At a glance:
- Residents of Clare were invited to complete a boundary review survey. Please note that the survey is now closed.
- A public meeting was held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 29, at the municipal office (1185 Highway 1, Little Brook) to present and discuss boundary review changes.
The Municipality of Clare is currently undertaking a boundary review and has hired the services of C + D Community Design to lead it through the process.
While the Municipality of Clare’s last boundary review was approved in 2018, the review process began in 2014. The findings of the 2018 boundary review, prepared by Stantec Consulting Company, concluded that the majority of the public was overall satisfied with the existing system and would prefer to stay with an eight-member municipal Council.
This year, C + D Community Design will be replicating the Stantec study in order to evaluate if public opinion has shifted or remains the same. C + D Community Design has prepared an Initial Findings and Background Report for this project, which has been approved by Council for the Municipality of Clare and is available to the public for further information.
C + D Community Design hosted a public meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 29, at the municipal office (1185 Highway 1, Little Brook). The meeting included a short presentation on the boundary review and a discussion on possible district boundary changes. The public was invited to speak at the meeting and was provided with comment cards for writing their feedback and submitting at the end of the evening.
Residents of Clare were also asked to complete an online survey. All responses gathered will play an important role in determining your community’s district boundaries as well as the number of Councillors to represent your Municipality in the next election.
A final report with boundary revision recommendations will be submitted to Council in Fall 2022. A public hearing will be held by Council in Fall 2022 to gather the community’s final thoughts on its final Boundary Review Application to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.
We invite residents to stay engaged throughout this process. If you wish to receive updates on meetings, reports and presentations to Council please subscribe to our mailing list.
We understand that not all residents have access to technology and would still like to participate in the boundary review process. If you are a resident who would like to receive a package on this review, including a paper version of the survey, through the mail, you can submit a request to Ashley Hanks at 902-769-2031 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or drop by the municipal office to pick one up in person. If you know a resident who would benefit from this service, please let her/him know that it is available to them.
What is a boundary review?
A boundary review is a part of the municipal political process that is overseen by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. The process is mandated by Section 369 of the Municipal Government Act.
The purpose of a boundary review is to evaluate the boundaries of the Municipality’s polling districts and the number of Councillors. The reason this process is a regular requirement for Nova Scotia Municipalities is to ensure the best representation for its residents. The boundary review considers the number of electors within the Municipality and the number of electors within each district and then considers the relative voting power. It is recommended that the number of electors within a district be within +/- 10% of the overall voter parity. Simplified, the goal is to ensure that the number of electors in each district is close to the same amount so that the number of potential voters for each Councillor, and thus the number of electors she/he represents, is similar.
Contact
If you have any questions about the Municipality of Clare boundary review please contact the Lead Planner, Derek Robertson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 902-742-5300. If you would like more information on C + D Community Design, check out their website at www.CdCommunityDesign.ca.
Residents can also submit their comments and questions directly to C + D Community Design staff by using this feedback form.