Ward Boundaries for Toronto

The Toronto Ward Boundary Review, 2014-2016

Before Bill 5, Better Local Government Act came into force and established the City’s 25 wards, Toronto City Council had approved a new 47 ward model based on a ward boundary review.

The Toronto Ward Boundary Review took place between 2014 and 2017. An independent consultant reviewed Toronto’s Ward Boundaries to:

• ensure everyone in Toronto is fairly represented at City Council;
• make sure the number of people in each ward is similar;
• preserve communities of interest and neighbourhoods within the city; and
• consider each ward’s history and physical or natural features.

The Final Report on Toronto’s new ward boundary options was considered by City Council at its meeting on November 8 and 9, 2016, where Council voted in favour of a 47 ward boundary option.

• Council decision on item EX18.2 on Toronto Ward Boundary Review

Why Was a Ward Boundary Review Done?

City Council voted to conduct the Review because Toronto’s population had grown significantly since the last Review in 2000. Some city wards had grown 30 per cent to 45 per cent above the average ward population. The City was concerned that the value of a resident’s vote may not be equal across all wards if this trend continued.

An independent team of consultants was hired by the City to conduct the Toronto Ward Boundary Review to ensure the process was not influenced by political interests. The Consultants ran 3 rounds of public consultations in the development of the ward boundary options and final recommendations to City Council over a 2.5 year process (detailed in the table below).

What the Toronto Ward Boundary Review Was Not

The Toronto Ward Boundary Review did not cover:

• how municipal government is organized (e.g. whether there should be political parties or whether there should be more community representation);
• how people vote, who votes, or how good a job a Councillor is doing; or
• how City departments operate.