Council supports reducing the number of councillors and updating ward boundaries for 2026 election

Port Colborne City Council has expressed its support for reducing the size of City Council and updating the City’s ward boundaries ahead of the 2026 municipal election.

If authorized by the Province, Port Colborne voters would elect six City Councillors and a Mayor, instead of the current eight councillors and a mayor. Under the proposed structure, the City would be divided into three wards, each represented by two councillors.

Because the deadline under the Municipal Act for municipalities to make these changes independently before the 2026 municipal election has passed, any change to Council composition would now need to be authorized by the Province of Ontario.

The proposed changes revisit the City’s 2025 Ward Boundary Review, which included public engagement and feedback from residents about ward boundaries and council composition.

The Ward Boundaries and Council Composition Review Final Report was originally presented to Council on June 24, 2025. While no changes to Council composition or the number of wards were made at that time, Council revisited the report on Tuesday night in light of ongoing governance discussions across Niagara. Council viewed this as an opportunity for Port Colborne to support a smaller local council while maintaining strong representation for residents.

“There’s an important conversation happening across Niagara about governance, efficiency, value for taxpayers, and the number of elected officials serving our communities,” said Mayor Bill Steele. “Port Colborne is taking a practical step by supporting a smaller council while continuing to ensure strong local representation. With a population of 22,000 residents, a seven-member council is both reasonable and efficient, and would align with the governance models of similarly sized municipalities.” 

The proposed ward structure is designed to reflect how communities are organized across Port Colborne. Under the proposed model, two wards would represent the City’s urban neighbourhoods, while one ward would represent the rural area of Port Colborne. The wards are designed to have similar population sizes.

If authorized by the Province, the ward structure and council size would take effect at the start of the next term of Council.