Comment 25 – comments and feedback

Melissa McGlashan

My name is Melissa McGlashan and I live in Welland. I appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on our electoral boundaries.

Over the past 5 years, I've had the opportunity to be involved in our Niagara Centre community. I've served as a canvasser, a city council candidate, a scrutineer in elections, and had the fortunate opportunity to be a candidate for the NDP in the most recent federal election. In my experience, the existing boundaries reflect community interest and economic trading areas.

The communities of Welland, Thorold and Port Colborne have been connected since their creation. All three of these communities were formed in the creation of the Welland Canal system and their subsequent villages. Today, these same canals form the basis of our local economic system and cultural festivals. An expansion is currently underway via the multimodal hubs, the first of which was recently announced in Thorold, with Welland and Port Colborne currently in their planning phases. Separating these communities is contrary to their history and their economic connection and growth.

Additionally, after reviewing the commission's proposal I have great concern regarding the dividing line along Saint David's road. In past elections, I have served as a scrutineer in an area with many Brock students. The current proposal to move Brock University out of the Niagara Centre riding and in to the St.Catharines riding, compounded by many of the residential areas where students are housed along Schmon Parkway and the Winterberry Blvd area, would create great confusion amongst the student population that already has a disproportionate challenge in figuring out where to vote. This confusion is compounded by the commission's choice of geography, which has the neighbourhood of Western Hill in the Niagara West riding. The result is a strange cut-out into the ridings that will certainly create confusion for voters, students, and organizations alike.

It would be my suggestion that the boundaries of Niagara Centre remain the same as our Electoral District is reasonably close to the provincial average. Maintaining the boundaries of Niagara Centre not only follows the natural boundaries, but keeps communities of interest, like Brock and Schmon Parkway, Downtown Thorold and the rural Port Robinson together. I have seen a proposal floating around online for Niagara, and I think the commission would be well-served to consider this proposal. The commission can view a map of this proposal here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1_3rtxthAPFJnyObC2wJCt0mhX_DDqV2p&ll=42.95217377947906%2C-79.2030215&z=11&fbclid=IwAR0y5i5th2H9tqdbiApmAv_HZQ5hmtcnfKuKwb9rThyF6AILYgVHkwpmUxY

Thank you again for the opportunity to put forward recommendations to the commission. I would be happy to expand on my comments given the opportunity.

Best,

Melissa McGlashan