Turns out boundary reviews are not just for education as the Town of Oakville now looks to reshape the political map by holding a special council meeting to consider new boundaries because of growing inequity of population in the existing six wards.
Explosive growth within areas in Oakville have caused various pressure prompting Cathy Duddeck, Ward 2 Town and Regional Councillor to ask council members to consider ensuring new boundaries have the ideal 17 per cent total electorate in a ward.
The latest 2010 election found some wards below that (i.e. Ward 1 and 2 were 12 per cent, and Ward 3 and Ward 6 were 15 per) but some far exceed that ideal number (i.e. Ward 4 was 28 per cent and Ward 5 had 18 per cent).
The numbers in north Oakville are only going to make these discrepancies greater.
Like any boundary review, there are a number of options being considered:
Option 1 – make 2 wards south of the QEW and 4 wards in the north (dividing West Oak Trails, River Oaks and the Uptown Core).
Option 2 - make 3 wards south and 3 wards north of Upper Middle Road (dividing Glen Abbey and downtown Oakville).
Option 3- Ward 3 remains as is but Ward 2, Ward 1 and 2 would have their north boundary to Upper Middle Road (dividing downtown Oakville along Sixteen Mile Creek and Glen Abbey across 2 wards).
Option 4 – similar to Option 3 but with some differences for the boundaries of the western wards (it also divides downtown Oakville along Sixteen Mile Creek and spreads Glen Abbey over 2 wards). This option also includes west Glen Abbey in a ward entirely north of the QEW.
Let us know what you think about these proposed boundary changes.
