Comment 296 – comments and feedback

Jamaal Myers, Toronto City Councillor-Elect for Ward 23

Toronto City Councillor for Ward 23 (Scarborough North)

I would like to begin by thanking you for diligently reviewing the hundreds, if not thousands of submissions you have received. Though the process can be contentious and your thoughtfulness may go unnoticed, your work is crucial to our democratic process by helping to ensure effective representation as our population and demographics change. Thank you for all of your work throughout these hearings.

As the newly elected Toronto City Councillor for Ward 23 (Scarborough North), I write to you on behalf of residents, businesses, neighbourhoods, community associations and other stakeholders to respectfully, yet forcefully, denounce the proposal to eliminate Scarborough North as a federal electoral district.

As the Province of Ontario aligns provincial ridings and municipal wards with federal wards in Toronto, this proposal will likely result in the elimination of Scarborough North as a provincial riding as well as a municipal ward. Thus, if this proposal is adopted, Scarborough North, where 91 percent of residents are visible minorities, average household incomes are nearly $24,000 lower than the Toronto average and many residents struggle with access to housing, transit and employment, could lose its representation and voice at the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government.

Such a loss of representation for any community, particularly one as diverse and complex as Scarborough North, would eliminate our distinct voice at three decision-making tables. Instead, I recommend that:

1. Scarborough maintain its six federal ridings once this process is complete; and
2. Victoria Park Avenue, from Lake Ontario to Steeles Avenue, continues to be the western electoral boundary for Scarborough.

To electorally separate parts of Agincourt (which grew out of Agincourt Village which was established 164 years ago) - namely Wexford, L'Amoreaux, Maryvale and Tam O'Shanter - by moving parts of Agincourt into a North York electoral district without taking into account the social, economic, cultural and historical integration of these communities is a mistake. Rather than weakening the bonds that numerous residents have with their neighbouring communities and each other, we should work towards strengthening and reinforcing the ties that bind people to their ridings.

Scarborough has a long history of attracting immigrants because of our effective settlement services, the welcoming nature of our distinct communities, and the support given from residents to help others settle and integrate into their new home. This has been a result, in part, of the work done by elected officials of varying political stripes who have worked in partnership with community service organizations to serve the unique needs of our residents.

This ongoing sense of partnership has led to political representatives that reflect the ethnic character of our communities. Reducing Scarborough's representation at all three levels of government will make it more difficult for Parliament, Queen's Park and City Hall to reflect the cultural and racial mosaic that is Canada.

Anticipated future growth for Scarborough must also be taken into account. Of the 503,362 new housing units in the City of Toronto's development pipeline, it is expected that 46,636 of such units will be in Scarborough within the decade. It is estimated that Scarborough's population will grow by 87,000 to 96,000 new residents during this time, which will be fueled, in part, by transit projects under construction in Scarborough, such as the Scarborough Subway Extension. This anticipated growth is not planned for within the current redistribution proposal. It must be.

Finally, when Canada's Parliament passed Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 last June, the underlying principle was to ensure fair representation in line with growth, and ensure that no province would lose a seat in order to preserve communities of interest. Just as was done in 2012, we have the opportunity to add an additional seat while refraining from disrupting our current electoral boundaries by simply allocating them to the region that has seen the greatest growth: Dufferin-Caledon, which contains Brampton.

Considering the realities above, I respectfully request that Scarborough retain its six seats, and that the historical boundaries of Scarborough be respected for future generations.

Sincerely,
Jamaal Myers
Toronto City Councillor-Elect for Ward 23