by-law was already in force. 
• Learn more about the newly approved ward boundaries.

Background

On December 8, 2008, City Council approved CR497/2008 with a recommendation for a full comprehensive ward boundary review to be undertaken in the City Windsor with the assistance of a consultant.

CR497/2008,

That the City Clerk BE DIRECTED that a full comprehensive Ward Boundary Review BE UNDERTAKEN which could result either in the creation of new ward boundaries or the dissolution of the existing ward boundaries for the 2010 election, and a possible change in the representation of council members.  Such a review would be undertaken with the assistance of a Consultant and the project would have an allocated budget of $50,000.00 to be funded from the unallocated 2009 balance as a pre-commitment to the 2009 Budget. In this option, the City Clerk would be directed to engage a Consultant pursuant to the provisions of the Purchasing By-law, and, the Chief Administrative Officer and General Manager would be directed to execute a contract for such consulting services satisfactory in technical content to the City Clerk, in financial content to the City Treasurer and in legal form to the City Solicitor.

Since that time, CAO report #1084 authorized Council Services Department to engage the services of Dr. Robert Williams, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo to provide the consulting services required to direct an independent review of the City’s ward boundaries.  Dr. Williams specializes in municipal affairs, Ontario politics and electoral systems.

Objective

To conduct a comprehensive review of the municipal ward boundaries in the City of Windsor in order to arrive at an effective and equitable system of representation. Insofar as possible, the review should accommodate for growth in the City for at least the next 10 years. The revised ward structure is to be in place for the 2010 municipal election.

Parameters

The review will be conducted within the following parameters:

• Respect the principle of "effective representation" as enunciated by the Supreme Court in its decision on the Carter case;
• Build from the experience gained through other municipal ward boundary reviews and the outcome of OMB hearings in those cases where a review has been appealed (Best Practices);
• Insofar as possible, develop a ward structure that will accommodate growth and population shifts for at least 10 years;
• Conduct all steps in the work program including research, public consultation, review of options with the public and provisions for a final report and recommendations to Council no later than July 2009.

Guiding Principles

Subject to the overriding principle of "effective representation" as set out in the Carter decision, the following criteria will be referred to for guidance in the conduct of the review:

• Communities of interest and neighbourhoods: It is desirable to avoid fragmenting traditional neighbourhoods or communities of interest within the City;
• Consideration of representation by population: To the extent possible, and bearing in mind the requirements for effective representation, wards should have reasonably equal population totals. Given the geography and varying population densities and characteristics in the City of Windsor, a degree of variation will be acceptable;
• Consideration of present and future population trends: Insofar as possible, the ward structure should accommodate growth for at least 10 years;
• Consideration of physical features as natural boundaries: Wards should have a coherent, contiguous shape and the boundaries should be straightforward and easy to remember.

Office of the City Clerk
Room 203
350 City Hall Square West
Windsor, Ontario
Canada
N9A 6S1

Phone:  For general election information, call 311.  For detailed election inquiries, please call (519) 255-6285
Fax:  (519) 255-6868
Email:  clerks@city.windsor.on.ca