Comment 181 – comments and feedback

Harold McQuaker, Mayor, Township of Emo

Please find attached the resolution passed by the Township of Emo on September 13, 2022, in support of the Township of Sioux-Narrows and Nestor Falls response to the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario.

The Corporation of the Township of Emo

P.O. Box xxx, Emo, Ontario, xxx xxx

Website: www.emo.ca E-mail: xxxxxxxx@xxx.xx

Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx Fax: xxx-xxx-xxxx

Date: September 13, 2022 Resolution No.: 8 pg 1 of 2 Moved By: H. Boven Seconded By: L. Dunn

Be it resolved that Council approves to support the Township of Sioux Narrows —Nestor Falls Resolution regarding Federal Electoral Boundary changes:

Whereas the Constitution of Canada requires that federal electoral districts be reviewed every ten years; and,

Whereas the 2022 Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario was established as an independent commission to reconfigure the boundaries of Ontario's electoral districts; and,

Whereas the Commission has proposed a new electoral map for consideration at public hearings commencing in September 2022; and,

Whereas the proposal of the Commission would reduce the number of federal electoral districts in Northern Ontario from ten to nine; and,

Whereas the proposal would see the two largest ridings in the far north, Kenora and Timmins-James Bay, amended and combined into one massive riding called Kiiwetinoong-Mushkegowuk, spanning from the Manitoba border to Quebec, and Kenora's current riding boundary readjusted dramatically and combined with Thunder Bay-Rainy River, with further significant changes to the Thunder Bay-Superior North and Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing boundaries; and,

Whereas the legislation would in fact support, according to the population quota to be applied by the Commission, a reduction of two, but the commission has recommended one; and,

Whereas the Commission itself concluded any "further reduction in the number of districts in the north would imperil the principle of effective representation in this part of the province, considering its widely dispersed population and communities of interest"; and,

Whereas the Kenora district was deemed an "extraordinary circumstance" in 2012 during the last boundary review, and because of which it was not revised at that time; and,

Whereas the boundary proposal, if approved, would reduce the overall number of Northern Federal representatives in the House of Commons, further diluting the voice of Northern Ontario residents on federal matters, and in the Commission's own words, would "imperil the principle of effective representation"; and,

Whereas the voice of the North in the House of Commons is already imperiled and underrepresented by so few seats;

Now Therefore be it Resolved that the Township of Sioux Narrows - Nestor Falls strongly opposes the proposed reduction of Northern ridings and representatives.

Further that copies of this resolution be forwarded to Eric Melillo, MP Kenora Riding, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario, the Kenora District Municipal Association, the Rainy-River District Municipal Association and the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association.

Voting results

Pecuniary Interest	Recorded Vote	Council Member	Yea	Nay	Declaration Under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act Councillors who have declared an interest, abstained from discussion and did not vote on this question.
		Harold McQuaker
		Harrold Boven
		Lincoln Dunn
		Lori Ann Shortreed
		Warren Toles

Harold McQuaker Mayor

Carried: ✓

Defeated: