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The City of Toronto's Ward Boundary Review has culminated in a report recommending the creation of three new municipal wards, bringing the amalgamated City's number of constituencies up to 47. Of the City's 44 existing wards, 38 could see some degree of restructuring, with 6 wards—1, 2, 6, 10, 11, and 35—set to retain their existing boundaries. Most remaining wards see their boundaries slightly shifted, while two parts of the City—including Downtown—see new wards added, though the area immediately north and west of Downtown is reconfigured with fewer wards.
In Downtown Toronto, three new wards could be added, doubling the existing constituencies to reflect unprecedented urban growth. East of Bathurst, Wards 20, 27, and 28 are effectively divided in two, with surrounding ward boundaries altered to accommodate more equal representation. West and north of Downtown, however, a reshaping of ward boundaries sees Ward 17 (Davenport) most significantly altered. With neighbouring wards reconfigured to fill parts of Ward 17's existing area, the number of wards neighbouring Downtown to the west and north would be reduced from 7 to 6.
North of Highway 401, meanwhile the area between the Humber River and Victoria Park Avenue is also redrawn with 8 recommended wards, replacing the 7 that currently exist. In this part of the City, Ward 23 (Willowdale), grew an astounding 11.6% in five years (2006-2011), with over 88,000 residents in the constituency. By comparison, many other wards throughout Toronto have retained a fairly static population. For example, Ward 29 (Toronto-Danforth) grew at a rate of 0.2% in the same period, maintaining a population of approximately 45,000 residents. With these disparities in mind, revised ward boundaries are necessary to create more equitable political representation.
The City's 22 former provincial ridings were each divided in two to create Toronto's current ward structure (below) over 15 years ago. Since then, however, uneven rates of population growth have contributed to growing disparity in political representation. While many parts of Toronto have experienced little to no population change, pockets of intense growth (including Downtown) have seen some wards swell to as much as 45% above the City average.
The recommendations are presented in 'Draw the Lines,' a third-party report prepared by the Canadian Urban Institute—in collaboration with Beate Bowron Etcetera Inc., the Davidson Group, and Thomas Ostler—and come as the culmination of a thorough research and consultation process. Drawing on extensive research, two rounds of public consultation, and a series of refinements, the suggested ward boundaries entail a relatively limited disruption of the City's political landscape.
Indeed, of the five options presented last year, the recommended approach is a refinement iteration of the "minimal change" option. Compared to other proposed configurations (which called for as many as 58 and as few as 38 wards, with varying commitments to population equilibrium), the preferred option maintains the general structure of existing representation, along with an average population of 61,000 residents per ward.
The reconfiguration of ward boundaries comes as a natural part of the City's growth and evolution, as variable rates of population growth necessitate occasional changes to maintain equitable representation. In this case, the new ward boundaries help create a more balanced political landscape. (The "minimal change" option emerged as the preferred public choice during consultations, and was also reasonably well received among City Councillors).
Although the recommended approach attempts to limit cutting through existing neighbourhoods, new boundaries nonetheless risk dividing populations and interests, thereby diluting their influence as a voting block. While Davenport residents may feel aggrieved at their Ward's partial dissolution, the new ward structure also threatens the political influence of Regent Park. As urban issues blogger Sean Marhsall points out on Twitter, the proposed boundaries cut Regent Park in two, threatening the political influence of one Toronto's historically marginalized—and politically overlooked—neighbourhoods.
However, the new ward boundaries likely come as good news for Downtown. In a city organized to structurally favour suburban voting interests, equitable representation for Downtown voters can help urban issues take a more central place in municipal politics. As reported in the Toronto Star, Ward 20 Councillor Joe Cressy has noted that Ward 20 alone "currently includes 15 Business Improvement Areas, [and] 92 active development proposals." In dividing Downtown wards, more thorough attention can be given to the City's growing core, where the current structure leaves Downtown Councillors facing comparatively overwhelming workloads.
With the report now submitted, the City's Executive Committee will assess the recommendations during the May 24th meeting, in advance of a full Council review. We will keep you updated as the proposed ward restructuring works its way through City Hall. Since the City's failure to act could result in ward restructuring being undertaken by the OMB, we can expect to see the issue progress over the coming weeks.
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