The Report of the Citizens' Task Force on Ward Boundaries discounted or ignored much of what the rural citizens presented, due to their mandate of numbers, numbers, numbers...

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HIGHLIGHTS

West Carleton - Ward 5

"Submissions received regarding this ward acknowledged the lower population numbers, but emphasized issues such as the large area of the ward and the need to avoid "diluting the rural voice" with an injection of adjacent suburban development. Suggestions were made about expanding the ward into the adjacent Ward 6, Goulbourn, and picking up some rural population from it. The same reasoning was used to look at connecting with the rural portion of north Kanata, using either the Old Carp Road, or March Road - Riddell Drive as dividing lines. Both of these representations were counterbalanced by requests from within the respective Wards 4 (Suburban Kanata) and 6 (Goulbourn/Stittsville) that their boundaries not be significantly altered."
(Suburban interests did not want to be annexed into a rural ward - Ed.)

"As has been noted above, the Task Force is very mindful of the pride with which citizens view their current and former political areas, particularly the former townships. The Task Force has analyzed options from the standpoint of numbers, as directed by Council,... The strategy it has adopted is that some suburban development will have to be combined with the "rural" areas in order that the criteria set by Council can be achieved..."
(Gotta get them numbers... - Ed.)

Osgoode - Ward 20

"This ward is affected by the general comments received in regard to representation by population. Various specific comments were made in terms of how to increase the area/population of the ward. There were three main proposals in this regard. One suggested linking it with Ward 19 as in the former Regional ward structure. A second proposed linking part of the ward with Ward 21 - Rideau. The third was a proposal to connect with the southern portion of Ward 10 ? Gloucester-Southgate".

"Based on its review, the Task Force concluded that recreating large rural wards such as existed in the former Regional ward system was not a good choice. This ruled out a link with Ward 19."
(But I guess that doesn't hold true for the merger of Rideau and Goulbourn right? - Ed.)

"The proposed changes mean that this ward could become one of the larger wards by the end of the planning period, if growth occurs at the rate forecast. As has been noted previously, rapid growth usually involves housing occupied by younger families, so the voting population will be closer to the City average than the total population number suggests."
(Younger, suburban families? - Ed.)

Recommendations:
3. That Council consider a revised name for Ward 20.
(Never mind that Osgoode has been known as Osgoode since before Confederation - Ed.)

Rideau - Ward 21

"Suggestions were made to link the ward with adjacent areas in Ward 3 to the north and Osgoode to the east in order to increase the population to more acceptable levels. In this latter context, an anonymous flyer was distributed within the greater Manotick area proposing consideration of two options involving links with these wards. The first model showed connections to parts of Wards 3, 10 and 20. The second proposed a partition of both former Rideau and former Osgoode. The flyer provoked public comment, but did not reflect "natural" boundaries and was of limited assistance to the Task Force."
(In other words, representation by population mattered more than common sense suggestions... - Ed.)

"Virtually all of the comments received recognized the population problem and were directed towards solving it. The challenge for the Task Force was to look at the issue in a comprehensive fashion so that the solution would tie into an overall plan for all of the wards in the area and not just Ward 21 in isolation."

"The Task Force reviewed the various options and concluded that the best choice, within the terms of reference supplied by Council, was to combine Wards 21 and 6."
(Didn't matter what the people wanted right? - Ed.)

"The new ward moves above the City average in 2006 and 2009, but will stay well within the allowable threshold."
(... but is also create the second largest geographic area in the new city (70,772.21 ha), more than 10 times the size of Ward 12 - Rideau-Vanier (795.32 ha). The population would also grow to the third largest in the city at 53,000 residents by 2009, versus 34,900 in Ward 11 - Beacon Hill-Cyrville - Ed.)