New wards get names
Thu, December 22, 2005
By JOE BELANGER, FREE PRESS CITY HALL REPORTER
A citizens' group that won the first round in its battle to redraw London's
electoral boundaries will present a new version of its 14-ward map -- with names
for each ward -- at a meeting today.
The proposed ward names are a mouthful. Almost all include the names of three
neighbourhoods, such as Hamilton-Glen Cairn-Rowntree and Old North-University-Cherryhill.
The Ontario Municipal Board hearing that could shake London's political
landscape gets underway today with the city seeking a delay and the citizens'
group Imagine London hoping for a decision.
"The city doesn't want an order issued before Dec. 31, so I don't expect a lot
of co-operation," Sam Trosow of Imagine London said yesterday.
"Not only has the city not co-operated, but they've taken every measure possible
to stop this hearing from happening."
City councillors and staff declined to comment on the hearing.
The city is seeking leave to appeal the Nov. 22 decision by OMB member Douglas
Gates telling the city to scrap its seven two-councillor wards in favour of 14
single-councillor wards like those sought by Imagine London and backed by a
petition signed by nearly 1,000 people.
Gates issued the preliminary order after four days of hearings in October, at
which advocates for change argued the existing wards split communities such as
downtown and Old East Village and stretched councillors over too wide an area.
In his decision, Gates found the city's seven electoral wards "undermined city
council's ability to connect with citizens."
Gates also criticized the city's response to citizens who, in 2003, voted to
abolish board of control and reduce council's size.
Gates directed that city staff, Trosow and University of Western Ontario
professor Andrew Sancton produce a ward map based on one designed by city
officials, but incorporating some elements of Imagine London's design, including
communities of interest.
To date, the city has refused to meet with Imagine London while Sancton said he
won't participate without broader public input.
Gates said in his ruling that if the city and Imagine London are unable to agree
on boundaries, he would make the changes.
Along with naming each ward, Imagine London has altered some of the boundaries
on the map it will present to the OMB today.
Many of the proposed changes, Trosow said, are minor "squaring off" of
boundaries with a few wards virtually identical to those proposed by the city
and the citizens' group.
The number of voters in each of the proposed wards ranges from a low of 19,882
in the ward of Byron-Lambeth-Riverbend to a high of 30,600 in White
Oaks-Lockwood Park-Cleardale.
The average number of voters per ward is 25,000. Variances of up to 25 per cent
are considered acceptable.
"We're going to present something which we believe complies with the order,"
Trosow said.
PROPOSED WARD NAMES
1. Hamilton-Glen Cairn- Rowntree
2. Argyle-Crumlin-Trafalgar
3. Huron Heights-Kilally-Fanshawe
4. East London-Carling-Bellwoods
5. Stoneybrook-Uplands-Northridge
6. Old North-University-Cherryhill
7. Hyde Park-Medway-Whitehills
8. Oakridge-Kensal Park
9. Byron-Lambeth-Riverbend
10. Westmount-Norton Estates-Glendale
11. Old South-Coves-Southcrest
12. White Oaks-Lockwood Park-Cleardale
13. Downtown-Blackfriars-Oxford Park
14. Jackson-Pond Mills-Westminster