Commentaire 33 – commentaires et rétroaction

Sam Merulla

I have had the honour and privilege of serving the residents of Hamilton's Ward 4 for the past 22 years. For the record, I did not participate in the recent municipal election, and have officially retired from public service. I was recently made aware of a recommendation that would see a portion of the Niagara Region added to the riding of Hamilton East - Stoney Creek. I respectfully disagree with the recommendation and request the commission to uphold and respect the "communities of interest and identity" factors that form part of your guiding principles.

From an identity perspective, the portion of Grimsby you've added is vastly different from the existing riding of Hamilton East - Stoney Creek. A quick glance at recent census data illustrates the differences between these two communities. The socio-economic disparities between the two regions are severe. Hamilton East - Stoney Creek's poverty numbers are much higher than Grimsby in all areas, including but not limited to the percentage of individuals whose income is based on government support to the percentage of individuals who earn more than $100,000 per year. These same differences exist when reviewing the ethnic makeup of the two communities.

The vast majority of the population of Grimsby speak English as their first language, in sharp contrast to the number of ethnicities in Hamilton East - Stoney Creek whose mother tongue is not English. These same contrasts exist when one examines the census data related to housing. Grimsby is a low density community with a low percentage of renters, again in sharp contrast to the medium to high density population of Hamilton East - Stoney Creek, where the percentage of renters is far greater than their Niagara neighbours.

The census data, past and present, is quite revealing. These two communities are distinctly different in almost all areas of the census. For these reasons, I humbly suggest that the municipal borders of Hamilton and Niagara be respected. I further recommend that the existing boundary of Kenilworth be maintained on the west side, and that the riding expand southerly into the urban area of Stoney Creek above the escarpment, similar to what exists in the riding of Hamilton West Ancaster Dundas. If the changes you've recommended in other ridings are withdrawn, I believe you will have achieved your desire to attain the population ranges within your quota of +/- 10%.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and I look forward to reviewing your final recommendations.

Sincerely,

Sam Merulla