Commentaire 18 – commentaires et rétroaction

Frank Rupcic

I am responding to the commission with my thoughts and concerns for the proposed new electoral boundaries.

Why do my thoughts have merit?

My comments come from the perspective I have developed as a life long Niagara resident. I am someone who knows the Niagara region very well because of my experiences living in many of the municipalities of the region including Niagara Falls, St.Catharines, Port Colborne, Vineland (Lincoln), Port Dalhousie(St.Catharines) and now Niagara-on-the-Lake. I am also the General Manager of Venture Niagara Community Futures Development Corporation, a not for profit economic development organization providing business financing, advisory services and community economic development projects for more than 25 years. This office is located in Thorold at the centre of the Niagara Region. Our service area is the Niagara region and I am very familiar with travel patterns of residents, market areas of businesses and not for profit organizations, the influence of various media including newspapers and radio as well as social media.

I have also worked in offices in St.Catharines, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne Welland and Thorold and am familiar with the highways and backroads of most of Niagara.

The need for change and maintaining the integrity of the Niagara geography

I understand the need to adjust electoral boundaries to account for changing populations and other reasons. I understand too that this is not an easy challenge. However I ask for swift reconsideration of the proposed Niagara electoral boundaries. Most notably the Niagara West area. The two most glaring changes include deleting the northern part of the Town of Grimsby and including this population with Hamilton Mountain. The other is extending Niagara West into Haldimand area (Dunnville et al).

Grimsby must not leave Niagara West

The loss of such a historic portion of Grimsby in the northern boundary will alter Grimsby and Niagara's identity over time if this change was confirmed. The portion of Grimsby in question contains what I would term as "old Grimsby along Hwy 8 and northward to Lake Ontario as well as "new Grimsby" a modern, high-density development that is attracting key residential and commercial growth for a municipality that has worked hard to see such change. My concern is that with a new electoral boundary based on the Hamilton Mountain identity, the tie to Grimsby will eventually fade and this area will morph its rural identity into the blandness of a Hamilton/Stoney Creek neighbourhood. Grimsby has a strong identity and role in Niagara's history and is a vital part of this region going forward too, largely due to its burgeoning population growth which is predicted to be even more robust in the next 5-10 years. We need Grimsby to remain a key component of Niagara's identity

Haldimand should not be part of Niagara West

To the southern portion of the riding, the inclusion of Haldimand (Dunnivlle et al) is difficult to accept as feasible because this too has a history and identity that does not necessarily "fit" with the Niagara identity. The potential loss of Grimsby in the north and the inclusion of Haldimand in the southern part of the electoral district would do much to water down the Niagara identity. Perhaps a more feasible approach to balancing Niagara West would be to retain this riding in its entirety within the regional municipality of Niagara and carve out some offsetting population centres from St.Catharines, Pelham, Welland.

It is important for Niagara to have a cohesive political identity and presence for its residents by keeping all the ridings withing the boundaries of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. Even if political parties differ in the ridings the recent history is that the area has started to speak with a more unified voice to secure key achievements such as phased in GO train service; The 2022 Canada Games. By blurring the electoral boundaries in and out of Niagara, such achievements may not be as successful going forward when the opportunity arises.

Thorold should not be part of Niagara West

While mention has been made of issues with carving out part of Grimsby and including part of Haldimand, the inclusion of Thorold in the Niagara West electoral area is most troubling. Simply put it is not a fit on any level. My office is on Thorold and has been in this municipality for some 13 years. There is little if any connection between Thorold and any semblance of Niagara West. Thorold is a Canal town – "Where the Ships Climb the Mountain" It has a rich industrial history most notably in paper mills and a social fabric that can be logically connected to St.Catharines, Niagara Falls or even Welland at times but not really affiliated with a Niagara West identity by any stretch. Thorold is the centre of Niagara and home to the regional government headquarters in large part because of its central location.

What Else Might Work?

You must reconsider the inclusion of Thorold. Much of this part of the Niagara Region has a North/South orientation due in part to the existence of the Welland Canal and the Niagara River, Electoral boundaries should follow this orientation, much like the proposals of local politicians when "One Niagara" municipality was threatened by the Province. Four municipalities were considered which may also be considered in this important exercise