HALDIMAND—According to a County report, the appeal earlier this year against Haldimand’s new seven-ward boundary system, made to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) by Ward 1 Councillor Debera McKeen prior to her election, ultimately cost Haldimand County taxpayers $39,931.85.
The report, which was presented to Council on November 18, 2025, was requested by Ward 3 Councillor Dan Lawrence and supported by a 5-2 vote at the September 16 Council-in-Committee meeting.
At the time, McKeen called Lawrence’s request “counterproductive” to creating an environment where all six current councillors could work well together.
She further asserted the requested report on the “antagonistic subject” could be seen as a way to “divert the public’s attention away from some other recent issue, like maybe the MZO?”
At the time, Ward 4 Councillor Brad Adams’ motion to have Council rescind their support of Empire Communities’ Nanticoke MZO request – which remains in the hands of the Minister of Housing – had been freshly defeated, with Adams, McKeen, and Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley voting to rescind the County’s support.
In his November 18 report, County Clerk Chad Curtis laid out the history of Haldimand’s soon-to-be replaced six-ward boundary system.
“While there have been minor adjustments to the wards related to urban boundary changes, the current ward boundaries are largely similar to what was established in 2001. Given the considerable changes in population distribution since then, a Ward Boundary Review was identified as a priority for the current term of Council,” said Curtis.
“Through a competitive procurement process, Haldimand County retained Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. and Dr. Robert J. Williams to conduct a comprehensive and independent Ward Boundary Review,” he continued.
“The review was premised on the democratic expectation that municipal representation in Haldimand County would be effective, equitable, and an accurate reflection of the current distribution of communities and people across the municipality.”
That review began in May 2024, with a preliminary report to Council in October 2024 laying out four possible options. All of the options initially maintained Haldimand’s six-ward structure, with a front-running option that saw Wards 5 and 6 merged to avoid adding a seventh ward and councillor.
At the October 2024 meeting, Ward 5 Councillor Rob Shirton asked about the possibility of a seventh ward, preserving the existing Wards 5 and 6.
In February 2025, Council voted 4-1 in favour of an amended system that added a seventh ward while keeping Wards 5 and 6 separate. At the time of the vote, the Ward 1 and 4 seats were vacant following the passings of councillors Stewart Patterson and Marie Trainer. Those seats were later filled by councillors McKeen and Adams in the April byelections.
Curtis noted in his report that in order for the new system to be implemented ahead of the 2026 municipal election, a bylaw related to the ward boundaries would need to be in place by January 1, 2026, or an order be issued by the OLT with respect to the affirmed or amended bylaw before that date.
McKeen’s appeal to the OLT was made prior to her election to the Ward 1 seat. In an interview with The Press in June, McKeen said she agreed that Haldimand’s ward boundaries “definitely need to be updated, because Caledonia has double the number of people of any (other ward)” and it “will continue to grow,” but she remained opposed to adding a seventh councillor.
McKeen argued that Wards 1 and 4 should have been represented in the Council vote on the matter, in addition to her belief that the added expenses to taxpayers for a seventh ward – listed at approximately $100,000 a year in the February 2025 staff report – were unnecessary.
In their decision, released August 25, the OLT found no reason to overturn Haldimand Council’s initial vote, dismissing McKeen’s appeal.
During the one-day video hearing, Haldimand County was represented by external counsel Sarah Premi of Sullivan Mahoney LLP with expert witnesses Dr. Robert Williams and Jack Ammendolia of Watson & Associates Ltd., who conducted the ward boundary review.
They argued that the seven-ward structure evolved organically through the review process based on clear Council direction, and that the new system met the standard of effective representation.
Following the hearing, Haldimand received an invoice for $10,678.50 for the services of Ammendolia and Williams during the appeal process, utilizing an HST rebate to lower that cost to $9,616.32. For Premi’s service, the County was issued a bill for $33,664.06, reduced to $30,315.53 with the rebate.
There was no discussion by Council members about the cost report at the November 18 Council-in-Committee meeting.
Hurdles cleared, the new seven-ward system will be implemented for the 2026 municipal election.
