North Bay city councillor wants city to switch to a ward system
Looking ahead to the 2026 municipal election, North Bay city councillor Jamie Lowery wants to change the way municipal politicians are elected.
Currently, the city elects councillor-at-large, with the 10 candidates who receive the most votes declared elected to council.
Lowery favours a ward system, where councillors would run to represent specific parts of the city.
"One of the biggest attractions for me is accountability," said Lowery.
"You're in your ward and people know who their councillor is."
He has a motion on the table for the next city council meeting to have city staff research the idea of establishing a ward system and then bring back a detailed report to council for further discussion.
"I want to know what's involved. Do we need provincial approval? What's the cost? What's the process to get there? Is it the most effective model?" said Lowery.
The motion would also look at ways of reducing the current number of councillors from 10 to six and a mayor by creating separate wards.
Lowery said he’d like to get a better idea of how difficult such a transition would be.
"Let's listen to what the process is,” he said.
“Let's take all the information in and make an educated decision on whether this is right for North Bay.”
Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins all currently have ward systems. It has never been implemented in North Bay, not even when the former townships of West Ferris and Widdifield amalgamated in 1968.
But councillor Tanya Vrebosch said is not a fan of the ward system.
"We're too small. We'd be pitting West Ferris against the east end versus Widdifield," Vrebosch said.
She said it would take away a councillor's role of representing all taxpayers when it comes to voting on important decisions.
"If your ward councillor doesn't agree with you, you don't have all the councillors to go to advocate on your behalf," Vrebosch said.
"We should have equal representation across the city."
Council will vote on the motion Tuesday night.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.