Commentaire 101 – commentaires et rétroaction

Janine Mels Dyer

I am writing to express my concern over the current proposed electoral redistribution boundary that Paula Puddy kindly sent to me for consideration last month. I have reviewed the proposed documents and maps in detail. I had reached out to Ms. Puddy prior to becoming aware of this re-distribution process to share my dissatisfaction with the boundary distribution in the most recent Provincial and Federal elections.

I live within the City of Kingston. My address is a Kingston address and I pay taxes within the city of Kingston. I work, play and engage socially and culturally within Kingston and by all definitions am defined as a Kingston citizen with the exception of Provincial and Federal electoral boundaries. My original concern was that my voting area was lumped into the Carlton Place catchment and the larger South Frontenac areas. This resulted in my region, in my experience and view, not getting representation as I fell within the fringe of a rather large territory and really assumed to be the city of Kingston. In essence, the north and east ends of Kingston felt like a forgotten tag along to me as a result of what appeared to be an arbitrary boundary decision cutting off the north and east parts of the City of Kingston. The candidates never made their way down and often we would not even know who was representing us. I and my family were not able to vote early as the early poll stations were only offered in Smith Falls, Brockville, Carleton Place, or Sharbot Lake for the Provincial election. All of these locations require a 70+ kilometre drive one way to access.

I was rather delighted when I heard back from Miss Puddy that there was a re-distribution review occurring. I have reviewed the maps and I would like to share my continuing concern as I'm not sure why north and northeast residents from the City of Kingston have been now attached to Brockville and Prescott citizens.

I would ask consideration that we be attached to Kingston and the Islands.

I want to have access to a Constituency Office within 10-15 kilometres within the city in which I live. In this manner, I could enjoy the same early voting privileges and have input into the governing bodies that directly impact me. This would certainly be preferable than being attached to a community that is 50+ kilometres away and quite different from me in terms of police/fire and other critical services. It does make sense to me that Brockville and Prescott are united together as they are geographically close and more importantly, kept whole.

If I may, my greatest concern is that I am not afforded an opportunity to vote or have input into my direct region that governs and impacts me the most: Kingston and the Islands. Every part of my work and where I live is guided by the government of Kingston and the Islands and yet I do not have a voice or opportunity in determining who that is. My voice is somewhat silenced as I'm lumped in with the geographic region that is far away and leaves me with a 50+ kilometre drive to access voting centres and feeling unrepresented.
I very much appreciate the opportunity to have input and a voice. I look forward to your careful consideration and hopeful change in the redistribution and boundary areas. My ask is for the whole City of Kingston to please be kept together as part of Kingston and the Islands. I would advocate to remove the arbitrary boundary that seems to segregate half of the City of Kingston into another voting region of considerable distance. Thank you very much for your kind consideration.