Comment 15 – comments and feedback

Julia McCrea

To: Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission of Ontario From: Julia McCrea, xxxxxx, Oshawa, Ontario, xxx xxx

Phone: xxxxxx Email: xxxxxx

Re: Opposing Proposed Changes to Severe Northwest Corner of Oshawa from Oshawa Electoral District and Redistribute to Whitby Electoral District

Presentation to the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission October 29, 2022

Good afternoon your honour Judge Leitch and Professors Bird and Lowen, members of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission, and other presenters here today.

My name is Julia McCrea, and my pronouns are she/elle.

I will be addressing my comments to the proposals of changes to the Electoral District of Oshawa impacting the Electoral District of Whitby.

Indigenous Lands Acknowledgement:

I would like to acknowledge that I am speaking to you today from the traditional and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nations and many other Indigenous Peoples who have occupied these lands since time immemorial.

I am speaking as an individual who resides in the northwest corner of the Electoral District of Oshawa that is proposed to be severed from Oshawa and added to the Electoral District of Whitby.

I will be arguing for why Northwest Oshawa should stay in the Oshawa electoral district and not be redistributed to Whitby or why Northeast Oshawa should not be redistributed to Whitby.

Firstly, this population analysis by location is not an exact science as the voting population is constantly changing due to natural increase and decrease, (or not so natural decrease as seen during the COVID 19 pandemic), immigration, mobility of the population, housing and economic development in the communities identified, access to services and amenities such as jobs, affordable housing, healthcare, schools, public transportation, local food, and other goods and services.

Geography

This area is bounded by the Oshawa Creek on the east which is central to the City of Oshawa as a whole, Rossland Road a major regional road and public transit in the south, Oshawa Whitby border in the west and Taunton Road, a major regional road and public transit corridor.

It Includes residential neighbourhoods such as the Glens built in the 50s and newer residential neighbourhoods south and west of the airport.

It includes Goodman Creek. A large piece of the geography is the Oshawa Executive Airport and municipal green space used as parks, and community gardens.

Electoral Boundary History

This area of Oshawa, west of the Oshawa Creek and north of Rossland Road was previously part of the Oshawa Whitby riding and was shifted to Oshawa because this area has No community of interest with Whitby. This argument was made successfully in 2013, based on citizen and input from 5 Members of Parliament from 5 local area ridings.

Historical Connections / Community of Identity

This area was originally developed in 1941 when a wartime airport was built. It is the Royal Canadian Air Force Station # 20 Oshawa built to train flyers for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. These air force members were critical to the success of the allies in World War 2. There are many air veterans' families, such as my own, that reside in this area now. This area has a heritage conservation district designation for Oshawa since 2020. It has buildings significant to 420 wing of the Air Force and the Ontario Regiment Museum, centred in Oshawa, which commemorates services of the Canadian Armed Forces in wars from World War 2 to the present. People identify with this history centered in Oshawa and the Oshawa Electoral District, not Whitby.

Population Growth

In this area, we understand Oshawa is growing along with all the surrounding Durham Region electoral districts. Many new homes are under construction in the south, centre and north of the City of Oshawa as both gentrification and in fill of former farmlands are taking place. The same is occurring in all surrounding electoral districts.

This reality will not be stopping soon as housing developments associated with the extension of public transportation specifically, Go Train routes from Oshawa to Bowmanville and the Durham -Scarborough Bus Rapid Transit are rapidly changing the nature of the community. The lower cost of housing in Oshawa relative to Toronto continues to shift people to suburban areas of the Greater Toronto, and Durham areas. Because this population infill continues not only IN Oshawa but also in the surrounding electoral districts, it is premature to shift the boundaries.

Oshawa Electoral District Population Based on 2011 Census Part II – Amendments to the Initial Report (July 31, 2013) – Ontario – Schedule A Schedule A – 2011 Census Populations of Electoral Districts and Variance from Provincial Quota

Oshawa Electoral District Population Based on 2011 Census

Federal Electoral District	Population 2011	Variance from Provincial Quota of 106,213 (%)
Oshawa	125,771	18.41

Census 2021

Year	Population	Change
2021	131,067
2016	126,764	3.4 %

We must also consider that in the next 10 years until the next census and boundary commission reports that persons aged 10-14 now numbering 6760 will join the future voting population as well as the persons aged 15 to 18 which form some part of the total number of 85.525of the age grouping 15 to 64 will also be joining the voting population.

Community Of Interest – Connected by Infrastructure and Access to Services in Oshawa

People in this area identify with Oshawa not Whitby. They/we located here in Oshawa as settlers with families. They/we identify with Oshawa by attending Oshawa schools, using Oshawa amenities e.g., parks, recreation, and libraries, working in jobs or employment in Oshawa. They/we have retired from working in Oshawa manufacturing plants or other local employers. We pay taxes to the City of Oshawa. We vote for local municipal politicians to represent us in Oshawa. People who reside here have no community of interest with Whitby.

Legal

"The 1991 Supreme Court Carter decision from Saskatchewan held that the purpose of the right to vote is not equality of voting power but the right to effective representation. The decision states that deviations from population equality will be permitted if they "contribute to better government of the populace as a whole, giving due weight to regional issues within the populace and geographic factors within the territory governed." This should be factored into considering this area as part of Oshawa to ensure effective representation.

Geography

What I am proposing would keep as many parts of the City of Oshawa as is possible within the riding of Oshawa whereas the commission's proposal would exclude an area with long term connections to Oshawa, not Whitby to which it is proposed to join.

Summary

For the reasons I have given here, including community of interest, historical connection, identity and patterns, geography, population growth, and legal, I ask the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario, to reconsider your proposal and to maintain the northwest corner of the current Oshawa Electoral district in Oshawa and not move it to the Whitby Electoral District.

Thank you.