Commentaire 120 – commentaires et rétroaction

Alison Merkley, Clerk
Corporation of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley

Please find attached to this message a letter from the Corporation of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley regarding the proposed federal electoral district change for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, followed by a certified copy of Resolution 230-22 noting Council's objection to the proposal.

Proposed Change to Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes

The Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley recognizes the role the federal government plays in the lives of its citizens and the responsibilities set out within the Constitution of Canada to review its federal electoral districts. We recognize the review relies on the decennial census to determine population sizes of the various electoral districts.

It is from this review that the current district of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, alongside Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston may experience boundary changes. The proposed change would result in the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley being split between two ridings.

The Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley prides itself on equality among its property owners and visitors, and its partnerships with the other municipalities within the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and other levels of government. It is the opinion of the municipality that changing the boundary to one that would divide it across two districts would disrupt this balance that has been fostered since its amalgamation.

Therefore, the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley formally objects to the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission's proposal as reconfirmed by the enclosed resolution passed on the 16th of September, 2022.

Regards,

Alison Merkley,
Clerk

cc: Michael Barrett, MP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes
Scott Reid, MP for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston

encl: Certified Copy of Resolution 230-22

corporation of the township of elizabethtown-kitley

Resolution Number 230-22
September 16, 2022

whereas the proposed boundary changes to the electoral boundaries will eliminate the existing riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes and create a new riding of Gananoque-Brockville-Prescott;

and whereas the proposed new riding of Lanark-Frontenac will include three (3) United Counties of Leeds and Grenville municipalities, being the Villages of Merrickville-Wolford and Westport, as well as the Township of Rideau Lakes, representing approximately 16% of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville population;

and whereas the proposed electoral boundaries will split the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley into to separate and distinct ridings with Geographic Kitley being included in proposed Lanark-Frontenac riding and Geographic Elizabethtown in the proposed Gananoque-Brockville-Prescott riding;

and whereas the proposed redistribution and creation of Lanark-Frontenac and Gananoque-Brockville-Prescott is disadvantageous to the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley due to the division of the municipality and its separation from its community of interest;

now therefore the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley formally objects to the proposed Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission's proposed splitting of the municipality into two separate ridings.

carried

Original Signed By

Brant Burrow, Mayor