More Information

• The Town of Grimsby has not had an independent review and a broad-based public consultation on its ward boundaries in 27 years, since 1993.
• Ward boundaries often have their roots in history. They often reflect where the population lived and how big it was at the time the boundaries were first drawn.
• Communities grow and evolve, and as population grows, it is common that wards grow at a different rate, which can throw the population of wards out of balance. 
• The object of the Review is to ensure that Grimsby’s ward boundaries, electoral structure, and Council structure continue to provide a system “effective representation” for all residents.

Grimsby has a Council of nine (9) members.

• There is a Mayor who is elected at large.  That means every voter in Grimsby is entitled to vote for the Mayor.
• There are eight councillors who are elected by ward from the Town’s four wards. 
• Each ward elects two councillors.

Under Ontario Law, a municipality may review and set the size of its council and method of election within certain rules set out in the Municipal Act, including:

1. Council must have at least 5 members including the head of council (e.g., the Mayor).
2. The head of council must be elected at-large, meaning every voter in the municipality gets to vote for the mayor.
3. Councillors may be elected in one of three ways:

There is no right or wrong answer about what system is best and a municipality may consider a variety of factors in determining how its Councillors are elected. All three systems are used by municipalities across Ontario, and they each have there own advantages.

Advantages of a ward system may include:

• May ensure representation from diverse areas
• Simplified election process for voters and candidates
• Efficient division of responsibilities among Councillors
• Councillors likely to be accessible and knowledgeable about local issues

Advantages of an at-large system may include:

• May encourage a broader, municipality-wide view
• Voters have a broader choice of candidates
• All councillors potentially interested in a resident issue (not always a positive)
• Reduced likelihood of acclamations

• Local governments are often divided into smaller geographic areas called “wards.”   
• Today, Grimsby is divided into four (4) wards. The map shows the current ward boundaries.
• Grimsby elects 8 of its councillors by ward; and
• Uses wards to organize the delivery of some services.
• Municipalities are always changing, and ward populations go up or down as people move in or out of the community.
• For that reason, wards need to up-dated from time to time.

Here is a current map of Grimsby's four (4) wards

“Effective representation” as set out by the Supreme Court of Canada in Reference re Provincial Electoral Boundaries establishes the following guiding principles:

1. Representation by Population: wards should have relatively equal population totals. However, a degree of variation is acceptable given differences in geography and population densities as well as the town’s characteristics;
2. Population and Electoral Trends: consider anticipated population increases/decreases so that ward sizes will be balanced for up to three terms of Council;
3. Means of Communication and Accessibility: group existing neighbourhoods into wards that reflect current transportation and communication patterns;
4. Geographic and Topographical Features: use geographical and topographical features to delineate ward boundaries while keeping wards compact and easy to understand; and,
5. Community or Diversity of Interests: as far as possible, ward boundaries should be drawn around recognized settlement areas, traditional neighbourhoods and community groupings – not through them.

Your local government, the Town of Grimsby, provides you and your community with services that are important to everyday life.

• Emergency Management
• Land use planning
• Road Maintenance
• Garbage and Recycling
• Water
• Building permits and inspections
• Economic Development
• Parks, Arenas and Recreation