The citizen committee responsible for the review of electoral wards and representation methods will present a final report in April

Mar 20, 2025

After an intense period of public consultation, with public sessions, an online survey and meetings with various experts, the citizen committee responsible for the review of electoral wards and representation methods is now analyzing the data and best practices in this complex process.

Public consultation sessions were organized by the review committee in each ward from February 10^th to the 25^th. From February 25^th to March 7^th, the committee made an online survey available to the public to find out their views on the various models under consideration. A total of 77 people took part in the neighbourhood meetings and 145 people completed the survey.

The survey focused on the following issues:

• The current traditional model (ward-based representation)
• The general representation model (no wards, with councillors elected by the population for the entire territory)
• The hybrid representation model (with wards, where some councillors are elected by the population as a whole and others by ward).
• The number of wards needed to represent the population properly
• The ideal number of councillors

George Pérusse, chair of the review committee, says that the meetings with the public have led to frank discussions on the current operation of the representation wards, especially since the municipal reform of 2023, when parts of the LSDs of Saint-Jacques and Saint-Joseph as well as the Village of Rivière-Verte joined the City of Edmundston.  "It is largely thanks to our discussions with the public and the survey responses that we will be able to make recommendations to the municipal council," explained Mr Pérusse.

The review committee began its work in early January. Members developed a work plan, a consultation plan and a communications plan, and reviewed the requirements of the Local Governance Act, the Elections Act, the White Paper on Local Governance in New Brunswick, and applicable Canadian case law. The group also held discussions with various stakeholders, including a political scientist, an urban planner, a geomatics specialist, a geographer and New Brunswick municipal administrators.

The review panel is currently analyzing the information and data gathered to date to formulate a recommendation on the desirable representation model for the 2026 municipal election as mandated. A final report is to be presented at the public meeting of City Council on April 15, 2025, at the Edmundston Arts Centre.

The review committee is composed of George Pérusse, Noëlline LeBel, Bernard LeBel, Madeleine Dubé, Jacques Desjardins and Dominique Babineau.

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CONTACT: M. George Pérusse, revision.zones@gmail.com