New regulation sets council size and ward boundaries for three Niagara-region municipalities for the 2026–2030 term

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

A new regulation establishes the composition of councils for the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the City of Thorold, and the City of Port Colborne for the council term beginning in 2026. Each council will have seven members, including the head of council. In Niagara-on-the-Lake and Thorold, all members will be elected by general (at-large) vote. In Port Colborne, the head of council is elected at large while the remaining six members are elected two per ward across three defined wards, whose boundaries are set out in the regulation. The 2026 municipal election must be run as though these structures are already in place. Each municipality retains the ability to change its own council composition through the normal process for elections after 2026.

Who this affects: residents and voters in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Thorold, and Port Colborne · municipal election candidates in those three cities · local election administrators and returning officers · municipal councils and clerks in those municipalities