WARD SYSTEM OR NOT? Part 1
October 5th, 2026
My answer is YES — but with a twist.
On October 26, Wasaga Beach residents will be asked whether they support moving to a ward system.
My answer is YES.
But I don't think it has to be an either/or choice between ward Councillors and at-large Councillors.
I would like to see both.
Here’s why
When you have a concern about your neighbourhood, wouldn't it be helpful to know:
“Who is the Councillor who represents where I live?”
Maybe you live in the west end. Maybe Beach Area 1. Maybe somewhere else in Wasaga.
You should have someone at the Council table who lives in your part of town, understands the issues affecting your area, and whom you can approach directly.
But here's the twist:
I don't want to lose at-large representation.
I would like to see 3 or 4 geographic wards, with one Councillor living in and representing each ward, and the remaining Councillors elected at large.
That gives us the best of both approaches.
Local representation. Town-wide representation.
And there's another reason I think this matters.
You and I may get along very well.
You may feel comfortable picking up the phone and talking to me.
But maybe I'm not your cup of tea!
Maybe another Councillor is someone you feel more comfortable talking to.
That's okay. That's democracy.
Democracy can be messy. And that's okay.
We aren't all going to agree.
We aren't all going to like the same people.
We aren't all going to approach problems in the same way.
That's not a weakness of democracy. That's democracy.
I don't want residents to have to like their Councillor before they can be heard.
I want residents to have options.
A ward system shouldn't create walls between neighbourhoods. It should create another door into municipal government.
And every Councillor—whether elected by a ward or at large—still has a responsibility to think about all of Wasaga Beach.
So when I say YES to a ward system, I'm not saying:
“Your Councillor belongs to your neighbourhood and nobody else's.”
I'm saying:
“You should have someone at the Council table who has a particular responsibility to understand your part of Wasaga Beach.”
Because representation isn't simply about having seven names on a website.
It's about knowing who represents you.
And I believe residents should come first.
Thanks for listening!
Aldona Barysas-Oleinikas, Candidate for Council
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