Comment 400 – comments and feedback

Joseph Y. K. Wong, Dr
Chinese-Canadian Community

Attached is an open letter from the Chinese-Canadian community to the Federal Electoral Boundaries
Commission for Ontario.

The letter has 67 signatories including myself.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joseph Y. K. Wong
Member of the Order of Canada
Founder and Chair Emeritus, Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care

attachment:

October 25, 2022

An Open Letter From the Chinese-Canadian Community to the
Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario

To the Honourable Justice Lynne C. Leitch, Dr. Karen Bird, and Dr. Peter John Loewen:

In your proposal released on August 19, 2022, the two federal electoral districts of Scarborough North and Scarborough–Agincourt are being effectively collapsed into one new constituency called Scarborough Northwest.

According to the census data, there is a Chinese visible minority population of 45% in Scarborough North and, similarly, 46% in Scarborough–Agincourt. These constituencies represent the highest concentrations of Chinese visible minority residents in Ontario.

By consolidating these two electoral districts into one, and by moving the people residing east of McCowan Road into Scarborough–Rouge Park, a constituency currently with only 4% Chinese visible minorities, you will dilute the voice of an underrepresented minority community.

This would directly contradict the legal precedent set in Raîche v. Canada in 2004, when the Federal Court overturned the New Brunswick Commission's proposal to move a Francophone-minority community into an Anglophone-majority constituency (after the Commission imposed a more restrictive population deviation of 10% of the provincial quota).

In 1991, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Saskatchewan v. Carter that "factors like geography, community history, community interests and minority representation may need to be taken into account to ensure that our legislative assemblies effectively represent the diversity of our social mosaic."

Scarborough North is the epicentre of the growth of our Chinese community outside of Toronto's Chinatown. The area east of McCowan Road is home to the Yee Hong Centre of Geriatric Care (60 Scottfield Road) and the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto (5183 Sheppard Avenue East), landmark institutions of major importance to our community.

Our continued progress is born out of a 137-year struggle for equal rights and protections, starting with the Chinese Head Tax imposed in 1885 and followed by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923. The recent rise in anti-Asian hate and violence has only made matters worse.

At a time when social justice and equality are being put to the test, Canadians of Chinese descent need more representation, not less. Dividing Scarborough North will only disenfranchise a historically disadvantaged community with urgent present-day challenges.

By keeping the Scarborough North constituency largely intact as it currently exists, with Midland Avenue as the western boundary and Neilson Road as the eastern boundary, you will maintain effective representation for Chinese-Canadians at a time when it is needed most.

We implore you to uphold fairness and minority representation by preserving the two existing federal electoral districts of Scarborough North and Scarborough–Agincourt.

Generations of Canadians of Chinese descent are counting on you.

Sincerely,

• Dr. Joseph Y. K. Wong, CM, Founder and Chair Emeritus, Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care
• Alan S. Lam, Chairman, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto
• Scott Au, 1^st Vice President, Cross-Cultural Community Services Association
• Josephine Bau, Vice President Public Relations, Stop COVID-19 Coalition
• Arlene Chan, President, Jean Lumb Foundation
• Nelson Chan, Chairman, Canadian Chinese Kuo Shu (Martial Arts) Federation
• Gen-Ling Chang, Deputy Executive Director, ALPHA Education
• Nelson Cheng, President, Oasis Community Service Center
• Benny Cheung, President, Federation of Asian Canadians Toronto
• Raymond Chin, President, Toronto Chinese Business Association
• Alex Cho, CEO, Casa Deluz Banquet Hall
• Keung Cho, President, Yahu Community Association of Canada
• Philip Chong, President, KNP Group
• Mino Chou, Chairman, Royal Crown Academic School
• K. C. Queenie Chow, Principal, Marilake Academy and Marilake Heritage Language School
• Michelle Chu, Vice President, WOWtv
• Alex Fok, CEO and Managing Director, Opera One Association
• Xiao Feng Guo, Deputy Secretary General, Canada Confederation of Fujian Associations
• Susan Gong, President, Canada Chapter, Association of Business Women in Commerce and Industry
• Paul Huang, Founding President, Oriental Culinary Art Society of Canada
• Simon Ip, Co-Chair, Community Police Liaison Committee, Toronto Police Service 42 Division
• Dianna Jiang, Founder and Executive Director, Gifted People Services
• Stanley Kwan, Chair, Fu Hui Education Foundation
• Jack Chik-Wai Kwok, President, Oi Kin Senior Citizens Fund
• Alfred Lam, Executive Director, Centre for Immigration and Community Services
• Patrick Lam, Vice President, TFI Foods, Majestic City Shopping Mall, Chef's Depot and Imagoh Foods
• Emily Law, Owner, MPS Connections, and Founder, Canada101.net
• Larry Law, President and CEO, Living Water Resorts
• Henry Lee, Chairman, Malaysia Association of Canada
• Kei Chiu Leung, Managing Director, Canadian Guardians
• Grayson Lew, President, Support Enhance Access Service Centre
• Jenny Li, President, Sunset Senior Art Club, and President, Jenny Learning Centre
• Kaitlyn Li, Founder and CEO, Botrich
• Lucy Li, Chair, Eternal Love Elite Community Organization of Canada
• Winnie Liao, CEO and Chair, Respon International Wealth Group
• Katy Liu, President, Toronto Community and Culture Centre
• Kevin Liu, President, Hakka Helping Hands
• Linda Liu, Vice-President, Toronto Hakka Heritage Alliance
• Mei Liu, Owner, Yueh Tung Restaurant
• Rain Liu, Chairman, Canada China Educational, Scientific and Cultural Association
• Anne Long, Vice President, Shen Zhen Association of Canada
• Dr. Ying Lu, Head of Ophthalmology Division, Scarborough Health Network
• Terrence Ma, Executive Director, Splendid China Mall
• Andre Mak, President, Mississauga Board of Chinese Professionals and Businesses Foundation
• David Maung, Founder and CEO, Floors At Work
• Ben Tao-Hoi Poon, President, Scarborough Senior Chinese Association
• Jenny Qi, Chair, Canada Confederation of Shenzhen Associations
• Joe Samion, President, Hakka Canadian Association
• Stephen Siu, President, Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation
• Fiona Su, Founder and Principal, Star Dance Centre– 4 –
• Joe Sum, President, Enping Fellowship Society of Toronto
• Sophia Sun, President, Canada China Investment Association
• Dr. Larissa Tam, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Scarborough Health Network
• Wai Tong, Founding President, Canada Maple Leaf Dragon Multicultural Society
• Sam Tse, Owner, Perfect Chinese Restaurant
• Charles Wang, Co-Chair, Yin Hua Association of Ontario
• Ping Wang, Director, Woodside Square Shopping Centre
• Dr. Ti Wang, President, Chinese Professionals Association of Canada
• Lenny Wong, Honorary President, Chao Chow Association Canada and Vietnamese Cambodian Laotian Association, and Chairman, Cambodia Chamber of Commerce in Canada and Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation of Canada
• Raymond Wong, Vice President, Canadian Zhongshan Association of Commerce
• Willie Xue, Chairman, Feun Leun Tong (Sit and Seto) Ontario Society, and President, Xinhui Society of Toronto
• Bruce Haifeng Yang, President, New Canadian Community Centre
• Robert W. Yap, President, Hakka Youth Association of Toronto
• Grace Yu, Immediate Past President, Scarborough York Region Chinese Business Association
• Sandy Zheng, CEO, Prime+Care Health Centre
• Xinsheng Zhong, Co-Chair, National Congress of Chinese Canadians
• Mary Zhu, President, Yunnan General Business Association of Canada