Commentaire 211 – 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
Sharon Murdock, President, Nickel Belt Federal New Democrat Riding Association
See attached.
Presentation to the Redistribution Commission
October 26, 202
Presenter: Sharon Murdock [#41on the Panel List]
President: Nickel Belt Federal New Democrat Riding Association
Good evening, Commissioners. Thank you for this opportunity.
As you had suggested in your instructions, many have already made the points we have developed to maintain the status quo – at the very least.
Our Riding Association has passed a Resolution which I have attached to my comments. It is similar to other resolutions but includes a few additional reasons for maintaining the status quo.
I only wish to address two issues – both related to geography and population.
When preparing for my presentation, I called up the maps for the current and proposed boundaries. On the proposed map, the Population is indicated as 99,284. The current map did not show the population number - so I pulled the information from the 2021 election record on the Elections Canada site. In 2021, our population in this Riding sat at 93,772.
So, our boundaries are being changed for the sake of an additional 5, 512 people.
If a southern Ontario had 5500 added to a riding, it may involve two high-rise apartment buildings?maybe a couple of extra blocks. Comparable changes MUST be the rule – and that includes the geography involved in the change.
Nickel Belt 's current riding is the home for three (3) First Nation reserves. Manitoulin Island has six (6) with a 7th near Massey on the Highway 17 corridor to Elliot Lake. The proposed boundary changes would change that representation to ten (10) reserves. Being an effective and efficient representative of the needs and issues facing a very diverse communities, indigenous, non-native and Francophone.
These super-ridings in the north do not take into consideration having to find people who might be interested in running as a candidate. In the Manitoulin-Nickel Belt instance, the MP would be required to have overnight stays simply to canvass in Elliot Lake or, especially, Manitoulin Island. Costs will be higher as well. This speaks for itself.
The geographical mileage added in the proposed changes is really outrageous.
Jack Layton once told one of our Northern MP's that he marvelled at the resilience of the members and how well they were able to effectively represent their varied constituents. He went on to say that he could ride his bicycle and cover his entire riding in Toronto in the matter of 45 minutes!
In a car?
I can drive from Sudbury to Espanola in 45 minutes.
I could drive from Capreol through Hanmer and Val Caron to Sudbury in 45 minutes.
To drive from one end of Manitoulin to the other end takes three (3) hours.
Obviously, the changed boundaries do not take our concerns under consideration. Thus, we ask that you reconsider the proposals for Northern Ontario and, at the very least, maintain the status quo.
This is my submission. Thank you.
Presentation to the Redistribution Commission
October 26, 202
Presenter: Sharon Murdock [#41on the Panel List]
President: Nickel Belt Federal New Democrat Riding Association
Résolution sur les modifications aux limites de circonscriptions électorales dans le nord de l'Ontario
Attendu que, la Commission de délimitation des circonscriptions électorales pour la province de l'Ontario a proposé de supprimer une circonscription électorale dans le Nord de l'Ontario; et
Attendu que, le Nord doit faire face à une infrastructure déficiente sous tous ses aspects - qu'il s'agisse de services aériens, routiers, d'autobus, de l'accès à Internet ou de l'état des routes ; et
Attendu que, la Commission de délimitation des circonscriptions électorales n'a pas ou peu consulté les nombreuses communautés autochtones du Nord ; et
Attendu que, cette proposition visant à réduire la voix du Nord de l'Ontario au Parlement aura un effet néfaste sur la démocratie participative et le développement régional, car les problèmes du Nord de l'Ontario sont très différents des problèmes auxquels sont confrontés les régions urbaines du Sud ; et
Attendu que, la proposition de la Commission de délimitation des circonscriptions électorales fédérales visant à réduire la représentation du Nord est contraire aux modifications apportées aux limites des circonscriptions électorales de l'Ontario en 2017, qui reconnaissaient la nécessité d'ajouter deux sièges pour assurer une participation équitable des résidents du Nord ; et
Attendu que, bon nombre de circonscriptions existantes dans le Nord de l'Ontario sont déjà plus grandes que de nombreux pays européens, la situation ne fera qu'empirer en créant de nouvelles méga régions impossibles à desservir équitablement;
Attendu que, les nouvelles limites rendraient extrêmement difficile la représentation des électeurs et rendraient très probablement difficile de trouver des personnes prêtes à assumer une telle responsabilité ; et
Attendu que, les nouvelles super-circonscriptions proposées forceront les municipalités à se faire concurrence pour un montant limité de financement de circonscription, ce qui exacerbera encore plus les inégalités dans le Nord ; et
Attendu que, la population du Nord de l'Ontario par circonscription étant déjà beaucoup plus élevée que celle de beaucoup d'autres régions rurales isolées du Nord du Canada, les super-circonscriptions ne feraient que rendre la desserte de ces circonscriptions extrêmement difficile ; et
Attendu que, les tribunaux ont déjà statué que, dans la démocratie canadienne, la représentation n'est pas seulement basée sur la population, mais aussi sur les communautés d'intérêts et sur le droit des citoyens d'interagir directement avec leurs représentants élus ; et
Attendu que, tout amendement des limites de circonscriptions électorales devrait être fondé sur les principes de maintien des communautés d'intérêts à l'intérieur de limites équitables en termes à la fois de population et de géographie ; et
Attendu que, les Premières nations passeraient de trois députés à un seul représentant dans une super-circonscription ingérable ;
En conséquence, qu'il soit résolu que l'ADC de Nickel Belt demande à la Commission de délimitation des circonscriptions électorales de maintenir la représentation électorale du Nord de l'Ontario et de s'assurer que toute modification des limites respecte les besoins régionaux et locaux ; et
Qu'il soit résolu que les audiences de la Commission de délimitation des circonscriptions électorales soient prolongées d'au moins deux mois pour permettre des consultations supplémentaires.
Motion re electoral boundary changes for Northern Ontario
WHEREAS, the Electoral Boundary Commission has proposed to remove one of the electoral ridings from Northern Ontario; and
Whereas, the North must deal with poor infrastructure in all its aspects - from air, road, bus, internet, road conditions; and
Whereas, there was little if any consultation done by the Electoral Boundary Commission with the numerous indigenous communities in the North; and
Whereas, this proposal to reduce Northern Ontario's voice in Parliament will have a detrimental effect on participatory democracy and regional development as the issues in Northern Ontario are significantly different than the issues facing the urban south; and
Whereas, the Federal Boundary Commission proposal to cut representation in the north is contrary to the 2017 electoral boundary changes for Ontario that recognized the need to add two seats to ensure fair participation for northern residents; and
Whereas, many of the existing ridings in Northern Ontario are already larger than many European countries, a situation that will only be worsened by the addition of massively new regions to service; and
Whereas, the new boundaries would result in extreme difficulty in representing its constituents and most likely would prove difficult in finding individuals willing to take on that kind of responsibility; and
Whereas, the proposed new super-ridings will force municipalities to compete for a limited amount of riding funding which will further exacerbate inequities in the north; and
Whereas, Northern Ontario's population per riding is already much higher than many other rural and isolated regions in Canada's north, super-ridings would only make servicing those ridings extremely challenging; and
Whereas, the courts have ruled that representation in Canada's democracy is not based merely on population but on communities of interest and the right of citizens to engage with their elected representatives; and
Whereas, any changes to electoral boundaries should be based on the principles of maintaining communities of interest within boundaries that are equitable - in terms of population and geography; and
Whereas, the First Nations will go from three MP's down to one representative in an unmanageable super-riding;
Therefore, be it resolved that the EDA of Nickel Belt calls on the Electoral Boundary Commission to maintain the electoral representation of Northern Ontario and ensure that any boundary changes are done in a manner that responds to regional and local need; and
Be it resolved that hearings by the Electoral Boundary Commission be extended to allow further consultations.
Population 2021 93,772 Elections Canada
Double click on document.
Click on Open Hyperlink to show Map of Proposed Boundaries