Commentaire 145 – commentaires et rétroaction

Camilla Singh

Scarborough Civic Action Network

Please find a written submission addressing the federal electoral boundaries redistribution in Scarborough. Scarborough Civic Action Network (SCAN) is a non-partisan, community-driven network that aims to support civic engagement activities to address inequities and mobilize a civic voice for Scarborough. SCAN is submitting a letter asking you to reconsider the proposed boundary changes. Also attached is an online petition - one document has the petition form, and another is the excel sheet with responses - for your consideration.

Please let me know if there are any issues with these documents and thank you for your time.

Kind Regards,

Camilla Singh

October 28, 2022

Camilla Singh

RE: Proposed Redistribution Plan for Scarborough

Dear Members of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario,

I am writing to you on behalf of Scarborough Civic Action Network (SCAN), a non-partisan, community-driven network that aims to support civic engagement activities to address inequities and mobilize a civic voice for Scarborough. We ask that you reconsider the federal electoral boundary changes proposed for Scarborough, as they will have a significant impact on Scarborough and its residents. These proposed changes will result in a loss of government representation, will impact the historical and cultural identity of Scarborough, and will have ramifications for local community services.

The proposed boundary changes will result in loss of representation at all levels of government in Scarborough at a time when the region is growing. As an organization whose work is grounded in widespread engagement at the community or grassroots level, we have found that the census used to determine boundaries has significantly undercounted the number of Scarborough residents. Multi-tenant homes are a reality in Scarborough, even though it is illegal in this area. Because of this, residents do not disclose where they live or how many people are residing at one address for fear of being penalized. Scarborough often becomes home to immigrants and refugees, and language is regularly a barrier to gathering data and collecting surveys. Compounded by the fact that the most recent census was collected in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was hesitancy to answer doors and when the unvaccinated rates in Scarborough specifically were high, we fear that a large portion of Scarborough was not included in the most recent census. Finally, Scarborough has numerous new housing developments in progress, set to be completed over the next few years. Scarborough's population is continuing to grow with no signs of slowing down, and therefore should not be losing representation at all levels of government.

Shifting the federal electoral boundaries will have a significant impact on the historical and cultural identity of Scarborough. Scarborough's oldest community, Agincourt, has been growing rapidly since the 1950's and historically has been a place where ethnically-diverse families have settled. With this redistribution, Agincourt will be split and absorbed into other wards. This, in effect, would lead to the division and ultimately, the loss of a community with an established identity. Furthermore, individuals who have made Scarborough their home feel a sense of pride in their community. This change would impact the way they distinguish themselves or center themselves within the community they have contributed to. Given the division and loss of community, as well as the loss of individual identity, the proposed boundary changes ultimately have negative repercussions on the historical and cultural identity of Scarborough.

The proposed boundary changes in Scarborough will also impact community services and business owners. With portions of Scarborough being absorbed into North York and other municipalities, residents and business owners would be faced with issues such as increased property taxes, as well as a shift in where to access healthcare, police services, and community services. Community organizations that have partnerships with other organizations are at risk of developing new networks to serve their new region. Removing a ward and expanding the catchment area of organizations that serve a continuously growing population makes it even more challenging to meet the needs of an already underserved Scarborough.

SCAN asks you to reconsider the proposed federal electoral boundary changes given the significant impacts that it poses on Scarborough, through government representation, historical and cultural identity and community services and businesses.

Sincerely,

Camilla Singh

SCAN Coordinator

Scarborough/City of Toronto Federal Electoral Districts Petition

Petition to the Ontario Commission for the Federal Electoral Districts Redistribution, namely The Honourable Justice Lynne C. Leitch, Dr. Karen Bird, and Dr. Peter John Loewen:

We are greatly concerned about the proposed changes to the Federal Electoral Districts, particularly the loss of an electoral riding in Scarborough and Toronto.

The proposal takes out a large portion of Scarborough North, and a sizable portion of Scarborough-Agincourt, and collapses areas of these communities into a new riding called Scarborough Northwest. This would not only break up existing communities, but it would redistribute a significant portion of Scarborough-Agincourt into North York and deletes any reference to the history of Agincourt in the process. The Village of Agincourt has been in existence for 164 years, since 1858 and continues to this present day to have a rich cultural and historical identity.

The western municipal boundary of Scarborough clearly ends at Victoria Park Ave. Taking parts of Scarborough from Warden Ave. and Pharmacy Rd. to Victoria Park Ave. will break up police services from 42 Division, health care services, and social and seniors' community services. Scarborough-Agincourt has large numbers of seniors, new immigrants, and families, and over the decades, our community has created an interconnected network of services that meet its unique needs. This is also true of other Scarborough districts.

We, the undersigned residents of Scarborough, call upon the Ontario Commission to:

• Maintain the ridings of Scarborough-Agincourt and Scarborough North; and
• Maintain Victoria Park Avenue as the western boundary of the riding of Scarborough-Agincourt; and
• Maintain the current eastern boundaries of the current Scarborough-Agincourt and Scarborough North districts.

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