Electoral Ward Review
Updated August 26, 2020 –
At the April 22, 2020 board meeting, the board approved option 4 that came out of the Electoral Ward Review that was held in January and February of this year. The goal of the ward review was to analyze the current ward structure to ensure that it effectively represents both the general and school populations and communities.
Option 4 creates a better representation by population between municipal and students numbers taking into account areas that are more sparsely populated. There will be six (6) ward and six (6) trustees in the electoral wards as follows:
Electoral Wards - Option 4
| Electoral Ward | Municipal Divisions located in ward | Schools located in ward | Municipal Population (est) | Student Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pembina Hills East - Ward 1 | Westlock County - Div 1, 2, 4, 5 Village of Clyde | Busby, Eleanor Hall | 4,040 | 375 |
| Pembina Hills East - Ward 2 | Westlock County - Div 3, 6, 7 MD of Lesser Slave River* | Pembina North Community, Colony Schools, Vista Virtual School | 3,610 | 258 |
| Pembina Hills - Town of Westlock - Ward 3 | Town of Westlock | R.F. Staples, Westlock Outreach, Westlock Elementary | 5,101 | 1,184 |
| Pembina Hills West - Ward 1 | County of Barrhead - Div 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 | Neerlandia Public Christian, Dunstable | 5,389 | 252 |
| Pembina Hills West - Ward 2 | County of Barrhead - Div 6 Woodlands County - Div 5*, 6, 7 Town of Swan Hills Big Lakes County* | Fort Assiniboine, Swan Hills | 3,752 | 300 |
| Pembina Hills - Town of Barrhead - Ward 3 | Town of Barrhead | Barrhead Composite, Barrhead Outreach, Barrhead Elementary | 4,579 | 1,410 |
* Indicates only the portion that is within Pembina Hills School Division
The next step will involve administration drafting a new bylaw that must be passed by December 31, 2020, and will take effect for the October 2021 general election.
Electoral Ward Bylaw Passed
At their August 26, 2020 regular meeting, trustees voted in favor of Electoral Ward Bylaw 06-2020. The Bylaw changes the Ward structure of the division and reduces the number of trustees from seven (7) to six (6). These changes to the ward structure will come into effect for the October 2021 school trustee elections.
The new electoral wards are:
- Pembina Hills East – Ward 1 – Busby, Eleanor Hall
- Pembina Hills East – Ward 2 – Pembina North Community School, Colony Schools, Vista Virtual School
- Pembina Hills – Town of Westlock – Ward 3 – R.F. Staples, Westlock Outreach, Westlock Elementary
- Pembina Hills West Ward 1 – Neerlandia Public Christian School, Dunstable
- Pembina Hills West Ward 2 – Fort Assiniboine, Swan Hills
- Pembina Hills – Town of Barrhead – Ward 3 – Barrhead Composite High School, Barrhead Outreach, Barrhead Elementary
View the new electoral wards in this map.
Details of the entire Electoral Ward Review is available below.
The Pembina Hills Board of Trustees requested input from the public as they review the division’s electoral wards. This may impact the number of trustees on the board and the area that each trustee represents. The review will take into account factors such as population, school attendance areas, and historical data.
The board considered 3 options:
Note regarding Options 2 and 3 with a board of six (6) trustees: If it is a tie vote, the motion is defeated. A tie vote fails. A majority of votes cast (more than half) is required to pass a motion.
Option 1: (Current Electoral Structure) View Map
- Three (3) wards: Barrhead, Swan Hills, and Westlock
- Seven (7) electoral sub-divisions; total of seven (7) trustees
Option 2: View Map
- One (1) ward: Pembina Hills School Division
- Four (4) electoral sub-divisions; total of six (6) trustees
Option 3: View Map
- One (1) ward: Pembina Hills School Division
- Two (2) electoral sub-divisions; total of six (6) trustees
See the full presentation (PDF)
The survey closed on February 10, 2020. We thank all respondents for their input.
Read details of the ward review including survey reponses in the Electoral Ward Review – What We Heard Report.