Comment 85 – comments and feedback

Kanwar Hazrah

I am delighted to share my thoughts on the new electoral redistribution map of Nepean shared by you recently. I sincerely appreciate the most thoughtful proposal made by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario. Electoral redistribution is a must and most essential process in a democracy which happens every ten years based on the census and using the representation formula given by our constitution. This independent and non-partisan process reflects changes in the Canadian population and ensures equal opportunities are created for all Canadians, irrespective of where they live.

First and foremost, I would appreciate the addition of ridings in this redistribution in Ontario province. The population growth rate of Ontario, especially in the GTA and Ottawa regions, is much higher than the rest of Canada. According to the census done by Statistics Canada, Ontario's population rose from 12.8 million in 2011 to 14.2 million in 2021. Considering this scenario, I see Ontario gaining one additional seat as a positive and much-needed change for our province.

As a resident of Nepean in the Ottawa region, I agree with the changes made to the Nepean electoral district and other neighbouring ridings in the Ottawa region. It makes sense to me to take off Fallowfield and Manotick areas from Nepean and add those with Carleton riding. Similarly, taking off Bells Corners area from Nepean and adding it with Kanata is reasonable and makes our riding simpler and more efficient. I also appreciate the addition of the small portion of the Rideau Heights area into the Nepean riding from Ottawa West-Nepean, considering the Canadian National Railway as the standard North border of the riding.

The proposed redistribution in the Nepean electoral district is totally in line with the rapid population growth in Nepean and Barrhaven areas. Making the Nepean electoral district smaller in size increases the direct contact of elected officials with constituency people. The elected officials don't need to travel more distance, and they can cover more people and their events in less time. For example, now, the MP of Nepean can drive around the borders of the district in one hour based on what google maps show. These changes will benefit the people of Nepean in terms of getting their services faster.

Finally, I thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to share my thoughts on the proposed redistribution.

Warm regards,

Kanwar Hazrah