Comment 35 – comments and feedback

Tony Baldinelli, Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls Riding

As you are aware, on August 19, 2022, the Ontario Commission released its proposals for riding boundary changes across the pakshrovince.

As the re-elected Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls riding, and as someone who was born and raised in the community, I am taking this opportunity during the public consultation phase of the Commission's work, to provide a written submission which extensively supports the position of keeping the federal riding of Niagara Falls as it currently is, with all three municipalities included within its boundaries: the City of Niagara Falls, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the Town of Fort Erie.

Page 60 of the proposal reads,

"Within the Niagara Peninsula, the Commission noted unreasonable variations in the population size of the existing districts of Niagara Falls and Niagara West. Significant adjustments were required to achieve population equality, with resulting impacts on contiguous areas."

To resolve this issue, the Ontario Commission has proposed adjusting the Niagara Falls electoral boundaries by removing the Town of Fort Erie from Niagara Falls riding and adding the municipality to the adjacent Niagara Centre riding, which is also proposed to be newly named 'Niagara South'. No new areas are added to the Niagara Falls riding to replace Fort Erie being removed. The adjusted riding according to the proposal would only consist of two municipalities: the City of Niagara Falls and the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

I understand the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act mandates that each electoral district shall, as close as reasonably possible, correspond to the Provincial Electoral Quota ("the Quota"). For Ontario, the 2022 Quota is 116,590 as per page 7 of the proposal.

Further, that absent extraordinary circumstances, the Commission must make every effort to ensure that the population of each electoral district in the province remains within 25 per cent more or 25 per cent less of the Quota.

Considering this +/- 25 per cent rule within the legislation, it seems odd that the 2022 Ontario Commission would arbitrarily endeavour to limit the deviation from the Quota to no more than +/- 10 per cent, as it reads on page 9 of its proposal. It is incredible to suggest, the Commission would endeavour to make such an arbitrary decision, outside the bounds of the legislative requirements. Instead, if following the parameters as set out by the legislation, the riding of Niagara Falls could remain essentially intact, rather than severely divided, as proposed by the Ontario Commission. This division creates several issues of concern, when one considers arguments such as communities of interests, culture, and history.

The Commission is obliged to consider communities of interest or communities of identity in, and the historical pattern of, electoral districts.

Unfortunately, it appears that in the Commissions pursuit of achieving their own stringent +/-10 per cent rule across the province, they have grossly overlooked and failed to fully consider and understand the deep local interconnected communities of interest, cultural identities, and history, which are shared across Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

All three municipalities are connected along the Niagara River, the eastern most boundary that defines the Canada-US border. The Niagara River corridor and the lands that surround it comprise of some of the most historically significant and culturally rich areas in Canada. For example, the riding is home to the greatest concentration of War of 1812 battlefield sites, anywhere in Canada; and these sites can be found in each of the ridings three municipalities.

The interests, culture, and history located here and shared by all three municipalities are exceptional and have a pattern of running south-north along the Niagara River. For these reasons, which I will list below, the Niagara Falls riding boundaries should remain intact as they are now.

As the local Member of Parliament, I am responsible to bring these critical factors of community of interest, identity, and history to the Commission's attention for their consideration. The current Niagara Falls riding boundaries were established nearly 20 years ago and despite its unusually high population, these boundaries were upheld by the 2012 Ontario Commission for these very reasons of shared and interconnected community interest, identity, and history.

While time has passed, these reasons have not changed.

Effective representation, which we all strive to achieve, is made possible in part by understanding, appreciating, and knowing these unique community interests, cultural identities, and history. I am proud to represent Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake, and I am committed to ensuring the effective representation of all local interests in Ottawa – and this effective representation fundamentally begins by keeping these three communities together in the same federal riding boundary as they currently are in the federal riding of Niagara Falls.

Below are some examples of unique local history, cultural identity, and interests that are shared by and between the communities of Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Past Ontario Commission Proposals and Reports

Upon proposing adjustments in 2002, and after hearing public opposition to their proposals, the 2003 Ontario Commission decided to unite Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake together in one federal riding because of their shared common interests, cultural identities, and history along the Niagara River corridor – despite its high population.

Almost 10 years later, upon proposing adjustments in 2011, and after hearing the same public opposition to their proposals, the 2012 Ontario Commission decided to uphold this riding boundary and keep it intact because of the same common interests, cultural identities, and history shared between Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Now, in 2022, the Ontario Commission has once again proposed adjustments to the federal Niagara Falls riding boundaries– but the fundamental reasons for keeping the three municipalities in the riding together have not changed – despite the high population. In fact, the reasons for keeping the federal boundaries of the Niagara Falls riding intact have only grown, become stronger, and more entrenched in these communities, as detailed in the information provided.

Economic, Transportation, and National Security Considerations

Given its interconnected history, culture, and interests, the residents of Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake also share an interconnected economic base of common interests, not only amongst themselves, but also their neighbours and trading partners in the United States located just across the Niagara River. This includes but is not limited to tourism, international trade, the entertainment and gaming industry of Niagara Falls casinos and the Fort Erie racetrack, duty free stores at the international bridge crossings, our highly integrated border communities, border security interests, and the Queen Elizabeth Way – a highway that represents one of the most economically significant commercial and tourism gateways into Niagara and Canada, which links all three municipalities and connects our two countries together.

When examining topics such as communities of interests, the launch of a recent important tourism initiative called 'Explore the Niagara' must be noted. This initiative highlights the cultural and historical connections, sites and activities spanning Fort Erie, Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is a collaboration of the City of Niagara Falls, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the Town of Fort Erie, along with the Ontario provincial government agency, The Niagara Parks Commission and the federal agency of Parks Canada, to leverage the vast array of experiences available to visitors and package them in a new and accessible way, delivering curated and digestible itineraries that are ideal for exploration.

The 'Explore the Niagara' website details how the 56-kilometre Niagara River corridor and the lands that surround it comprise one of the most historically important and culturally rich regions in Canada. It then promotes the spectacular natural landscapes of Niagara, through interconnected themes of Indigenous culture, Black History, Nation Building and many more, which make the region so unique. This new collaborative initiative, 'Explore the Niagara', then encourages visitors and residents to experience these remarkable stories as they build and expand on their own unique personal connections to the three communities within the riding. The website highlights five themes (Nation Building, Indigenous Culture, Black History, Nature, and Active Living) and over 50 unique sites, monuments, trails and parks that are unique to the culture and history found along the Niagara River corridor.

In essence, it encapsulates many of the arguments, one would suggest in terms of communities of interests and why the riding of Niagara Falls deserves to remain as it is. More information about this initiative can be found online through this weblink:

https://niagaraparks.com/explore/explore-the-niagara/

National Historic Battlefield Sites That Formed Canada

As indicated earlier, Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake are home to the greatest concentration of War of 1812 battlefield sites and burial grounds, anywhere in Canada. In fact, the Niagara region has hosted some of the most monumental events in Canadian history, including the War of 1812 and Fenian Raids. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, British, Canadian and Indigenous allies have fought tirelessly to protect Canadian sovereignty and culture. Significant battlegrounds include Old Fort Erie in Fort Erie, the historic Lundy's Lane Battlefield in Niagara Falls, Brock's monument at Queenston Heights in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and many others. These battlegrounds and historic sites are key to understanding the shared historical identity and communities of interest between our three municipalities, which were fundamental to nation building and forming Canada into the country we live in today.

Black History Considerations

The Niagara River Parkway runs in parallel with the Niagara River from Fort Erie north to the shores of Lake Ontario in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This route was also Niagara's legendary Underground Railroad – Niagara's Freedom Trail - that led an estimated 40,000 slaves to freedom throughout the 19th Century. The land within the Niagara Falls Riding is where Harriet Tubman crossed into Canada in 1856, to assist freedom seekers from the United States. The MacKenzie Printery located in Queenston, is the actual home to the Louis Roy printing press that printed Upper Canada's 1793 Act Against Slavery. Additional sites and events significant to local cultural identity and Black History, which is shared between Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake, include the Simcoe Memorial in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Bertie Street Ferry Landing and Freedom Park in Fort Erie, the Fort Erie settlement called 'Little Africa', the Niagara Movement, Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act Against Slavery, William and Susannah Steward House in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Waystation to Freedom Memorial in Old Fort Erie, and the Voice of Freedom Memorial in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Indigenous Cultural Considerations

The residents of the Niagara Region have had a long-standing relationship and friendship with the Indigenous peoples of this land. In fact, oral tradition and archaeological evidence have shown that Indigenous peoples have lived along the Niagara River for some 13,000 years. These strong connections with the local Indigenous peoples are seen throughout Niagara's most significant historical events, and includes such things as important strategic alliances, which were activated during the War of 1812. First Nations allies helped the heavily outnumbered defenders of Upper Canada stand against overwhelming American forces. Their efforts helped secure victory at pivotal events throughout the War of 1812 and secured freedom for all Canadians. Their cultural identity and historical significance connect Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake, and they are commemorated by the Mewinzha Gallery and Interpretive Centre in Fort Erie, the Six Nations Warriors Plaque and the Landscape of Nations Commemorative Memorial located at Queenston Heights in Niagara-on-the-Lake, as well as at the Battle of Chippawa site and Cairn in Niagara Falls.

The riding is also home to two Friendship Centres, the Niagara Regional Native Centre located in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre located in Fort Erie, which provide our local indigenous population important community resources, programs, and services.

Environment and Geography Considerations

The Niagara Falls Riding is also known as "The River Riding". The 56-kilometre-long Niagara River defines the eastern most boundary of Niagara Falls riding, along the Canada-US border. The Niagara River also connects two Great Lakes (Lake Erie and Lake Ontario) and three municipalities: The Town of Fort Erie, the City of Niagara Falls, and the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The Niagara River flows south-north from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, and it is the force that formed the magnificent Niagara Falls. The Niagara River corridor and the lands that surround it comprise one of the most historically important and culturally rich regions in Canada.

The Niagara Falls Riding also outlines a large portion of the Niagara Peninsula, which lies between Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and the Niagara River in southwestern Ontario. It is considered part of the Carolinian Life Zone. Named after the Carolina states, this Carolinian Life Zone is the northernmost edge of the deciduous forest region in eastern North America. In Canada, the Carolinian Life Zone is just a narrow band across Southern Ontario, which supports the most productive and endangered assortment of plant and animal species in Canada. Species that may be common farther south are at the northern limit of their distribution. This means that a high proportion of nationally and provincially rare species are found here.

Recreational Considerations

Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake are also home to an incredible selection of outdoor recreational activities, including but not limited to world-class golf courses, canoeing, bird watching, fishing, and many walking and cycling trails, such as the Niagara River Recreational Trail, the Trans Canada Trail, the Friendship Recreation Trail, the Laura Secord Legacy Trail, the Fort Erie Loop, the Bruce Trail, Riverwalk, the Niagara Glen, White Water Walk, and many more.

Conclusion

It is for these reasons and more that the current Niagara Falls riding boundaries be maintained, in order to keep the three municipalities of Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake together.

Their unique and significantly shared common interests, cultures, and history along the Niagara River corridor are exceptional and extraordinary. Perhaps nowhere else in this country do communities share the combination of factors that Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake have.

Despite its high population, the Niagara Falls riding is effectively represented in the House of Commons in Ottawa, and this effective representation will continue, as it has for nearly 20 years. In fact, if the legislative requirement for consideration of +/- 25 per cent rule had been applied and followed as set out by the legislation, the Niagara Falls riding would have exceeded this number by less than 700 residents, or about only one or two electoral polls. The question then becomes, should the closeness of ties and commonalities of interests in economy, culture, and history shared between the residents of Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and Niagara-on-the-Lake be severed and disregarded for such an insignificantly low number? I strongly and firmly believe the answer to that question is 'no'.

If the 2022-2023 Ontario Commission ignores public input, and proceeds with their flawed proposal, the disruption and displacement of almost 33,000 people in Fort Erie will be unjustified, as it will disconnect them from their common interests, cultural identities, and shared history with the City of Niagara Falls and the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share this information. More importantly, thank you for your consideration of the comments and information shared for your attention.

Sincerely,

Tony Baldinelli, MP for Niagara Falls