Commentaire 185 – commentaires et rétroaction
Les documents ci-dessous sont affichés dans la langue officielle d'origine tels qu'ils ont été reçus.
Retour aux commentaires et rétroaction du public
Peter Kirby
See attached.
Submission to the Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario
submitted by Peter G. Kirby LL.B. (non-practicing) Kenora, Ontario October 27, 2022
Introduction
In commenting on the proposed elimination of the Kenora Riding and the creation of a very much larger Riding, Kiiwetinoong Mushkegowuk (KM), when I talk about the challenges of and MP providing service to constituents in the north I know something about the challenge of travel in the north.
I spent twenty-seven years practicing law (criminal and family) in the northwest, from Thunder Bay to Fort Frances, from Fort Frances to Dryden, from Dryden to Kenora and from Kenora to Red Lake and Sioux Lookout and visited most of the first nations within the Kenora and TBRR Ridings.
I ran as an NDP candidate in the 1993 federal election in the former Kenora-Rainy River Riding.
I have travelled by car and by air and at least once by boat and by skidoo. I have travelled in Ministry of Natural Resources float planes and, King Airs using gravel runways. I have endured inclement weather and flight cancellations—sometimes en route to a satellite court in an Indigenous community—because of wind, fog, snow and ice and—something which marks a cultural difference between non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities—deaths.
Plane travel in the north is often indirect for which the term milk run is entirely apt.
Summary Comment
The rationale for the creation of KM and elimination of the Kenora Riding is threadbare and unpersuasive.
Below I detail issues I had trying to make sense of locations for First Nation communities— something important for my argument. I then go on to tackle the Electoral Boundary Commission for Ontario's (ECBO) rationale in light of geography, accessibility, effective representation, history, community of interest and language and lastly the proposed removal of a voice in Parliament for the north.
Names, numbers and locations of First Nations
In trying to determine and critique the rationale for the creation of KM and the elimination of Kenora Riding, mMy focus is on Treaty Number 3 and Number 9 territories, the Kenora, Thunder Bay-Rainy River (TBRR) and Timmins-James Bay (TJB) Ridings (Electoral Districts) and the proposed new or reconfigured Ridings of KM, Cochrane, Sault Ste. Marie (SSM), Kenora-Thunder Bay-Rainy River (KTBRR), and Thunder Bay-Superior North (TBSN).
Lack of Correspondence between Old and New Boundary Descriptions
The EBCO Boundary Descriptions for the proposed new and reconfigured Electoral Districts identify First Nations communities included within the boundaries; however, the Boundary Description for the current Ridings does not. This makes it very difficult to compare the old with the new.
Lack of Correspondence between Names
The EBCO Boundary Descriptions for the proposed KM Riding, the proposed Ridings of Cochrane, SSM, KTBRR, and the proposed Riding of TBSN give the names of reserves and settlements (ECBO categories) within the Riding Boundaries but not the names of the First Nations located on those reserves— names used by these First Nations and the treaty organizations to which they belong.
Imagine if Kenora were to be listed under its one-time name, Rat Portage, rather than its legal municipal identity of Kenora.
Lack of Correspondence between Lists Numbers of First Nations
The ECBO Boundary Description lists omits some reserves and the First Nations which occupy them.
I expand on these issues in Appendix A — Comment on Maps and Boundary Descriptions.
Below I deal with issues raised directly by the proposed deletion of the Kenora Riding and the creation of KM.
Extraordinary circumstance
The ECBO concluded that:
the sparse population throughout this remote and expansive area, and the Indigenous communities of interest that are predominant in this part of Northern Ontario, justified this one proposed extraordinary circumstances district. The eight other proposed districts in this geographic piece are all of manageable geographic size and accessible via major roadways. note 1
The rationale is rather threadbare. This commentator would have preferred a background paper fleshing out the rationale; however, accepting it at face value, the reasoning has little force.
Citing the 1991 Saskatchewn boundaries case, a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, the 2012 Ontario Commission stated that "while the value of a citizen's vote should not be unduly diluted, effective representation often cannot be achieved without taking into account such 'countervailing factors' as 'geography, community history, community interests and minority representation.' note 2 (emphasis added)
It hardly seems fair to create eight (8) "manageable" ridings, manageable in terms of size and accessibility by "major highways" while creating one "extraordinary circumstance" riding which is not, either manageable by geography or connection by road or air transportation.
Trains, Boats, Planes and Automobiles: Imposing an Unmanageable Workload for any MP
The Kenora Riding MP serves 26 (26) Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN) First Nations and fifteen (15) Treaty #3 First Nations for a total of forty-one (41) First Nations. The proposed redistribution will have KM's MP responsible of forty (40) NAN member and five (5) Treaty #3 members for a total of 45.
The population of the Kenora Riding was, at the time of the Commission's report, 55,977—a deviation from quota of -47.30%. The population is now 64,261 with a deviation from the 2022 quota of -44.88%. The KM Riding would have a population almost half the size of the Kenora Riding, 36,325 (56.5%), for a deviation from the 2022 quota of -68.84.%. Looking at a reduced number of constituents to serve, one might conclude that the workload of an MP for KM would be almost cut in half. An examination of accessibility totally undermines this argument.
Treaty Number 3 communities are accessible by road. The MP for KM would be serving, except for five (5) three Treaty Number 3 First Nations and three (3) NAN communities accessible by road, Osnaburgh (Mishkkeegogamang) Whitesand and Gull River No. 55. The remainder are fly-in communities.
In addition, while there are two routes by road between Thunder Bay and Kenora, one of which is the Trans-Canada highway and one of which is a route through Atikokan and Fort Frances along highways 11 and 71, both of which routes are about the same distance and involve the same travel time, there is no northern highway or even logging roads connecting Red Lake and Sioux Lookout to points north, east or west.
East of Thunder Bay the Trans-Canada swings south along the shores of Lake Superior, creating even great distance between the traveller and northern First Nations. Taking the more northerly route, along highway 11 from Nipigon, brings the traveller a bit closer, but not much.
Ice road is an option in the winter but travel along such roads is, because of safety concerns, very slow.
Travel by boat is an option, but only for an MP accessing communities close to constituency offices in urban centres. For example, an MP can travel by boat from Red Lake to Pikangikum and further north. But the time involved in doing so makes this mode of travel extremely unrealistic.
If one is travelling by plane, the hub for much of the north, connecting to First Nations, is Sioux Lookout—not Kenora and not Thunder Bay or any place east of Thunder Bay. Though one can connect to places north from Red Lake, Thunder Bay and Timmins, Sioux Lookout is the hub.
Three major carriers, Bearskin (Perimeter), Wasaya and North Star do not provide service to the coastal communities. Thunder Air provides such service out of Timmins.
Generally, airlines either serve the communities west of the current Kenora Riding Boundary or east of that Boundary.
Though the train is an option to go east or west across the north, the train does not reach fly-in communities. There is a train north from Timmins to Moosonee—but that is the one and only train north. For the most part, for MPs wishing to visit as many events and communities as possible in a short space of time, during a weekend, or even during a Parliamentary Session Break, train travel is not realistic.
In addition to dramatically decreasing accessibility, by reconfiguring Ridings to create KM, the Commission would possibly be doubling the workload of any MP.
Though I am, at present unable to precisely calculate the additional landmass which KM would add to the Kenora Riding, it appears that the KM Riding would take over more than half of the TJB Riding. It would also absorb and half of the TBSN Riding while losing about losing equivalent landmass to a revised TBSN.
Kenora Riding covers an area of 292,684.84 square kilometres, and Timmins-James Bay, 248,070.73 square kilometres. A conservative estimate based on adding half of the landmass encompassed by TJB Riding to the Kenora Riding would result in the Riding of KM covering a territory of 417,000 square km.
In conclusion, no matter where KM constituency offices may be located, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay and perhaps Timmins, the only realistic way for any MP to serve the proposed KM riding is to fly.
To demonstrate how an MP might organize his or her schedule to reach fly-in communities one can look at how the courts and police services organize their trips.
Nishnawbe-Aski Police Services (NAPS) which polices NAN First Nations divides itself into three regional headquarters, Northwest, Central and Northeast with regional offices in Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay, and Timmins.
The satellite courts serving Indigenous communities in the north are also divided into three regions, Northwest, Central and Northeast with Kenora and Dryden base courts serving seventeen (17) communities, Thunder Bay courts six (6) and Timmins courts five (5).
I have included the regional and base court-satellite court lists in Appendix B.
To contemplate how one MP could visit the First Nations in KM with any degree of regularity and what kind of satellite office structure the MP would have to put in place to provide adequate service is a daunting if not fantastic organizational challenge.
History
I also suggest that reducing the number of ridings in the north by one flies in the face of conclusions by previous commissions.
The 2012 Commission stated that "in accordance with the decision of its predecessor, the Commission continues to believe that it is appropriate to apply the extraordinary circumstances rule in the Act to the electoral district of Kenora." note 3
The ECBO has given no rationale for departing from past experience and logic.
But the question remains whether there are countervailing reasons to make a change and eliminate the Kenora Riding.
Language
According to NAN the people within Treaty 9 "speak Cree and Algonquin in the east, OjiCree in the west, and Ojibway in the central south area," Ojibway (or, more technically correct, Ojibwe or Anishinaabemowin) is the language spoken in one of the largest of First Nations within NAN, is Pikangikum, population about 3,000. note 4
The people of the northern First Nations are not one homogenous language group nor, within language groups, do they speak the same dialects.
Community of interest
As outlined above, the Indigenous communities of interest which would be included within KM are not exclusively signatories to Treaty Number 9. Some have chosen to be under an umbrella governance organization called Ninshnawbi-Aski Nation.
Stranding Five Treaty Number 3 First Nations
Under the proposed redistribution plan, five (5) Treaty Number 3 First Nations will be included within KM. The remaining twenty-three (two others are within Manitoba) will be included in the proposed KTBRR Riding. While all NAN communities have some community of interest, the Treaty Number 3 signatory First Nations of Wabaseeomoong, Waubauskang and Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) and Savant Lake are not part of Tribal Councils associated with NAN. Lac Seul, a Treaty Number 3 First Nation, seems to be incorporated within both Grand Council Treaty #3 and NAN governance structures. I cannot explain the apparent crossover.
If the Commission's goal was to provide Ridings which incorporated the whole of Treaty Territories, why strand five (5) Treaty Number 3 communities within KM?
Though an appealing argument for the creation of KM might be that it would provide a home for all NAN First Nations, as indicated above, it does not. And why favour NAN over Grand
Council Treaty #3 to create a Riding which incorporates many—but not all—NAN members within KM?
Losing a voice in parliament
Even if the Commission can make a reasonable argument that the KM Riding creates or recognizes a community of interest and language, how can the Commission pretend that the cost—reducing the north's voice in Parliament by eliminating Kenora Riding—is worth the cost of so doing?
The north supplies vast wealth to Ontario and Canada. Think of the contributions of mining and forestry. The wealth created does not, for the most part, stay in the north—a continuous source of irritation to northerners. note 5
The north's economic heft—particularly in a time when there is a rush to develop the metals needed for Electric vehicles—should not be diminished.
In addition, though a good argument could be made that Indigenous voices need separate representation in Parliament the Commission should not use its discretion to redistribute seats to address this need. That decision is for Parliament.
In addition, providing one MP for KM, even if he or she is Indigenous—as might be the case given that that the majority of constituents would be Indigenous—does not address the loss of representation of Indigenous people within Treaty Number 3 territory.
It is no answer to say that the KTBRR MP will represent those interests as presently they are represented by two MPs—not one. Their representation is diluted by half.
Conclusion
There is every reason for the Commission to leave the Kenora Riding intact and every reason to protect the interest of northerners in having effective representation. History, geography, manageability, and accessibility argue for the preservation of the Kenora Riding. Countervailing arguments are not persuasive.
In any case, as I have tried to point out, Indigenous community of interest arguments should favour the First Nation constituents of Treaty Number 3 territory not just those of Treaty Number 9 territory.
Appendix A — Comment on Maps and Boundary Descriptions MAPS and LISTS
I used maps and lists sourced from Grand Council Treaty #3 (Treaty No. 3) and Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (Treaty No. 9) websites, maps, and lists from the EBCO website, maps and lists provided by Elections Canada (EC) and other internet sources to determine which reserves/communities corresponded with which First Nations. I have tried to find a correspondence between the names used by EC and ECBO to identify reserves/settlements and the names used by the treaty organizations, and First Nations to identify their communities. I have also been trying to ascertain which First Nations come within the boundaries of the current and proposed Ridings of the northwest (http://gct3.ca/our-nation/; https://vvww.nan.ca/about/first-nations/).
Especially in the borderlands between Ridings, the maps available on the EBCO website are inadequate to the task.
The Map Viewer contains no map providing the detail required to fully understand the current and proposed Riding Boundaries and where each reserve or settlement is located within those boundaries. For example, even zooming in on the proposed KM Riding does not allow the viewer to see the exact location of First Nations within the Riding Boundaries. The viewer can see the names "New Osnaburgh" and "Slate Falls" but there is no marking (bullet point or flag) to give the exact location of these First Nations. In addition, the ECBO list of reserves includes Osnaburgh No. 63A and Osnaburgh No. 63B—two communities which the map appears to identify as one. The ECBO map does not show Moose Factory No. 68 or Factory Island No. 1. The map for KTBRR shows no reserves or First Nations (https://redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca/ebv/en/?data id=dataSource 2-Federal Electoral Districts Proposed Circonscriptions Electorales Federales Proposees vw 5242%3A159&locale=en-ca&prov=on).
Northwest Bay, one of the names used for Naicatchewan First Nation is shown on the map, but most people would not know that this is a name association with Naicatchewan First Nation.
I contacted Elections Canada for more detail. The EC map for KM shows the two Osnaburgh reserves. However, the EC map, though generally allowing one to see which First Nation is located in which Riding, does not show all First Nations. For KTBRR Riding, Rainy Lake 17A and 18C do not appear on the EC map.
Again, in the borderlands between Ridings it is difficult to know which First Nations listed on the EC maps are within the Boundaries of which Ridings. For example, EC lists Gull River No. 55 as being within KM; however, that is not crystal clear from the EC map.
What was needed was a map showing all First Nation communities—using the identifiers used by EC and EBCO cross-referenced with the First Nations listed by Grand Council Treaty #3 and NAN—and showing all other communities, municipalities, roads, and railway lines within the boundaries of current and proposed Ridings (see discussion immediately below).
Names of First Nations Both ECBO and EC use reserve names for First Nations. These seldom correspond with the names First Nations use to describe themselves. For example, in KTBRR, Agency No. 1, found on the ECBO Boundary Description under "Indian reserves", is "shared among four First Nations: Couchiching First Nation, Mitaanjigamiing First Nation, Naicatchewenin First Nation and Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Agency_1).
However, the three communities occupy their own reserves as well: Manjigamiing, 18C; Naicatchewan, 17A and 17B and Nigigoonsiminikaaning, 26 A. Naongashiing First Nation corresponds with EC 's Big Island Mainland 93 and Saug-a-Gaw-Sing No. 1 reserves (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anishnaabeg_of_Naongashiing).
The ECBO description for the KTBRR Riding lists the following as being within its boundaries:
- the Indian reserves of Agency No. 1, Assabaska, Big Grassy River No. 35G, Big Island Mainland No. 93, Couchiching No. 16A, Eagle Lake No. 27, Fort William No. 52, Kenora No. 38B, Lac des Mille Lacs No. 22A1, Lake of the Woods No. 37, Manitou Rapids No. 11, Neguaguon Lake No. 25D, Northwest Angle No. 33B, Rainy Lake nos. 17A, 17B, 18C and 26A, Rat Portage No. 38A, Sabaskong Bay No. 35D, Saug-a-Gaw-Sing No. 1, Seine River No. 23A, Shoal Lake nos. 34B2 and 39A, Sturgeon Falls No. 23, The Dalles No. 38C, Wabigoon Lake No. 27, Whitefish Bay nos. 32A, 33A and 34A; and
-
that part of Shoal Lake Indian Reserve No. 40 lying easterly of the interprovincial boundary between Ontario and Manitoba.
I suggest that ECBO and EC at the very least, put the names of First Nations in brackets beside the names of reserves so that readers can identify which reserve is home to which First Nation.
Numbers of First Nations My attempt to make the number of First Nations listed by treaty organizations correspond with the numbers listed by EBCO or EC has been unsuccessful. The ECBO Boundary Description for KM omits three First Nation members of Nishnawbe-Aski Nation—all within Treaty Nine Territory—Kashechewan (James Bay Coast), Whitewater Lake (north of Armstrong) and MacDowell Lake (northwest of Pikangikum). Email Kuntz Oct 18—22
According to Grand Council Treaty #3, the number of Treaty #3 First Nations, within its territory is thirty (30): this includes two (2) communities in Manitoba (http://gct3.ca/our-nation/).
Using ECBO Boundary Descriptions and EC lists provided to me, within the current boundaries of the Kenora Riding, there are fifteen (15) Treaty #3 member First Nations and in the current Thunder Bay-Rainy River Riding boundaries, thirteen (13).
However, the ECBO Boundary Description for KTBRR indicates that there are twenty-eight (28) Treaty Number 3 First Nations. If you add the number of Treaty #3 First Nations which would be included within the KM boundary description, five (5), the total of becomes thirty-three (33). I am pointing this out not to be pedantic but to demonstrate how confusing it is to make the numbers of reserves listed by ECBO correspond with the list of First Nations listed by GCT#3.
A simple explanation may be that that Rainy Lake nos. 17A, 17B, 18C and 26A reserves can be counted as one First Nation and similarly, in respect to Whitefish Bay 32A, 33A and 34A. If so, then the total number of Treaty #3 First Nations corresponds with the number listed by Grand Council, twenty-eight (28).
I set out the list provided by EC below.
| Whitefish Bay 32A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitefish Bay 33A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Wabigoon Lake 27, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rat Portage 38A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Sabaskong Bay 35D, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Lake of the Woods 37, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Kenora 38B, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Northwest Angle 33B, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Shoal Lake 39A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Eagle Lake 27, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| The Dalles 38C, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Whitefish Bay 34A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Shoal Lake (Part) 40, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Shoal Lake 34B2, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Fort William 52, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Sturgeon Falls 23, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Assabaska, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Big Grassy River 35G, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Big Island Mainland 93, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Saug-A-Gaw-Sing 1, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Neguaguon Lake 25D, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rainy Lake 18C, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Agency 1, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Couchiching 16A, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Manitou Rapids 11, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rainy Lake 17A, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rainy Lake 17B, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Seine River 23A, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rainy Lake 26A, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Lac des Mille Lacs 22A1, IRI | Thunder Bay--Rainy River |
35105 | Kenora—Thunder Bay—Rainy River | 35049 |
Treaty Number Nine
Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN) is the governance and administrative body for fifty-one (51) First Nations communities. FN* This includes three (3) signatories to Treaty #5 (Deer Lake, Poplar Hill and Pikangikum), and three (3) signatories to Robinson-Superior Treaty (Whitesand, Whitewater and Long Lake #58). In addition, one of NAN's eight (8) Tribal Councils includes Lac Seul, a Treaty #3 First Nation. I have no insight into how to reconcile how First Nation signatories to treaties other than Treaty Nine, interact with NAN governance structures. The other communities are signatories to Treaty #9.
Nishnawbe-Aski website lists forty-nine First Nations as being within its territory. However, the list fails to include Kitchenuhmaykoosib and Whitesand which are both part of Independent First Nations Alliance, one of 8 Tribal Councils forming part of NAN. The total number of First Nations within NAN is fifty-one.*
By evolution and perhaps convenience of governance, NAN includes First Nations which are not within the territorial boundaries described by Treaty Number Nine.
The EC list (see below) and the ECBO Boundary Description show that KM would include 39 First Nations—including five (5) T#3 FN; and 2 Robinson Superior Treaty First Nations (Whitesand and Gull River 55) leaving 32 which are signatories to Treaty Number 9.
EC (see list below) indicates that 6 other NAN First Nations are in CTT, 4 in SSM and 3 in TBSN.
So, if we use the EC list (see below), the total number of NAN communities would be forty-five (45). Six (6) communities are missing. I have been able to locate three (3).
Missing Communities NAN lists having forty-nine (49) communities (though, as indicated above, fifty-one (51) seems to be the correct number). Three which are missing from the ECBO Boundary Description for KM, though signatories of Treaty Number 9, are: Kashechewan (James Bay Coast), Whitewater Lake (north of Armstrong) appears from map to be within Treaty Number 9; and MacDowell Lake (northwest of Pikangikum).
*This is the number listed in Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishnawbe_Aski_Nation. Other sources consulted for information include Nishnawbe Aski Legal Services, https://nanlegal.on.ca/about/poster-map/, Crown-Indigenous Relations, Reserve/Settlement/Village Detail https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/RVDetail.aspx?RESERVE_NUMBER=10099&lang=eng; and Census Profile, 2016 Census, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3557074&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&SearchText=Garden%20 River%2014&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR &GeoCode=3557074&TABID=1&type =0 and websites for First Nations and Tribal Councils._
** Wikipedia says that Kasechewan is part of Fort Albany. EC lists Fort Albany 67 so this may include Kashechewan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashechewan_First_Nation; and see https://www.fivenations.ca/index.php/community/fort-albany-and-kashechewan). Whitewater Lake appears to be within Treaty Number 9 territory (https://www.nan.ca/about/first-nations/; http://www.windigo.on.ca/)) as does MacDowell Lake (https://kochiefs.ca/firstnations and https://kochiefs.ca/mcdowell_lake).
| Communities | Current Electoral District Name | Current Electoral District Number | Proposed Electoral District Name | Proposed Electoral District Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constance Lake 92, IRI | Algoma--Manitoulin--Kapuskasing | 35002 | Cochrane—Timmins—Timiskaming | 35023 |
| Pic Mobert North, IRI | Algoma--Manitoulin--Kapuskasing | 35002 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Pic Mobert South, IRI | Algoma--Manitoulin--Kapuskasing | 35002 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Whitefish Bay 32A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Whitefish Bay 33A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Wabigoon Lake 27, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rat Portage 38A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Sabaskong Bay 35D, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Lake of the Woods 37, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Kenora 38B, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Northwest Angle 33B, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Shoal Lake 39A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Eagle Lake 27, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| The Dalles 38C, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Whitefish Bay 34A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Shoal Lake (Part) 40, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Shoal Lake 34B2, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Slate Falls, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Muskrat Dam Lake, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Neskantaga, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Osnaburgh 63B, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| English River 21, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Kee-Way-Win, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Kitchenuhmaykoosib Aaki84, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Sachigo Lake 1, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Weagamow Lake 87, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Wabaseemoong, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Deer Lake, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Sandy Lake 88, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Poplar Hill, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Kasabonika Lake, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Cat Lake 63C, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Fort Hope 64, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Wabauskang 21, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| North Spirit Lake, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Kingfisher Lake 1, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Wawakapewin, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Lansdowne House, S-É | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Fort Severn 89, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Webequie, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Wunnumin 1, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Summer Beaver, S-É | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Ojibway Nation of Saugeen(Savant Lake), IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Osnaburgh 63A, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Lac Seul 28, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Pikangikum 14, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Wapekeka 2, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Bearskin Lake, IRI | Kenora | 35042 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Fort William 52, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Sturgeon Falls 23, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Assabaska, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Big Grassy River 35G, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Big Island Mainland 93, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Saug-A-Gaw-Sing 1, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Neguaguon Lake 25D, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rainy Lake 18C, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Agency 1, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Couchiching 16A, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Manitou Rapids 11, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rainy Lake 17A, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rainy Lake 17B, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Seine River 23A, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Rainy Lake 26A, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Lac des Mille Lacs 22A1, IRI | Thunder Bay--RainyRiver | 35105 | Kenora—ThunderBay—Rainy River | 35049 |
| Matachewan 72, IRI | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Cochrane—Timmins—Timiskaming | 35023 |
| Flying Post 73, IRI | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Cochrane—Timmins—Timiskaming | 35023 |
| New Post 69A, IRI | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Cochrane—Timmins—Timiskaming | 35023 |
| Abitibi 70, IRI | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Cochrane—Timmins—Timiskaming | 35023 |
| Peawanuck, S-É | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Fort Albany (Part) 67, IRI | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Attawapiskat 91A, IRI | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Marten Falls 65, IRI | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Moose Factory 68, IRI | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Factory Island 1, IRI | Timmins--James Bay | 35107 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Mattagami 71, IRI | Nickel Belt | 35069 | Cochrane—Timmins—Timiskaming | 35023 |
| Gull River 55, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Whitesand, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Kiiwetinoong—Mushkegowuk | 35050 |
| Aroland, S-É | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Sand Point First Nation, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Pic River 50, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Pays Plat 51, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Lake Helen 53A, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Ginoogaming First Nation, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Long Lake 58, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Rocky Bay 1, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Lake Nipigon, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
| Red Rock 53, IRI | Thunder Bay--Superior North | 35106 | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 35111 |
Appendix B — Organizational Structure for Base Courts and Policing in the North
Fly-In Courts
Northwest Satellite Courts (base courts are Kenora and Dryden) /p>
Big trout lake, kasabonika, weagamow, wapekeka, bearskin lake, cat lake, deer lake, fort servern, keewaywin, kingfisher lake, lac seul, muskrat dam, north spirit lake, poplar hill, sachigo lake, sandy lake, wunnumin lake, pikanagikum (18)
Northcentral Satellite Courts (base court, Thunder Bay)
Eabametoong, neskantaga, ogoki post, nibinamik, webequie, pickle lake (6)
Northeast Satellite Courts (base court, Timmins)
Attawapiskat, kashechewan, moosonee, fort albany, peawanuk (5)
Nishnawbe-Aski Police Services
Nishnawbe-Aski Police Services provides "policing to First Nations communities spanning all of Northern Ontario" "almost two-thirds of the Province." https://www.naps.ca/detachments
To cover this large geographic area" the overview continues, "NAPS is divided into three regions and the Headquarters is located in Thunder Bay."***
Northeast Region
Regional Office: Cochrane
Detachments: Attawapiskat First Nation, Brunswick House First Nation, Chapleau Cree First Nation, Chapleau Ojibwe First Nation, Fort Albany First Nation, Kashechewan First Nation Matachewan First Nation, Mattagami First Nation, Moose Cree First Nation (Moose Factory) Taykwa Tagamou First Nation (New Post), Weenusk First Nation (Peawanuck), Wahgoshig First Nation (12)
Central Region
Regional Office: Thunder Bay
Detachments: Aroland First Nation, Constance Lake First Nation, Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope), Kasabonika First Nation, Kingfisher Lake First Nation, Marten Falls First Nation Neskantaga First Nation (Lansdowne House), Nibinamik First Nation (Summer Beaver), Webequie First Nation, Wunnumin Lake First Nation (10)
Northwest Region
Regional Office: Sioux Lookout
Detachments: Bearskin Lake First Nation, Cat Lake First Nation, Deer Lake First Nation
Fort Severn First Nation, Keewaywin First Nation, Mishkeegogamang First Nation (Osnaburgh) Muskrat Dam Lake First Nation, North Spirit Lake First Nation, Poplar Hill First Nation Sachigo Lake First Nation, Sandy Lake First Nation, Slate Falls First Nation (Bamaji Lake) (12)
*** https://www.naps.ca/detachments.
Footnotes
Return to note 1 The Commission's Rationale for Its Proposed Redistribution Plan, https://redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca/com/on/prop/othaut/rep_e.aspx.
Return to note 2 Report of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario 2012, https://www.redecoupage-federal-redistribution.ca/on/now/reports/on_report_e.pdf; Reference re Prov. Electoral Boundaries (Sask.), [1991] 2 SCR 158, https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/766/index.do.
Return to note 3 Supra note 2, p. 9.
Return to note 4 https://www.nan.ca/about/history/; https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/anishinaabemowin-ojibwe-language; https://www.whitefeatherforest.ca/our-first-nation/
Return to note 5 Ontario Mining Association, https://oma.on.ca/en/ontario-mining/EconomicContribution.aspx; The Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources, Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in Ontario's Forestry Sector, https://climateontario.ca/doc/RACIII/Forestry Final.pdf