Comment 9 (21 March 2022) – comments and feedback
Back to all comments and feedback from the public
City of Fredericton Kate Rogers, Mayor Greg Ericson, Deputy Mayor
Dear Commissioners:
On behalf of City Council and citizens of the City of Fredericton, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to provide comments and suggestions respecting the review of federal electoral districts for New Brunswick. Effective representation is a foundational element of our Canadian democracy, and the work you are doing is tremendously important.
We understand the Commission is seeking preliminary feedback to help inform the forthcoming public consultation process. The City of Fredericton is keenly interested in the work of the Commission and supports the revision of the federal electoral boundaries to align with 2021 Census population counts. The City of Fredericton is the urban centre of New Brunswick's Capital Region, and one of the fastest growing cities in Atlantic Canada. This growth creates the need for a close working relationship with the federal government. On March 28, 2022, Fredericton's City Council directed that this letter be sent to the Commission for review and consideration.
We understand that the provisions of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act set out how electoral districts are to be constructed. The residents of Fredericton are currently split between 2 of New Brunswick's 10 federal electoral districts. It is the City's view that the present riding configuration marginalizes the voice of Fredericton residents. To put this in context, and with respectful consideration of he Commission's previous boundary decisions, it is difficult to conceptualize how those who live in townhouses and condominiums in an urban setting west of Brookside Drive in the City, share common concerns and interests with rural dwellers in Drummond Parish, a rural area located some 255 km from Fredericton's downtown. Similarly, the electoral interests of the remainder of Fredericton's residents are joined together with citizens residing in Canning Parish, located approximately 50 km northeast of Fredericton. Urban and rural residents often have competing interests and objectives, and certainly there is very limited common ground on many issues of concern to the federal government.
In consideration of the current federal electoral districts review process, Fredericton's view is that the community of interest shared by the urban electorate is best advanced by combining those municipal jurisdictions and respective First Nations which comprise the Capital Region's greater urban centre: the City of Fredericton, Town of Oromocto, Village of New Maryland, Saint Mary's First Nation, and Oromocto First Nation. Please also see the map included below for further reference. The combined population of these areas, in accordance with the "new" Entity boundaries pursuant to the Government of New Brunswick's local governance reform process, is 88,511. New Brunswick's population estimate per the 2022 federal electoral districts redistribution website is 789,225, thus establishing a mean electoral district population of 78,923. At +/-25%, the per district populations can range from 59,121 up to 98,654.
This places the proposed Fredericton electoral district well within the equitable population range of +/-25% while also leaving room for growth over the next ten years. It is noted that the proposed district boundaries are based on what we know to-date regarding 'new' jurisdictional boundaries associated with the Government of New Brunswick's Local Governance Reform process. Should there be further boundary changes stemming from the reform process, adjustments to the proposed electoral district may be required; however, at this time only minor adjustments are anticipated, if any.
The proposed federal district for the Fredericton area presents a logical and manageable geographic area that respects both historic and jurisdictional boundaries, and reflects the identity of these communities as the region's urban centre. Establishing districts in this manner also meets the spirit; if not the letter of the legislation. It respects municipal boundaries, values the community of interest shared by the urban electorate, and provides more effective representation for rural voters. Further, the jurisdictions comprising the proposed electoral district share federal concerns related to public transit; key federal infrastructure including the Fredericton International Airport and Canadian Forces Base Gagetown; climate change; affordable housing; immigration; and, working collaboratively with local urban First Nations partners.
Conversely, the Council of the City of Fredericton believes It is inconsistent with the spirit of the Act to place a small number of City voters in a rural riding where they share little in common with those who live in the balance of the riding. The changes implemented in 2012 were contrary to the initial intent of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for New Brunswick, as noted in the December 6, 2012 Initial Report presented to the House of Commons which sought to better align communities of interest and to create better voter parity between urban and rural electoral districts. Instead, residents from a fast growing area of northwest Fredericton were assigned to the Tobique-Mactaquac district while residents from rural areas east of Fredericton were placed in the Fredericton district. Fredericton's urban representation continues to be compromised as a result of these deviations from the Commission's initial intent. If left unchanged, it will continue to be difficult for the voice of urban dwellers in the Tobique-Mactaquac rural riding to be heard, and for the Fredericton area to have appropriate representation on urban interests. It is further noted that the approach proposed herein has clear precedence when considering existing electoral boundaries of New Brunswick's other major cities, which generally provide effective representation to the urban residents of Saint John and Moncton. Adopting a similar approach to drawing electoral boundaries in Fredericton seems justifiable.
On behalf of the Council of the City of Fredericton, we respectfully request that the Commission give due consideration to the urban nature of the Capital Region when establishing new electoral boundaries. In particular, City Council respectfully requests that a single district be created which includes the entirety of the City of Fredericton, as well as the surrounding areas outlined herein. The City takes the position that these changes are required in order to:
- provide communities of interest both within the City of Fredericton and elsewhere in the Capital Region with effective representation;
- respect the boundaries of municipalities; and
- acknowledge that effective representation is a fundamental principle that is the right of each rural and urban resident, even if this is not explicitly stated in the Act.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments for the Commission's review and consideration during this advance consultation process. We commend your dedication to this most important exercise to advance democracy in New Brunswick and look forward to further opportunities to participate in the upcoming consultation process. Please note, I have included in this response the Mayors and Chiefs of the municipalities and First Nations that we propose to be included in the Fredericton area electoral district for their respective consideration and input.
Sincerely,
Kate Rogers
Mayor
Cc: Mayor Robert Powell, Town of Oromocto
Mayor Judy Wilson-Shee, Village of New Maryland
Chief Allan Polchies, Jr., Saint Mary's First Nation
Chief Shelley Sabattis, Oromocto First Nation
Steve Hart, CAO, City of Fredericton
Follow-up from their previous submission of March 21, 2022
City of Fredericton, Greg Ericson, Deputy Mayor (August 3, 2022)