Timmins councillors may ask public about changing the ward system

City councillors in Timmins will vote Tuesday on whether to add a question to the ballot as part of the Oct. 26, 2026, municipal election. (File)

City councillors in Timmins will vote Tuesday on whether they want to add a question to the ballot as part of the Oct. 26, 2026, municipal election.

A staff report says the question is: Do you support changing the current ward system for electing members of council? Yes or no?

Council voted in April to hold a public meeting on the proposal, which was held May 29. Aside from two city councillors -- Ward 2 Coun. Lorne Feldman and Ward 3 Coun. Bill Gvozdanovic – 12 members of the public attended.

“During the meeting, there were three attendees representing the Timmins Chamber of Commerce who spoke in favour of the question proceeding,” the report said.

Public meeting

“There were four members of the public who spoke against the question proceeding. There were five members who did not express an opinion.”

The meeting itself was held in council chambers and lasted 33 minutes.

Currently, Timmins has an eight-person council plus a mayor. That includes one councillor each from Wards 1-4, and four councillors from Ward 5.

If city council votes in favour of adding the question to the 2026, and if a majority of voters are in favour of changing the system, then a separate process would begin to determine how the system would change.

See the full report here.