Reviewing Vaughan’s five wards

The City of Vaughan is undertaking a comprehensive review of the city’s five ward boundaries. The objective of the Ward Boundary Review is to assess whether Vaughan’s present wards are continuing to provide effective, equitable and democratic representation. Public input is a vital part of this process. There are a number of ways to get involved and join the conversation – including an online survey. Participate until Friday, Jan. 22, 2021 to help define priorities for the City as the review begins. Learn more at vaughan.ca/WardBoundary. 

Over the last decade, Vaughan’s population has grown by more than 28 per cent. However, the growth has not been uniform across the community and has resulted in population disparity among the five wards. With this Ward Boundary Review, the City is moving forward with its long-standing commitment of ensuring all areas of the municipality are represented fairly and accurately so citizen’s voices and needs are reflected in Council decision-making. This review is limited to consideration of the five ward boundaries, not the Mayor or Regional Councillors.

In completing the review, the suitability of the present or proposed wards using the following guiding principles will be evaluated, all in accordance with the Direction for Ward Boundary and Council Composition Review presented to Council in May 2020:

• representation by population
• consideration of current and future population trends
• consideration of physical and natural boundaries
• consideration of communities of interest
• effective representation 

Effective representation has become an integral part of the evaluation of electoral systems in Canada. It will serve as an evaluation and will address questions such as:

• Are the individual wards proposed reasonable and clear 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 a Councillor’s constituents successfully?
• Do the wards constitute a system that can be judged to deliver effective representation even if some of the specific principles are only partially successful? 

Although the municipality began with all Members of Vaughan Council elected at-large, a ward system – a geographical division of a city or town for administrative and political purposes – was established in 1985. The configuration was modified in an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), now known as the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, order in 1994 from three wards electing a total of five Councillors to five wards each electing one Councillor. Vaughan’s current system of representation consists of a nine-member Council, composed of the Mayor as the Head of Council, three Local and Regional Councillors (elected at-large) and five City Councillors (each representing one ward). Based on a decision made by York Regional Council, Vaughan will elect a fourth Regional Councillor in the 2022 municipal election. Some minor boundary changes were approved before the 2000 and 2006 municipal elections, however, Vaughan’s current five wards have been in place without significant change since 2009. In 2016, an independent boundary review brought an alternative configuration to Council, but it was not adopted. 

The City of Vaughan values the voice of the public and is dedicated to having constructive dialogue with the community that is open, transparent, accessible and inclusive. The City is also committed to involving citizens, businesses and stakeholders in conversations about municipal decisions that interest and/or impact them, including the Ward Boundary Review. Input collected through the online public survey will help to define priorities for the review. 

Additional public engagement opportunities planned for the new year include:

• a series of virtual open houses for citizens to observe, learn and raise questions about the review. Multiple sessions are scheduled to take place from Monday, Jan. 11 to Friday, Jan. 15. Dates and times will be made available on the project’s webpage once confirmed.
• a second online survey to go live in March 2021, when citizens will have the opportunity to assist in identifying which ward boundary alternatives make the most sense. Maps of alternative ward boundaries will also be shared with the public for consideration and comment. 

To receive up-to-date and relevant information on this project, citizens can also  sign up for the email distribution list by contacting wardboundary@vaughan.ca. 

Feedback gathered in this phase of the review will be compared to current population trends and legal constraints. A summary report will be sent to Council in May 2021. In June, Council will review and determine whether to adjust, divide or dissolve the city’s existing ward boundaries. If changes are required, confirmation will be made well ahead of the next municipal election in 2022. 

The Ward Boundary Review supports the City of Vaughan’s 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan priority of governance and fiscal responsibility through commitment to holding the public’s trust with inclusive, transparent and accountable decision-making, responsible financial management, superior service delivery and effective communication. 

For more information or to participate in the survey, visit vaughan.ca/WardBoundary. 

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