Is the Ward System the Answer for Municipal Representation?

North Bay City Councillor Jamie Lowery joins us for a deep dive into one of North Bay’s most persistent political debates: the ward system.

Why has this idea resurfaced every election for 20+ years? What’s stopping the city from even studying it? And could a customized, hybrid system finally give residents the local representation they deserve?

00:00 – Intro
01:21 – Why we’re talking about the ward system now
05:07 – 20 years of political dodging: Why no one studies it
09:19 – Jamie Lowery joins the show
13:20 – What happened behind the scenes at council
17:30 – “$50,000 killed the conversation”
21:46 – What a made-for-North-Bay ward system could look like
26:07 – Representation vs. popularity: Who’s really on council?
30:47 – How at-large voting shuts out new voices
35:00 – Who would actually design a ward system?
39:00 – Should we cut council to make it work better?
44:13 – Electing a deputy mayor — or building stronger committees?
48:15 – Growing with purpose: what’s next for North Bay
53:10 – Engaging Gen Z & the next wave of local leaders
55:00 – Wrap-up