Peter Karwacki: 12 wards? Not 24

Spokes in a Wheel: A New Vision for Ottawa's Wards**

By Peter Karwacki

A councillor representing 80,000+ residents across urban and rural areas would need AI help triaging concerns.

There's been talk for years about reducing Ottawa's city council from 24 wards down to 12. Some argue fewer councillors means less government and faster decisions. Others worry that slashing representation would leave communities voiceless—especially if ward boundaries are drawn to protect incumbents rather than keep neighbourhoods intact.

I've been thinking about a different approach. What if we drew ward boundaries like spokes in a wheel—running from Parliament Hill outward to the city's outer limits?

The Spoke Model

Here's the idea: instead of the current patchwork of urban, suburban, and rural wards that often pit communities against each other, each ward would be a wedge stretching from the city's core to its rural edges . Each councillor would represent a mix of urban, suburban, and rural constituents.

This isn't as far-fetched as it sounds. In 2020, Ottawa's ward boundary review considered options ranging from 17 to 25 wards, with the distribution of urban, suburban, and rural seats hotly debated . The current 24-ward structure has 12 urban wards, nine suburban, and three rural . That means urban voters often dominate decisions that affect rural residents—and vice versa.

A spoke model would change that dynamic entirely. Every councillor would have to balance the interests of downtown residents, suburban families, and rural farmers. No more "urban vs. rural" silos. No more wards where councillors never have to think about what happens beyond their own borders.

Why This Matters Now

The City of Ottawa currently has 24 wards following the 2020 Ward Boundary Review . Minor boundary adjustments were approved in December 2024 for the 2026 elections, affecting Wards 6, 9, 11, 13, 21, and 24 . But that's a tweak, not a transformation.

If we're going to talk about reducing council size—and the 2020 review did include a 17-ward option—let's do it in a way that actually improves representation rather than just cutting costs . The "effective representation" principle that guides ward boundary decisions includes balancing voter parity, natural boundaries, geographic communities of interest, and capacity to represent . A spoke model would respect all of these while breaking down the urban-rural divide that paralyzes so many council debates.

Where AI Fits In

Now, here's where my earlier thinking about AI comes together with this ward structure.

A 12-ward spoke model would give each councillor a massive, diverse constituency. One councillor might represent low-income housing in Vanier, suburban sprawl in Orléans, and farmland in Cumberland—all in the same ward. That's a lot of competing interests to balance, and a lot of ground to cover.

AI can help in several ways:

**Constituent Services at Scale.** A councillor representing 80,000+ residents across urban and rural areas needs help triaging concerns. AI-powered tools can handle routine inquiries, flag urgent issues, and route complex cases to the right department. Windsor is already piloting a chatbot for citizen inquiries, and Denver projects $2.8 million in savings from AI handling after-hours 311 calls.

Data-Driven Decision Making.

When every councillor has to balance urban density with rural infrastructure needs, data becomes essential. AI can analyze demographic trends, infrastructure demands, and service gaps across the ward's diverse geography—giving councillors clear, actionable insights rather than gut feelings.

**Breaking Down Silos.** The spoke model forces collaboration, but AI could make that collaboration more effective. Shared dashboards, predictive modeling, and automated reporting could help councillors see how decisions in one part of the ward affect others—and help them coordinate with colleagues in adjacent wedges.

The Challenges

I'm not naive about the downsides. A spoke model would create wards that feel less like "communities" and more like arbitrary slices of a pie. The principle of "geographic communities of interest" is a cornerstone of effective representation . Would a ward that includes both downtown condos and rural farms be a community of interest? That's a fair question.

There's also the gerrymandering concern. When Cleveland reduced its council from 17 to 15 seats, residents accused council leadership of drawing maps that split neighbourhoods apart. Any ward boundary change needs independent oversight, transparent processes, and real public input.

And AI isn't a magic bullet. When a Schreiber, Ontario councillor used ChatGPT to challenge a fire chief's report, it created confusion rather than clarity . Privacy concerns, cybersecurity risks, and the potential for AI to amplify dominant voices are all real risks that require clear guidelines.

My Bottom Line

I'm proposing a spoke model not because it's perfect, but because it's honest. Our current ward structure pits urban against rural, suburb against farm. We can do better.

A 12-ward spoke structure, paired with smart AI tools to help councillors manage the complexity, could actually deliver better representation than the current 24-ward system. Every councillor would have skin in the game across the entire urban-rural spectrum. No one could ignore downtown issues, and no one could ignore rural needs.

It's a bold idea. But if we're going to talk about shrinking council, let's at least be bold enough to redesign it for the better.

— Peter Karwacki

*Candidate for Rideau-Rockcliffe*

something needs to be done".