Ward Boundary Review

The City of Barrie is currently undergoing a comprehensive review of its ward boundaries. This review is being conducted by Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. to help the City Council decide whether to keep the current ward structure or adopt a new one.

Why is this Review Important?

The main goal of the review is to ensure that each ward in Barrie has a balanced population, which is crucial for fair and effective representation in the municipal government. This is especially important as Barrie's population continues to grow and change.

A Brief History of Barrie's Electoral System

• 1870: Barrie was incorporated as a Town.
• 1959: Barrie became a City.
• 1982: Barrie has been governed by a council of 11 members (10 councillors and the Mayor elected at-large).
• 1995: The current 10-ward system was established, with one councillor elected from each ward.
• 2013: The last ward boundary review was conducted to achieve greater population parity.

Impact of Population Growth

The population of Barrie has been steadily increasing, with the 2021 census reporting approximately 153,000 residents, a nearly 12% increase since the last review. This growth necessitates a review to ensure that the ward boundaries continue to provide equitable representation.

Key Discussion Papers

As part of the review, several discussion papers will be made available to residents, each addressing different aspects of the review:

• Discussion Paper A: Barrie’s Electoral System
• Discussion Paper B: What is the Optimal Size for a Municipal Council?
• Discussion Paper C: Guiding Principles to Design Wards
• Discussion Paper D: Why a Ward Boundary Review?

These papers aim to provide residents with a thorough understanding of the electoral system and the factors being considered in the review.

Current Council Composition and Ward Boundaries

Barrie is currently governed by an 11-member Council, composed of:

• one mayor, who acts as head of council;
• Ten local councillors, who are elected from each of the ten wards.

One guiding principle for this review is “representation by population," so we compared how many people currently live in each ward and identified which wards were smaller or larger than the average population.

The external consultant team conducting this review on behalf of the City discovered that in 2021 the average ward population within Barrie was about 15,200. Then we asked ourselves, “How much difference in population is acceptable?” In this analysis we suggest that a 5 per cent from the average (plus or minus) is optimal or ideal. Up to 25 per cent variation is still within the range of reasonably acceptable. A variation of more than 25 per cent is usually an indicator of imbalance that needs to be addressed.

The following table outlines the current ward system and the population size variation.

• "O" represents ward populations that are plus or minus 5% away from the optimal (average) ward population;
• "O+/O-" represents ward populations that are above/below the 5% variance but within the 25% acceptable range;
• "OR+/OR-" represents ward populations that are above/below the 25% optimal population variance.

Source: Update to Population, Housing and Employment Forecast by Traffic Zone and Small Geographic Unit, March 8, 2024.

Get Involved

Residents are encouraged to participate in the review process by reading the discussion papers and providing their feedback. This is an opportunity for the community to have a say in how their city is governed and ensure that the electoral system remains fair and effective.

How well do you know Barrie? Take the fun quiz to test your knowledge of your hometown.

Take the Ward Boundary Review Survey.

Attend an in-person consultation session:

March 18: 2:00 – 3:30 PM & 6:00 to 7:30 PM at Barrie City Hall Rotunda (1st floor, 70 Collier Street)

March 20 - 2:00 – 3:30 PM at Barrie City Hall Rotunda (1st floor, 70 Collier Street)