Ontario municipal elections, (October 27, 2014) - Master thread

[King of Kensington]

Yeah, an Ottawa-style amalgamation would mean the GVRD being one city - what a nightmare!  Toronto's amalgamation was actually the least egregious in that at least Toronto was in many respects one "city" since 1954 (but with a borough system).   And at least it doesn't include any exurban and rural areas.

[adma]

Geography's probably the best argument against "megacitying" Greater Vancouver--plus the fact that BC doesn't have the finely-defined "county systems" that the eastern provinces have...

[Hatman 🍁]

Not as much history, but there are still the regional districts. A don't forget Winnipeg's amalgamation despite Manitoba never having a county system.

[King of Kensington]

Which in Winnipeg's case was a "progressive" measure by the Schreyer government to counter inequality between the poorer inner city and more affluent suburbs.

A GVRD Megacity would be awkward - but look at how ridiculous amalgamated Ottawa is. 

[adma]

A GVRD Megacity would be awkward - but look at how ridiculous amalgamated Ottawa is. 

Yet Ottawa still has a default "plausibility", i.e. the former county/region relabelling itself as "city".

The truer GVRD equivalent would be if Toronto annexed the 905burbia which surrounds it.

[Hatman 🍁]

Why? There is such a thing as the Metro Vancouver Regional District, which is like a county.

[Hatman 🍁]

Map of turnout across the province: http://www.arcgis.com/apps/OnePane/basicviewer/index.html?appid=4cc21ec969e340b0a3aaba58423cd922

Looks like Latchford, Ontario had the highest turnout (86.6%). Sorry, Toronto.

[King of Kensington]

Ottawa-Vanier's median income will be much lower, as it removes the skew of Rockcliffe Park.

Interestingly, Ottawa-Orleans has one of the the smallest Average Income minus Median Income #s in the country, meaning everyone pretty much makes the same amount. (It's a good shorthand for a GINI coefficient).

Qualifying my comments a bit I looked at incomes at the census tract level in Ottawa.  It's probably more accurate to say that the west end is more solidly middle class with some pockets of poverty and affluence, the east end is both richer and poorer overall.

Ottawa-Vanier is pretty diverse ranging from the eastern part of central Ottawa (i.e. Sandy Hill) through both Rockcliffe and Vanier/Overbrook and a bit of suburban Gloucester.  The west end seems nicely split between the more urban parts in Ottawa Centre and the basically suburban parts in OW-N.

Out of curiosity, do you have a preference for a particular side of town?

[Hatman 🍁]

Ottawa-Vanier's median income will be much lower, as it removes the skew of Rockcliffe Park.

Interestingly, Ottawa-Orleans has one of the the smallest Average Income minus Median Income #s in the country, meaning everyone pretty much makes the same amount. (It's a good shorthand for a GINI coefficient).

Qualifying my comments a bit I looked at incomes at the census tract level in Ottawa.  It's probably more accurate to say that the west end is more solidly middle class with some pockets of poverty and affluence, the east end is both richer and poorer overall.

Ottawa-Vanier is pretty diverse ranging from the eastern part of central Ottawa (i.e. Sandy Hill) through both Rockcliffe and Vanier/Overbrook and a bit of suburban Gloucester.  The west end seems nicely split between the more urban parts in Ottawa Centre and the basically suburban parts in OW-N.

Out of curiosity, do you have a preference for a particular side of town?

Only out of irrational tribalism of course, but, I do prefer the east/southeast. My mother grew up in Sandy Hill and I grew up (and moved back to the area almost 2 years ago) in Alta Vista Ward. Everything west of the O-Train line still seems somewhat alien to me. I've jokingly referred to everything west of the O-Train as Nepean

[adma]

Why? There is such a thing as the Metro Vancouver Regional District, which is like a county.

Psychologically, it's still more of a "GTA-type" Metro than a "Metro Toronto-type" Metro, i.e. more of a bureaucratic than electoral entity...

[King of Kensington]

I'd agree with that.

Toronto-style amalgamation = Burnaby and New Westminster

Ottawa-style amalgamation = GVRD

Let's hope we're not giving Christy Clark any ideas!

[King of Kensington]

Here's an interesting development:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/john-tory-is-jewish-claims-israeli-press-1.2827762

Ironic that Doug Ford lied about his wife being Jewish and John Tory himself has Jewish roots!

[Krago]

Here are my proposed Toronto ward maps in a handy travel-size: http://tinyurl.com/Proposed-TOWards

There are three scenarios:

38 Wards -- This proposal would reduce city council by six members without having wards cross the Humber River or Victoria Park Ave.

44 Wards -- This proposal would freeze the size of city council at its current level.

50 Wards -- This proposal would add six councillors by splitting each of the 25 new federal electoral districts in half.


The well-compensated consultants responsible for redrawing the ward boundaries will be holding public meetings in December and January for some reason.  http://www.drawthelines.ca/

[Hatman 🍁]

This can only end badly, as all re-draws do.

Of course, I support Toronto entering the 21st century with a 100 ward plan, but of course, one can only dream.

[lilTommy]

Here are my proposed Toronto ward maps in a handy travel-size: http://tinyurl.com/Proposed-TOWards

There are three scenarios:

38 Wards -- This proposal would reduce city council by six members without having wards cross the Humber River or Victoria Park Ave.

44 Wards -- This proposal would freeze the size of city council at its current level.

50 Wards -- This proposal would add six councillors by splitting each of the 25 new federal electoral districts in half.


The well-compensated consultants responsible for redrawing the ward boundaries will be holding public meetings in December and January for some reason.  http://www.drawthelines.ca/

If we can only choose new boundaries... I prefer the 50 wards model you have there. It would be the least controversial (outside of adding 6 Councillors which will rile up Ford and Mammo) as in its basically what they did last time around.

But i'm with Hatman; I'd rather see more Councillors and a MTL styled City wide Councillors with Boroughs Mayors and borough councillors kind of system.

[lilTommy]

Boundary Review proposals!
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/53bc0914e4b0eb57996e4dee/t/55ca03a7e4b030afc3b39487/1439302567071/TorontoWardBoundaryReview.ConsultationGuide.August11.pdf

or
http://torontoist.com/2015/08/toronto-ward-boundary-review-a-primer/

5 proposals:
1 - Minor Changes - 47 wards, 61K average size
2 - 44 wards - 70K average size
3 - Small wards, 58 wards - 50K average size
4 - Large wards, 38 wards - 75K average size
5 - Natural boundaries, 41 wards - 70K average size

I've filled out the survey and prefer the #3 small wards and then #1 minor changes. 

[Hatman 🍁]

"During the Round One public consultation phase there was ample support for small wards to warrant the development of this option.  Many people believe that smaller wards improve citizen access and the Councillors' capacity to represent their constituents"



Bout time Toronto changed its ward boundaries. I of course support option 3 as well. (Look at how small some of those wards are. Squee!)

[lilTommy]

"During the Round One public consultation phase there was ample support for small wards to warrant the development of this option.  Many people believe that smaller wards improve citizen access and the Councillors' capacity to represent their constituents"



Bout time Toronto changed its ward boundaries. I of course support option 3 as well. (Look at how small some of those wards are. Squee!)

I know! look at ward 338! You could walk that whole ward in probably 30-45 minutes.
I made one suggestion in regards to wards 320 and 319... to move the portion of 319 above front to ward 320, and move the area south of the Rail lines from 320 to 319. Basically moving King west Village and that portion of the DT financial core, i think the change would be more contiguous... if the population works

[Hatman 🍁]

I of course had to come up with names for the proposed wards:

[lilTommy]

I of course had to come up with names for the proposed wards:

And why not... were on the same page for many.. me being picky here:

Spadina-Christie Pitts - I don't like using street names, I'd go with Annex-Christie Pitts or even Annex-University
Trinity - Works, but I'd make it Trinity-Kensington (to represent the two east-west sides of the ward)
Midtown - I'd go with neighbourhoods, Rosedale-Forrest Hill
Eglinton - Again i'd go with the neighbourhoods, Davisville
I probably could go on