Commentaire 87 – commentaires et rétroaction

William Dunstan

I am a resident of Kirkland Lake, and I was very disappointed to learn that the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario is recommending that Northern Ontario lose one seat in the House of Commons. I understand that the Commission's reasoning for this recommendation is that Northern Ontario's population has not grown as quickly as populations elsewhere in Ontario. In my view, however, it is inappropriate to allocate seats in the House of Commons to Northern Ontario according to its share of Ontario's population.

Northern Ontario is distinct from the rest of the province. Compared to Southern Ontario, the diverse regions that make up the North are less populated, more remote, and have distinct needs and interests. Proposed districts like Kenora-Rainy River-Thunder Bay will squeeze distant communities with vastly different needs into one riding, denying residents effective representation in the House of Commons. Residents of remote communities in Northern Ontario also rely on their MP offices for access to government services; stretching Northern MPs over larger areas and larger populations will make it harder for Northerners to access these services. I fear that the Commission does not appreciate the distances between Northern Ontario communities. Only three in-person hearings will take place across Northern Ontario, which means that most residents would need to drive several hours if they hope to attend one of these sessions.

If Northern Ontario were its own province, it would almost certainly be allocated more ridings. The Commission's proposal allocates 8.5 ridings to Northern Ontario (Parry Sound-Muskoka being partially in the North). New Brunswick, with a similar population to Northern Ontario, is allocated 10 ridings.

Northern Ontario should not be lumped in with the rest of Ontario. Northern Ontario should not lose a seat in the House of Commons.

William Dunstan