Thorold to investigate shifting toward a ward system

The City of Thorold is considering shifting to a ward system beginning with the municipal elections to be held in 2030.

The possibility was discussed at Council on Oct. 7 and will be further investigated by staff. 

Currently, the top eight candidates who run for a seat on city council are elected to at-large seats. Elections for city council seats are held once every four years, along with elections for mayor and regional councillor. 

All of the present members represent the entire community. 

Under a ward system, representatives would be elected to represent specific parts of the city. This could ensure that councillors are elected to represent areas that are currently considered to be underserved. 

The resolution, when it was discussed at Council, noted that Thorold is the fourth fastest growing community in Ontario and the eighth fastest growing community in Canada.

Councillor Jim Handley, who put forward the resolution, noted that Thorold is experiencing unprecedented growth.

“In the demographics part of it, the day is going to come, in the near future, where there will be more of a population on the west side of the canal…than there is in what they refer to as the downtown core here,” Handley said. 

Mayor Terry Ugulini noted that staff cannot do this kind of report internally, and that an external consultant firm would have to be hired to investigate the possibility, as has been the case in other Niagara Region municipalities in recent years. 

However, staff can explain how the process would work and provide an estimate of what the cost of such a report would be.

The motion was seconded by Councillor Mike De Divitiis. 

Handley recognized that the 2026 municipal election is coming up too soon to implement a ward system by then, and therefore the motion focuses on the 2030 election. At the same time, waiting until the 2030 election would give councillors time to fully consider the implications of such a switch.

At least one councillor was concerned about the cost of undertaking such a report. 

“I’m indifferent to whether there’s a ward system or not, but I just want to make sure we understand where this is going, whether it’s a report coming back with how to implement a ward system or whether it’s a council decision on whether the pros outweigh the cons of doing this,” said Councillor Anthony Longo. 

Staff responded that the idea, through this motion, would be for staff to provide a preliminary report, which would include an estimate of the general financial cost to the city of undertaking such a report to engage a third-party consultant. 

Handley was also asked that, given that his proposal for a ward system wouldn’t be implemented until the 2030 election, whether this was simply something that should be left to the next Council.

Handley responded by saying that having the report done ahead of the 2026 election would empower the next Council to decide early on in its term. 

Council ultimately voted to ask staff to go ahead with research and report back to council about the potential cost of doing this study and which firms might be suitable to undertake it.