SASKATOON — Saskatoon is already preparing for the upcoming municipal and school board elections in the fall of 2024. As part of the early planning process, the city is initiating a review of the boundaries for its ten existing wards to ensure equitable population distribution by The Cities Act. Ward boundary reviews must be finalized 180 days before a general municipal election.
In the autumn of 2022, the city administration informed the Council that Ward 2 and Ward 7 currently exceed the allowable 10 per cent population variance threshold prescribed by The Cities Act, necessitating a ward boundary review.
To undertake this crucial task, the Municipal Wards Commission has been established by the Municipal Wards Commission Bylaw. The Commission comprises King's Bench Justice Richard Danyliuk, Professor Dr. Kathy Walker from the University of Saskatchewan's Political Studies department and City Clerk Adam Tittemore.
The Municipal Wards Commission is now entering the public engagement phase of the ward boundary review process. The first public engagement session has been scheduled to solicit feedback on various options for reconfiguring ward boundaries.
The Commission has carefully considered factors such as current density, projected population growth, geographic constraints, the need for minimal disruption, preservation of communities of interest and maintaining neighbourhood boundaries in developing three options for potential ward boundary changes.
Public participation is crucial as ward boundary adjustments could impact the community associations residents belong to or the city councillors they have been represented by. Residents are urged to attend the engagement session, provide feedback, review the existing boundaries and the three proposed options, and familiarize themselves with Saskatoon's projected growth areas.
The first public engagement session is on June 20, Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Saskatoon City Hall’s Committee Room E with the entrance at the corner of 4th Avenue and 23rd Street East. Public parking is available in the City Hall staff lot after 6:00 p.m.
For those unable to attend in person, Saskatoon residents can also share their feedback through an online survey at saskatoon.ca/engage/ward-boundaries, participate in in-person sessions, email or letter to the City Clerk's office, or submit their comments in a designated box in the City Hall lobby.
City Hall has been chosen for the in-person engagement session due to its central location, ensuring accessibility for all affected wards.
In September, a second engagement session will be held following a thorough review of the feedback received during the first session and the engagement process. The Municipal Wards Commission will establish new ward boundaries and submit its report to the City Council in the autumn of 2023.
The new ward boundaries resulting from this review will be in effect for the City of Saskatoon's municipal elections and the School Board trustee elections scheduled for November 2024.
For additional information, please visit saskatoon.ca/wardboundaries or contact 306-975-3240.
