Town Ward to expand

City report on ward boundaries calls for part of Monaghan Ward to be added to Town Ward

City staff will recommend council change the city’s ward structure during Monday night’s committee of the whole meeting.

Council asked staff to carry out public consultations and prepare a report examining the boundaries of the city’s five wards earlier this year for the October 2018 municipal election. This included survey cards, written responses and three formal public sessions between July and September.

The request was made to address an imbalance in ward population counts. Town Ward had 12,617 residents in 2016, fewer than the others: Monaghan (21,316), Northcrest (16,728), Ashburnham (15,376) and Otonabee (14,995).

The staff report recommends that, based on current population counts and projections over the next decade – the population is projected to hit 96,372 by 2026, changes should be made.

The report recommends Option A, one of two proposed realignments, with staff stating that it “provides the most immediate and equitable distribution of population between wards in the short term.”

The plan would extend Town Ward north of Sherbrooke Street and south of Parkhill Road west from Monaghan Road to Wallis Drive, taking part of Monaghan Ward. Otonabee, Ashburnham and Northcrest wards would remain unchanged.

Option A would bring ward population counts closer in line; previously, Town Ward had fewer residents than the other four. Under option A, Monaghan Ward would be the largest ward, and Otonabee the smallest.

The realignment would mean some residents of Monaghan Ward would be “moved” into Town Ward, something staff say was considered a positive by some residents. Meanwhile, others expressed concern about being moved out of Otonabee Ward into Town Ward as per another proposal.

That realignment also keeps the connection between the Old West End and Town Ward, something staff say came up as one of the top factors in the public consultations.

The Peterborough Regional Health Centre would become part of Town Ward under option A.

The city has five geographic wards: O to na bee( Ward 1), Mon ag han( Ward 2), Town (Ward 3), Ashburnham (Ward 4) and Northcrest (Ward 5). Some have changed in size over the years as the city has expanded to the north, west and east; Ashburnham Ward, for instance, grew to include the former Cold Springs area in 2013, and Northcrest expanded when the city annexed part of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield near Fairbairn Street and Towerhill Road in 2008.

New developments are also taking shape along Lily Lake Road, Chemong Road, Parkhill Road and Television Road, further adding to the population of Northcrest, Monaghan and Ashburnham wards.

Town Ward, meanwhile, has stayed the same, limited by its location in the heart of the city, surrounded by the other four wards.

City ward boundaries were last reviewed in 2010. No change was made. Two councillors are elected for each ward every four years.

Council will discuss the report Monday beginning at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Check The Examiner’s website for a live blog from The

Examiner’s Joelle Kovach, and streaming video.