Frequently Asked Questions

A ward is a geographical division of a city or town for administrative or political purposes.

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. Whitchurch-Stouffville’s system of representation consists of a seven-member Council, composed of a Mayor and six elected Councillors (each representing one ward.)

The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville was established under provincial legislation at the beginning of 1971. The original ward boundaries were reviewed and adjusted in 2009 <link to ward map> and have not been modified since. 

During the 2009 review, however, Whitchurch-Stouffville Council approved a policy for the Town (Administrative Policy No. 61) establishing that future electoral ward boundary reviews shall occur after every three municipal elections. Since 2009, there have been three election cycles (2010, 2014 and 2018.) 

Additionally, Whitchurch-Stouffville’s population has grown by almost xx% since 2009. Growth has not been uniform and has been concentrated in the major urban settlement area (Stouffville.) This all means that there is a significant variation in the population between wards. 

See the Clerk’s Report CS-005-20, March 3, 2020 for more information. <link to the report> The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville aspires to a ward system that represents each of its residents equally.

Whitchurch-Stouffville’s council makes important decisions about the Municipality that impact your daily life. Councillors in Whitchurch-Stouffville are elected in separate wards. 

A successful ward system should ensure that all areas of the Municipality are represented fairly and accurately so that your voice and needs are reflected in Council decision making. The ward boundary review is being completed to ensure that the electoral system in Whitchurch-Stouffville functions in a way that is representative of the entire community.

The objective of the WBR is to ensure that residents benefit from an effective and equitable system of representation. This will be achieved by evaluating the suitability of the present or proposed wards using these guiding principles, in accordance with Whitchurch-Stouffville‘s Electoral Ward Boundary Review Policy:

• communities of Interest and neighbourhoods including the unique rural/urban nature of the municipality 
• present and future population trends (to strike a balance)
• physical features as natural boundaries (clear, contiguous, and easily recognizable)
• representation by population (based on geography and varying population densities)

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 will serve as a kind of summary evaluation built around the 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 to deliver effective representation even if some of the specific principles are only partially successful?

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, 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, considering all these factors constitutes the “overriding” principle of effective representation.

The Municipality has retained Watson and Associates Economists Ltd. and Dr. Robert Williams to conduct a comprehensive and independent WBR through a process established by Council (CS-005-20.) <link to the report and Backgrounder>. 

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 Whitchurch-Stouffville and design alternatives consistent with the guiding principles.