Final day to comment on ward boundaries
The city is done collecting public feedback on a proposal to change the electoral ward boundaries in Peterborough.
Starting early this summer, the city held a series of drop-in meetings where citizens could get more information.
The last meeting was held on Thursday evening in the lobby of City Hall, and wasn’t very well attended: only two citizens showed up.
But there were several other meetings over the summer, and city election co-ordinator Ryan McVeigh said others were far better attended.
He said the city collected roughly 80 written responses to the proposal to change the ward boundaries; most people filled out a survey online.
That survey is still available until the end of the day Friday on the city’s website, for anyone who still wants to weigh in, at www. peterborough.ca/News/Ward_ Boundary_Review.htm.
The idea is to determine whether boundaries between wards ought to change in time for the next municipal election in October 2018.
Over the years, the wards have experienced population growth - and in time, some wards may become far more populous than others.
For example, Town Ward - the smallest, which includes the downtown - is expected to be 25 per cent less populous than highgrowth Monaghan Ward within a decade.
Keeping the number of electors equalized in each ward is needed to ensure effective representation from councillors, says the city’s website.
City staff has come up with three different options for redrawing the boundaries.
Based on public feedback, city staff is expected to recommend a preferred option to city council at the end of this month.
McVeigh said that public opinion has been varied, but two options are emerging as the people’s favourites. More detail will be available when the recommendations are made to council, he said.
Here’s an overview of the three options (see more detail on the city’s website):
• Option A:
Extends Town Ward west beyond the current boundary of Park St. S. (between Parkhill Rd. W. and Sherbrooke St.) to take in Peterborough Regional Health Centre and area.
• Option B:
Extends Town Ward south of Lansdowne St. W. to the river, taking in the neighbourhood sometimes referred to as the old south end. This option also shears off a piece of Monaghan Ward, north of Sherbrooke St., and gives it to Otonabee Ward.
• Option C:
Same as option B, but also pushes the east boundary of Monaghan Ward further east, to Chemong Rd. (north of Parkhill Rd. W.).