Municipality of the District of Clare Boundary Review

The Municipality of the District of Clare has engaged Stantec Consulting Limited to review the size of its municipal council and review the boundaries from which its councillors will be elected. At a public meeting on Tuesday, January 16, Stantec presented research into council size including the results of an online survey that obtained 512 responses from Clare residents. Based on the findings of that research and the input from more than 60 citizens who attended the past meeting, Stantec has developed boundary scenarios for polling districts from which five- and eight-member councils may be elected.

Your District Council currently has eight members, including a Warden chosen by Council members from among themselves to act as their Chair. The eight-district scenario will support continuation of the current council size. It will show necessary adjustments to the current council boundaries to ensure that the numbers of electors in each district are reasonably balanced while respecting the integrity of Clare’s communities. The five-district scenario involves more substantial alterations necessary to create five new districts while respecting the same priorities from which a council of five could be elected.

Stantec will present the boundary scenarios through maps and a formal presentation at a second boundary review public meeting to be held at the Clare Veteran’s Centre on Tuesday, February 6th, or, in the event of inclement weather, Thursday, February 8th, at 7:00 p.m. Stantec’s consultant will look forward to hearing the views of all interested citizens on the boundaries proposed as well as the size of council reflected by each scenario.

Following this public meeting, Stantec will recommend a preferred council size for consideration by Clare District Council with boundaries from which to elect councillors.

The decision of Council following review of Stantec’s recommendations will form the basis of an application to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board for approval of the size of Council and related electoral district boundaries. If the application is approved, it will fix the size of Clare District Council and the boundaries of its electoral districts for Clare’s next municipal election.