Commentaire 4 – commentaires et rétroaction

John Creelman, Mayor, Town of Mono Dufferin County

Madame Justice Leitch and members of the Commission:

My name is John Creelman and I am the Mayor of the Town of Mono in Dufferin County. Our current riding is Dufferin-Caledon and it was created over 40 years ago.

The Town of Caledon was formed in the mid 1970's by the amalgamation of villages and townships in Peel County. Dufferin County has existed since 1881. Together they represent a cohesive community of interest, having both rural and urbanized areas.

Proposed changes to electoral boundaries affecting Dufferin County would see the Township of Mulmur hived off to join Collingwood-Blue Mountains, East Garafraxa Township hived off to join Wellington-Halton while what remains of Dufferin-Caledon would pick up the southern half of Adjala-Tosorontio in Simcoe County.

This makes no sense.

Dufferin County is a cohesive community of interest. We now have one MP and one MPP to represent our interests. Under the proposed changes we will be dealing with three MPs and MPPs.

Mulmur, East Garafraxa and the south end of Adjala-Tosorontio would all be the outer fringes of much larger ridings if these changes are adopted.

Mulmur and East Garafraxa's market towns are in Dufferin County. The media followed by residents of those municipalities are based in Dufferin. Recreational activities and schools are also Dufferin based.

The Dufferin-Caledon configuration has made sense for over 40 years. It makes no sense to carve up Dufferin County into three Federal/Provincial ridings. A previous electoral commission suggested we lose northern municipalities to another riding. At the time this was soundly opposed and ultimately rejected.

Please keep Dufferin County within the same electoral boundary. It only makes sense.

John Creelman

Mayor, Town of Mono Dufferin County