Stratford Electoral Boundaries Commission - Proposed Ward Boundary Map

The Stratford Electoral Boundaries Commission was formed to review the three dual wards of the Town, and make a report to Council setting out its recommendations as to the area, boundaries, and names of the three wards.

The Commission is presenting a proposed ward map for consultation. The Commission arrived at the proposed boundaries after reviewing current and projected voter registration numbers for each ward.

Table 1 below shows the actual number of voters in each ward as of February 2018. Ward 2 has the most voters, 2388, which is 10.2% higher than the average number of 2167. Ward 3 has the least number of voters, 1992, which is 8.1% less than the average number of 2167.

Table 1 - February 2018 Actuals
Voters Variance
Ward 1 2,122 -2.1%
Ward 2 2,388 10.2%
Ward 3 1,992 8.1%
Total 6,502
Average 2,167

The Town planning and administrative staff estimated the number of voters in each ward in the future, based on the projected number of dwelling units using allowed by current zoning. The current and projected number of voters is shown in the Table 2 below.

Staff based their calculation on the overall current average number of voters per dwelling unit. The projected number of voters in Ward 1 could be overstated for this reason because it is zoned for apartments which tend to be smaller and have fewer residents per dwelling. Staff were unable to say when the projected growth would take place because it is largely dictated by the market.

Table 2 - Projected Voter Growth
Current
voters		 Projected
new voters		 Projected
total voters		 Variance for
total voters
Ward 1 2,122 2,278 4,400 30.7%
Ward 2 2,388 528 2,916 -13.4%
Ward 3 1,992 793 2,785 -17.3%
Total 6,502 3,599 10,101
Average 2,167 1,200 3,367

The Stratford Town Council, in the Election Bylaw, mandates that the number of voters does not deviate more than ±10% from the average.

According to s.39 of the Municipal Government Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988 Cap. M-12.1 and s.141 of the Town’s Election Bylaw the ward boundaries shall be reviewed only after every three municipal elections. This means the ward boundaries that will be set following the review this year will not be reviewed again until after the municipal election in 2026. Therefore, the task facing the commission is to set boundaries that will, over the next 8 years, remain within the allowable variance of +10%.

While the timing and location of the above projected future growth is uncertain and while it may extend beyond the next 8 years, the trend based on the above projections is an indication that the largest growth in the number of voters over the next 8 years may well occur in Ward 1 and the least in Ward 2. To take account of this, the Commission is proposing Ward Boundaries with Ward 1 set below the average and Ward 2 above the average. Table 3 below shows the number of voters shifted from the Boundary between Ward 1 and Ward 2 and between Ward 1 and Ward 3.

Table 3 - Proposed Changes to Ward Boundaries
Added
voters		 Removed
voters		 Proposed
voters		 Variance
Ward 1 80 188 2,014 -7.1%
Ward 2 0 80 2,308 6.5%
Ward 3 188 0 2,180 0.6%
Total 6,502
Average 2,167

The proposed changes are also in the proposed Ward Boundary Map found here: Proposed Municipal Electoral Boundaries (2018). The Election Bylaw asks the commission to consider the following factors in making its recommendations for proposed boundary adjustments

  • the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
  • confirmation data from the most recent municipal and provincial elections;
  • polling divisions from the most recent municipal and provincial elections;
  • geographical features;
  • population growth and patterns;
  • community of interest;
  • provincial electoral and polling division boundaries,
  • other factors it regards as relevant.

The Stratford Electoral Boundaries Commission Commissioners,

John McQuaid - Chair, Kevin Jenkins, & Kirstin Lund

Printable version: Stratford Electoral Boundaries Commission Consultation (2018)