Comment 179 – comments and feedback
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Gisèle Pageau
Please see attached SEMA and Municipality of French River resolutions regarding the Federal Electoral Boundaries Proposal.
Corporation of the Municipality of French River Corporation de la Municipality of French River P.O. Box/C.P. 156, 44 rue St. Christophe Street Noelville, Ontario POM 2NO
Resolution
No: Reso1.2022-163 Date: September 21, 2022 Moved By: Randy Lazlett Seconded By: Dean Weaborne
Whereas the roposed Federal Electoral Boundary Commission has proposed to remove one of the electoral ridings from Northern Ontario; and
Whereas the proposed riding of Manitoulin-Nickel Belt would remove the Municipalities of St. Charles, Markstay-Warren, and West Nipissing from the current Nickel Belt riding; and
Whereas the Municipalities of French River, Killarney, St. Charles, Markstay-Warren, and West Nipissing work together under the umbrella of the Sudbury-East Municipal Association. (SEMA) for the betterment of each municipality. Currently SEMA is comprised of one geopolitical entity and any changes would fragment, diminish, and reduce access to federal representation for area residents; and
Whereas the Commission is not taking into consideration the uniqueness of the said municipalities in Sudbury-East including the difficulty in competing for limited amounts of funding. Any changes to the current configuration would exacerbate the situation; and
Whereas the Commission did not take into considering that the current Sudbury-East boundaries include a substantial portion of francophone citizens. By removing St. Charles, Markstay-Warren and West Nipissing from Nickel Belt would make it extremely difficult to advocate for our francophone population and would be detrimental for those municipalities being forced into mostly anglophone ridings; and
Whereas the proposal to diminish Northern Ontario's voice in Parliament will have detrimental effect on participatory democracy and regional development as issues in Northern Ontario are significantly different than those in Southern. Ontario; and
Whereas the Electoral Commission did not take under consideration that the courts have rules that representation in Canada's democracy is not based merely on population but on regions of interest and the right of citizens to engage with their elected representative; and
Whereas any changes to electoral boundaries should be based on the principles of maintaining communities of interest within the boundaries that are equitable in terms of culture, language, and geography; and
Whereas SEMA has a history of working collaboratively on projects and issues in our current riding. It will be inefficient to separate the work between two Members of Parliament and cause a duplication work for members of SEMA; and
Whereas the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission is seeking public input on its proposed riding boundary changes, yet has scheduled only ONE in person consultation in Northern Ontario to be held in Timmins;
Therefore be it resolved that Council of the Municipality of French River hereby calls on the Electoral Boundary Commission to not reduce the number of MPs for Northern Ontario and it respects the current geographical boundaries for those in Nickel Belt.
And further that the Commission follow its rules and consider our community interest and identity and the historical pattern of our electoral district in the province when determining reasonable electoral district boundaries for our community.
And further that the Commission add an in-person consultation meeting to be held in Sudbury in order for all those residing in Nickel Belt have an opportunity to meet in-person with the Commission.
/Carried Defeated
Chair's signature
| For | Against | |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor Gisele Pageau | ||
| Councillor Renee Carrier | ||
| Councillor Ron Garbutt | ||
| Councillor Randy Hazlett | ||
| Councillor Richard Malette | ||
| Councillor David Viau | ||
| Councillor Dean Wenborne |
Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest
Name: Name:
Disclosed his/her (their) interest(s), abstained from discussion and did not vote on this question.
Sudbury East Municipal Association
44 St. Christophe St, Suite 1 Noëlville, ON P0M 2N0 Tel: (705) 898-2294 Fax: (705) 898-2181
September 20, 2022
Dear Commissioners,
Enclosed you will find a copy of the Sudbury East Municipal Association's (SEMA) resolution outlining its objection to the reduction and reallocation of Members of Parliament for Northeastern Ontario. Also enclosed is a copy of the media release.
Yours truly,
Gisele Pageau, Chair, SEMA Mayor, Municipality of French River
The Sudbury East Municipal Association (SEMA) represents matters of general interest of the Municipalities of French River, Killarney, Markstay-Warren and St.-Charles.
For immediate release
Recently, members of the Sudbury East Municipal Association (SEMA) comprised of the municipalities of French River, Killarney, Markstay-Warren, St. Charles, and West Nipissing unanimously approved a resolution objecting to the proposed Federal Electoral Boundary.
Members of SEMA stated that reducing the number of Members of Parliament in the North will diminish Northern Ontario's voice in Parliament and will have detrimental effects on participatory democracy and regional development. Issues in Northern Ontario are quite unique and different from those in Southern Ontario. All members of SEMA are currently in the Nickel Belt riding.
They also pointed out that the Commission failed to take into consideration the francophone component of the current riding. By removing St. Charles, Markstay-Warren and West Nipissing, Sudbury East and SEMA will lose a large portion of its francophone population to areas that are mainly anglophone.
SEMA went on to say that it has a history of working collaboratively on projects and issues in its current riding. They state that it would be inefficient to separate the work between two Members of Parliament and cause a duplication of work for members of SEMA.
SEMA is requesting that the Electoral Boundary Commission not to reduce the number of MPs and that it recognizes its identity and historical patterns of their electoral district. Since only ONE in-person meeting is currently scheduled for Northern Ontario and will be held in Timmins, SEMA is also requesting that the Commission adds another in-person meeting to be held in Sudbury.
For more information please contact: Gisele Pageau, SEMA Chair and Mayor, Municipality of French River, 705-665-2125 Nancy Wirtz, Mayor, Municipality of Killarney, 705-287-2424 Steve Salonin, Mayor, Municipality of Marsktay-Warren, 705-988-1780 Paul Schoppmann, Mayor, Municipality of St. Charles, 705-562-3454 Joanne Savage, Mayor, West Nipissing, 705-498-0819
***SEMA Resolution is enclosed***
Yours truly,
Gisele Pageau Chair, SEMA
Pour diffusion immédiate
Dernièrement, les membres de l'Association municipale de Sudbury-Est (SEMA) composée des municipalités de Rivière des Français, Killarney, Markstay-Warren, St. Charles et Nipissing Ouest ont approuvé unanimement une résolution d'opposition à la proposition de la Commission de délimitation des circonscriptions électorales fédérales.
Les membres de la SEMA ont déclaré que la réduction du nombre des députés dans le Nord amenuisera l'influence du Nord de l'Ontario au Parlement et nuira à la démocratie participative et au développement régional. Les problèmes du Nord de l'Ontario sont propres à cette région, différant de ceux du Sud de l'Ontario. Tous les membres de la SEMA se trouvent actuellement dans la circonscription Nickel Belt.
Les membres de la SEMA ont fait remarquer que la Commission n'avait pas tenu compte du volet francophone de la circonscription actuelle. Si les municipalités de St. Charles, Markstay-Warren et Nipissing Ouest étaient retirées de la circonscription, Sudbury-Est et la SEMA verraient une grande partie de leur population francophone passer à des secteurs qui sont principalement anglophones.
La SEMA ajoute qu'elle collabore depuis longtemps à des projets et dans des dossiers au sein de la circonscription actuelle. Il ne serait pas efficace de répartir le travail entre deux députés fédéraux, et cela créerait un chevauchement des tâches pour les membres de la SEMA.
La SEMA demande que la Commission de délimitation des circonscriptions électorales fédérales ne réduise pas le nombre des députés et qu'elle reconnaisse l'identité et l'histoire propres à sa circonscription électorale. Puisqu'UNE SEULE réunion en personne est prévue pour le Nord de l'Ontario et qu'elle aura lieu à Timmins, la SEMA demande aussi que la Commission ajoute une réunion en personne qui aurait lieu à Sudbury.
Pour obtenir plus d'information, veuillez communiquer avec : Gisèle Pageau, présidente de la SEMA et maire de la Municipalité de la Rivière des Français, 705-665-2125 Nancy Wirtz, maire de la Municipalité de Killarney, 705-287-2424 Steve Salonin, maire de la Municipalité de Marsktay-Warren, 705-988-1780 Paul Schoppmann, maire de la Municipalité de St. Charles, 705-562-3454 Joanne Savage, maire de Nipissing Ouest, 705-498-0819
***Vous trouverez ci-jointe une résolution de la SEMA
Sudbury East Municipal Association Resolution
Moved by: 
Seconded by: 
NO 2022- 08
Date: September 8, 2022
Whereas the proposed Federal Electoral Boundary Commission has proposed to remove one of the electoral ridings from Northern Ontario; and
Whereas the proposed riding of Manitoulin-Nickel Belt would remove the Municipalities of St. Charles, Markstay-Warren, and West Nipissing from the current Nickel Belt riding; and
Whereas the Municipalities of French River, Killarney, St. Charles, Markstay-Warren, and West Nipissing work together under the umbrella of the Sudbury-East Municipal Association (SEMA) for the betterment of each municipality. Currently SEMA is comprised of one geopolitical entity and any changes would fragment, diminish, and reduce access to federal representation for area residents; and
Whereas the Commission is not taking into consideration the uniqueness of the said municipalities in Sudbury-East including the difficulty in competing for limited amounts of funding. Any changes to the current configuration would exacerbate the situation; and
Whereas the Commission did not take into considering that the current Sudbury-East boundaries include a substantial portion of francophone citizens. By removing St. Charles, Markstay-Warren and West Nipissing from Nickel Belt would make it extremely difficult to advocate for our francophone population and would be detrimental for those municipalities being forced into mostly anglophone ridings; and
Whereas the proposal to diminish Northern Ontario's voice in Parliament will have detrimental effect on participatory democracy and regional development as issues in Northern Ontario are significantly different than those in Southern Ontario; and
Whereas the Electoral Commission did not take under consideration that the courts have rules that representation in Canada's democracy is not based merely on population but on regions of interest and the right of citizens to engage with their elected representative; and
Whereas any changes to electoral boundaries should be based on the principles of maintaining communities of interest within the boundaries that are equitable in terms of culture, language, and geography; and
Whereas SEMA has a history of working collaboratively on projects and issues in our current riding. It will be inefficient to separate the work between two Members of Parliament and cause a duplication work for members of SEMA; and
Whereas the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission is seeking public input on its proposed riding boundary changes, yet has scheduled on ONE in person consultation in Northern Ontario to be held in Timmins;
Therefore be it resolved that SEMA calls on the Electoral Boundary Commission to not reduce the number of MPs for Northern Ontario and it respects the current geographical boundaries for those in Nickel Belt.
And further that the Commission follow its rules and consider our community interest and identity and the historical pattern of our electoral district in the province when determining reasonable electoral district boundaries for our community.
And further that the Commission add an in-person consultation meeting to be held in Sudbury in order for all those residing in Nickel Belt have an opportunity to meet in-person with the Commission.
And further that SEMA recommends that Member Councils adopt a similar resolution.
11/ Carried Defeated
Chair's signature
| For | Against | For | Against | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier, Renee | Salonin, Steve | ||||
| Lemieux, Richard | Schoppmann,Paul | ||||
| Pageau, Gisèle (Chair) | Whynott, Ned | ||||
| Dimitrijevic, John | Wirtz, Nancy |
Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest
Name: Name:
=
Disclosed his/her (their) interest(s), abstained from discussion and did not vote on this question.
Sudbury East Municipal Association Resolution
Moved by:
Seconded by:
NO 2022- 68
Date: September 8, 2022
Attendu que la Commission de délimitation des circonscriptions électorales fédérales a proposé d'éliminer une des circonscriptions du Nord de l'Ontario;
Attendu que la circonscription proposée de Manitoulin-Nickel Belt retirerait les municipalités de St. Charles, Markstay-Warren et Nipissing Ouest de l'actuelle circonscription Nickel Belt;
Attendu que les municipalités de Rivière des Français, Killarney, St. Charles, Markstay-Warren et Nipissing Ouest travaillent ensemble sous l'égide de l'Association municipale de Sudbury-Est (SEMA) pour l'amélioration de chaque municipalité. La SEMA comprend actuellement une seule entité géopolitique, et tout redécoupage morcellerait et réduirait l'accès des personnes habitant la région à la représentation fédérale;
Attendu que la Commission ne tient pas compte du caractère distinct des municipalités susmentionnées de Sudbury-Est, y compris la difficulté de rivaliser pour obtenir des fonds restreints. Tout redécoupage de la carte électorale ferait empirer la situation;
Attendu que la Commission n'a pas tenu compte du fait qu'une grande partie de la population francophone de la circonscription se trouve dans les limites actuelles de Sudbury-Est. Si les municipalités de St. Charles, Markstay-Warren et Nipissing Ouest étaient retirées de la circonscription Nickel Belt, il serait extrêmement difficile de défendre notre population francophone et cela nuirait à ces municipalités d'être obligées d'intégrer des circonscriptions principalement anglophones;
Attendu que la proposition visant à réduire l'influence du Nord de l'Ontario au Parlement nuira à la démocratie participative et au développement régional car les enjeux du Nord de l'Ontario diffèrent grandement de ceux du Sud de l'Ontario;
Attendu que la Commission n'a pas tenu compte du fait que, selon les règles des tribunaux, la représentation démocratique au Canada est fondée non seulement sur la population mais aussi sur des communautés d'intérêt et le droit des citoyennes et citoyens d'entretenir des relations avec leur représentante ou représentant élu;
Attendu que tout redecoupage des circonscriptions electorales devrait etre fonde sur les principes du maintien des communautes d'interet a l'interieur de limites qui sont equitables des points de vue de la culture, de la langue et de la geographie;
Attendu que la SEMA collabore depuis longtemps a des projets et dans des dossiers au sein de la circonscription actuelle, qu'il ne serait pas efficace de repartir le travail entre deux deputes federaux et que cela creerait un chevauchement des taches pour les membres de la SEMA;
Attendu que la Commission de delimitation des circonscriptions electorales federales demande des commentaires sur le redecoupage qu'elle propose mais qu'elle n'a prevu de tenir qu'une seule consultation en personne dans le Nord de l'Ontario et que celle-ci aura lieu Timmins;
Il est resolu que la SEMA incite la Commission de delimitation des circonscriptions electorales federales a ne pas reduire le nombre des deputes federaux du Nord de l'Ontario et a respecter les limites geographiques actuelles de la circonscription Nickel Belt.
Il est de plus resolu que la Commission suive ses propres regles et tienne compte de notre communaute d'interet ainsi que de l'identite et de l'histoire de notre circonscription electorale dans la province pour determiner les limites de la circonscription electorale de notre communaute.
Il est de plus resolu que la Commission ajoute une reunion de consultation en personne qui aurait lieu a Sudbury afin que toutes les personnes habitant la Nickel Belt aient l'occasion de discuter en personne avec la Commission.
Il est de plus resolu que la SEMA recommande que les conseils de ses membres adoptent une resolution semblable a celle-ci.
11/ Carried Defeated
Chair's signature
| For | Against | For | Against | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier, Renee | Salonin, Steve | ||||
| Lemieux, Richard | Schoppmann,Paul | ||||
| Pageau, Gisèle (Chair) | Whynott, Ned | ||||
| Dimitrijevic, John | Wirtz, Nancy |
Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest
Name: Name:
=
Disclosed his/her (their) interest(s), abstained from discussion and did not vote on this question.