Political Landscape of Toronto (including Ward Boundary Review)

[Northern Light]

I mean, I guess it comes down to what the city's definition of reasonable should be. Yes, off by a few thousand for 2022. For me, as someone who shared my feelings during Ward Boundary community consultation that Ward 5 and 6 would be too over populated (even with the numbers they were predicting), to learn that in fact, we're actually even going beyond what was already on the highest end of the variance, does not sit well. We also shared that we thought their projections were off during these consolations, given the already approved development applications and UC condos at the time. We were assured that the numbers were accurate. What I'm saying is someone should be held accountable for these kinds of mistakes, or essentially "lies" during community consultation of the time.

Again, I think lies goes a step too far.

One has to remember the challenge.

In order to shrink ward 6 you have to move a portion of that ward into another. They did just that for Ward 5 in the boundary review, shifting the portion of the ward west of Highway 427 into then ward 3.

But one of the obligations they are charged with in setting up ward (or riding) boundaries is not to separate logical communities of interest if possible.

To extend the 427-based hive off southwards would logically have meant severing off the community along lakeshore west of Brown's Line; but it would be very strange to divide that community that way; and then shift those residents where?
Presumably to Ward 3 which would now look rather gerrymandered.

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Of course there are other ways to reset the ward boundaries. But assuming the Humber River was retained as a very logical eastern boundary, its not that easy to draw neat lines that keep each area in South Etobicoke +/- 15% of the target population; particularly if you're not adding yet another seat to City Council.

See if you can use census tracts to re-gig the southern Etobicoke wards in the old model or the current federal/provincial riding system any better without hiving Mimico in 1/2 or New Toronto in 1/2, or drawing all sorts of odd lines along the map.

Perhaps you can do a better job (seriously) but if you can, you ought to make a formal submission when the next federal riding adjustments are made with your plan.
In the meantime, its certainly possible to say that perhaps a better drawing of lines could have occurred; but I don't think its reasonable to assert that any lies were told or that gross incompetence was displayed based on the projections then on offer.

One last thing to note; based on a variance of only ~2,000 people, that's more or less a whopping 2 towers in the entirety of south Etobicoke.
Which certainly were not under construction at the time of this proposal. (keep in mind not every application/approval translates into a building in the near term)

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One last note, the current ward boundary has nothing to do w/Keesmaat. Its a federal riding boundary.
The Federal Riding redistribution are based on past census; not on future projections.

Speaking of which, the initial proposals are due out this spring for the next redistribution.

Here's the link to the process; https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir/red&document=index&lang=e

Once the initial proposals are out, public comments will be invited: