SASKATOON — Saskatoon is in the early stages of planning for the upcoming municipal and school boards' elections, scheduled for the fall of 2024. One of the initial steps in this process is to assess the boundaries of the city's ten current wards, ensuring that they have similar population numbers as required by The Cities Act.
In autumn 2022, the city administration informed the Council that Ward 2 and Ward 7 exceeded the allowable 10 per cent population variance threshold set by The Cities Act, thus triggering a review of the ward boundaries. The Ward Boundary Commission was established in response according to The Municipal Wards Commission Bylaw. The Commission comprises King's Bench Justice Richard Danyliuk, University of Saskatchewan Political Studies Professor Dr. Kathy Walker, and City Clerk Adam Tittemore.
The Ward Boundary Commission has now entered the public engagement phase of the ward boundary review process. The first public engagement session will be held on Tuesday, June 20, at City Hall's Committee Room E, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. During this session, public members are invited to provide general feedback on various options for reconfiguring the ward boundaries.
To attend the session, please use entrance #1 at the corner of 4th Ave and 23rd Street East. Public parking will be available in the City Hall staff lot after 6:00 p.m.
The Municipal Wards Commission will present three options for changes to the ward boundaries and seek feedback from the public. In their recommendations, the Commission has considered factors such as current density, projected population growth, geographic obstacles, minimizing disruption, preserving communities of interest, and maintaining neighbourhood boundaries.
The alteration of ward boundaries to ensure compliance with the legislated population range may impact the Community Association you belong to or the city councillor you have been represented by until now - we understand the significance of this to residents.
Saskatoon residents also have the option to provide feedback online through a brief survey at saskatoon.ca/engage/ward-boundaries. Additionally, feedback can be submitted in person at designated sessions, via email or postal mail to the City Clerk's office, or by dropping off a submission in a comment box in the City Hall lobby. City Hall was chosen as the venue for the in-person engagement session due to its central location, which is accessible to all affected wards.
In September, a second engagement session will be held after reviewing the feedback received during the first session and the engagement process. Following this, the Municipal Wards Commission will establish new ward boundaries and submit its report to the City Council in the autumn of 2023.
Ward boundary reviews must be completed 180 days before a general municipal election. The new ward boundaries will be in effect for the City of Saskatoon municipal elections and the School Board trustee elections in November 2024.
For further information, please visit saskatoon.ca/wardboundaries or call 306-975-3240.
