Commentaire 214 – commentaires et rétroaction

Dr. Audrey J. Penner, President and CEO, Northern College

See attached.

Office of the President xxxx xxxxxxx xxx xxxx South Porcupine, Ontario xxx xxx xxx-xxx-xxxx | Fax: xxx-xxx-xxxx

October 27, 2022

Paula Puddy

Secretary | Secrétaire

Ontario Commission | Commission pour l'Ontario

1-855-747-7224 | 343-549-8732

Via email: paula.puddy@redecoupage-federal-redistribution.ca

Re: Federal redistribution process as provided in the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act

Dear Ms. Puddy,

On behalf of Northern College, whose catchment area encompasses northeastern Ontario from Temiskaming Shores to the James Bay Coast, I am writing to share our perspective on the constitutionally-triggered decennial census on the redistribution of Federal Electoral Districts 2022. As you are well aware, the 2022 redistribution proposal calls for Northern Ontario's federal ridings to be reduced from 10 to nine ridings with re-drawn lines which would impact nearly every community in the region.

At present, the act outlines the process of utilizing the electoral quotient tools as a simple numbers game and reads:

"In relation to the readjustment following the completion of any subsequent decennial census, the number obtained by multiplying the electoral quotient that was applied in the preceding readjustment by the number that is the average of the numbers obtained by dividing the population of each province by the population of the province as at July 1 of the year of the preceding decennial census according to the estimates prepared for the purpose of the preceding readjustment, and rounding up any fractional remainder of that multiplication to one. ^{Footnote 1} "

While we appreciate the use of this quotient to redefine the boundaries, it is critical to note the unintended consequences of applying this tool to redistribute the current federal ridings: It removes an elected Member of Parliament and subsequently a voice from an already underrepresented region of the country.

With mining in critical stages of development in Northeastern Ontario and the high demand for traditional and critical minerals needed to support development overall in Canada, representation at the federal level is vital to the long-term prosperity of our region. Conducting business in Northern Ontario already comes with challenges given our vast geographical distances, supply chain constraints, out-migration and population decline, and the impact of long winter seasons and freeze-thaw cycles on our infrastructure. Furthermore, our ability to advocate through our members of parliament would be reduced, which would pose a challenge to business organizations and their ability to serve their members' needs.

Another critical concern is the Indigenous populations of our region. Indigenous peoples living in these remote and rural areas face numerous barriers to having their voices heard, and the elimination of a voting district broadens the expanse, thus increasing the barriers and reducing the opportunities to participate meaningfully. The new proposed boundary lines would further exacerbate challenges in an already expansive territory, not to mention the challenge that would pose for any one representative to cover the issues of that entire geographical area. As Canada continues to move towards economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities, this additional barrier limits the scope of that reconciliation.

Should you have any questions or comments, I invite you to contact me directly via email at xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xx.ca or by phone at xxx.xxx.xxxx. Thank you for your time and consideration in these important consultations

With kind regards,

Dr. Audrey J. Penner President and CEO Northern College xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xx.ca

Cc Charlie Angus, MP Timmins-James Bay Marc Serré, MP Nickel Belt

Footnote

Return to note ¹ This Representation Formula is found in subsection 51(1) of the Constitution Act, 1867.