Comment 62 – comments and feedback

Valerie Dradford

Redistricution 2022:

Kitchener South—Hespeler Feedback

Introduction

The 2022 redistribution proposal established by the Electoral Boundaries Commission includes drastic changes for the riding of Kitchener South--Hespeler. Significant changes contained within the current proposal, if implemented, would result in:

1. The splitting in two of the community of Hespeler
2. The dissolution of the name Hespeler from the riding name
3. The severance of North Dumfries from Cambridge

I would respectfully submit that the current proposal fails to consider a number of notable social and historical factors, particularly regarding the communities of Hespeler and North Dumfries. These factors, in my view, mitigate strongly against adopting the current proposed changes.

The commission noted in its report that it wished to"...better unify the City of Cambridge". The proposed redistribution fails to take into account the influence of historical and social contexts which currently serve to strengthen the cohesiveness of both Kitchener, Cambridge and their surrounding municipalities. I would like to draw the commission's attention to the significance of that detail, while offering a counter proposal that will still achieve the commission's aims regarding population equality within the ridings of the region.

The Waterloo Region has enjoyed continued and sustained growth. Like many urban areas across Canada, our region is composed of distinct communities, with their distinct identities, drawn together over decades to create the cities and townships within it. The distinctive character of those communities have become huge assets in attracting and sustaining population growth.

Even large metropolitan areas, like Toronto, are composites of their distinctive communities, because no matter how large the city, it feels more like home when we are part of a community. The human component of city life, as Mr. Rogers always reminded us, are the people that we meet each day, on our streets, in our parks, at the market and in cultural, social and sporting events. This brings us together and makes us feel connected to one another and to the place where we live.

It is my firm view that elected representatives at every level must be in a position to support and maintain the health and prosperity of the communities they are called to serve. This makes setting the boundaries of federal and provincial ridings along with the wards of municipalities so much more than just an exercise in demographics. I know the commission members believe this as well. The approach I maintain will best suit all residents of the Waterloo region and especially the residents of Kitchener South-Hespeler whom I serve, is encapsulated in the phrase "Community of Communities".

The "Community of Communities" approach, which has made its way into modern urban planning models, enables life in urban settings to feel less anonymous and more personal. The City of Edmonton's municipal plan, for example, devoted a entire section to this concept noting that "its communities are its lifeblood and will continue to provide us with the opportunity to turn our time and attention to things that really matter, like connection with each other and to the greater good."" (City of Edmonton Municipal Plan pg.23-25)

The significance of the particular cultural and historical contexts of the communities of Hespeler and North Dumfries mitigate strongly against the proposed redistribution plan as I will now discuss.

Hespeler

The current proposal would sever Hespeler from Kitchener South — Hespeler, with the portion north of the Speed River absorbed by Kitchener Conestoga, and the portion south of the Speed River absorbed by the riding of Cambridge.

Historical Perspective

The community of Hespeler is an historic and vibrant community dating back to 1784, making it one of the oldest settlements in the region of Waterloo. It was first incorporated as the village of Hespeler in 1859 before later being incorporated as a town in 1901. The home of Hespeler's founder, Jacob Hespeler, is still standing to this day.

The town of Hespeler was amalgamated into the city of Cambridge in 1973. The city of Cambridge was built around the former city of Galt. Hespeler had the least shared history with Galt of any of the other amalgamated settlements. The decision to include Hespeler in the amalgamated city of Cambridge was therefore widely unpopular at the time.

Social Perspective

The residents of Hespeler possess a tremendous pride in their community, unlike anything I have experienced in other communities. Homes adorned with "Hespeler" lawn signs and door ornaments are extremely common, as are other "Hespeler" memorabilia. People here continue to refer to themselves and consider themselves as residents of Hespeler, not of Cambridge.

Hespelerites have never truly identified with the city of Cambridge and have steadfastly held onto their own separate identity for almost 50 years. This sense of identity is firmly cemented, being expressed just as strongly by those born well after amalgamation as those born before it.

Hespeler is a community which continues to have its own sports leagues and sports teams, farmer's market, Royal Canadian Legion branch, Santa Claus parade, and Business Improvement Area, all independent of its Cambridge counterparts. The Hespeler Heritage Centre, a special community resource centre and part of the "Company of Neighbours", is located in the Old Hespeler Town Hall in downtown Hespeler Village.

Primary Problems with the Current Redistribution Proposal

The problem Hespeler faces under the current proposal is that it splits the community in half and contributes to extinguishing its identity by removing Hespeler from the riding name.

Hespeler is a community that exists on both the north and south sides of the Speed River and cannot be neatly cut in half. Family members live on either side of the river, members of the Hespeler BIA are on both sides of the river, and students at local schools commute from either side of the river. Clearly, dividing a community with such a strong sense of identity is not in the best interests of its residents or businesses.

The current proposal divides an existing cohesive community, attaching half of it to a city it has vigorously and consistently resisted being considered part of. This is one community within the wider community and its elected representatives should be able to advocate for its residents in their entirety.

Residents of Hespeler greatly appreciated the inclusion of the name Hespeler in the naming and makeup of their electoral district in 2012. This was the first time their distinct identity was affirmed and acknowledged since amalgamation. This is of paramount importance to the residents of Hespeler who have been fighting to preserve their unique identity since amalgamation nearly 50 years ago. The current proposal will result in the removal of Hespeler from the riding name thus further contributing to the eradication of its identity, something Hespeler residents have firmly resisted.

North Dumfries

The current proposal would sever the community of North Dumfries from Cambridge and transfer it to a newly created riding of Kitchener South — North Dumfries.

Historical Perspective

Unlike Hespeler, North Dumfries shared significant historical ties with the former City of Galt, and has closely identified with the city of Cambridge. Both North Dumfries and Galt were part of the original settlement of Dumfries Township, incorporated in 1819.

The city of Galt was later severed from North Dumfries as an autonomous municipality in 1857, following the division of Dumfries into its north and south components in 1852. Their histories continued to be tightly interwoven from that time even though they had become two separate municipal entities.

Social Perspective

The surname of William Dickson, founder of Dumfries, is held in a place of prominence to this day, found on a local arena, a park, and a street in the former Galt. With Galt being enveloped by North Dumfries, commerce, relationships and kinship between these two municipal entities have always grown together, with many residents in North Dumfries considering themselves a part of Cambridge.

Primary Problem With the Current Redistribution Proposal

The problem faced in North Dumfries with the current proposal is that it severs North Dumfries from Cambridge. North Dumfries is a community that has long identified itself with Cambridge, sharing common interests with the city. Transferring North Dumfries to Kitchener South would result in the loss of a fundamental piece of its identity as well as creating the perception that its interests would not be adequately represented.

The identification and connection between North Dumfries and Cambridge can even be observed visually as all major roads and railways evolved to flow from towns in North Dumfries directly into the former city of Galt. The social, economic and demographic reality is that North Dumfries is a key partner community with the wider city of Cambridge, while remaining a distinct municipality unto itself.

Counter Proposal

In short, it is clear that the mandate of the commission is a commendable task of immense magnitude. There are bound to be recommendations in the resulting draft proposal that overlook important social and historical factors that should be taken into consideration to achieve a viable outcome. I would submit that the recommendations proposed for Kitchener South — Hespeler and Cambridge fall into this category.

The community of Hespeler is one undivided entity, possessing an incredibly strong and unparalleled sense of identity and shared interests. This fact supports the view that its elected representative should serve the whole of this proud community. The community of North Dumfries is integrally intertwined with the former city of Galt and with the current city of Cambridge. They have a deep and shared history, continuing to this day, together with shared interests which support the view that they should also enjoy shared elected representation. It would be a great disservice to sever this community from Cambridge and attach it to a community with which it has no such shared history, social or economic interests.

The commission has stated that these changes are intended to "better unify the city of Cambridge". It is clear, that while well intentioned, removing a community which strongly identifies with Cambridge, only to replace it with a community which has proved determined to resist any such identification for the past 50 years, does not serve this stated goal, or the residents affected by this proposal.

It is no small task to redistribute these ridings, especially without a deep understanding of the communities of interest beyond their respective population sizes. To assist the commission in their responsibilities, I have provided an alternate proposal for the ridings in the Waterloo Region. This counter proposal achieves the population targets for all five ridings, while keeping Hespeler intact, and respecting the community interest of both Hespeler and North Dumfries.

According to the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, population equality is the main criterion in determining new federal boundaries. The act mandates that each electoral district shall, as close as reasonably possible, correspond to the Provincial Electoral Quota, which in the case of Ontario is a population of 116,590. Under this counter proposal, the best interests of Hespeler and North Dumfries communities are prioritized, without compromising population targets.

The table below outlines the deviation from the quota for both the commission's proposal and the counter proposal provided. The counter proposal results in a negligible difference, with the deviations in all cases falling well short of the 25% limit, and the 10% target set by the commission.

Counter
Commission's
Commission'sCounterProposal
CurrentProposal
RidingProposalProposalDeviation
PopulationDeviation
PopulationPopulationfrom
from QuotaQuota
Cambridge	121,301	122,109	4.73%	121,301	4.04%
Kitchener Centre	113,452	114,598	-171%	113,491	-2.66%
Kitchener-Conestoga	107,134	14,856	-1.49%	112,894	-3.17%
Kitchener South- Hespeler	119,851	114,166	-2.08%	119,851	2.80%
Waterloo	127,235	121,436	4.16%	121,436	4.16%

Summary of Feedback

I believe it would be unconscionable to move forward with the changes currently proposed by the commission considering the significant social and historical factors listed above. Subjecting the communities of Hespeler and North Dumfries to such drastic changes is not in their best interest, given that the goal of the exercise is to improve representation and population equality. The current proposal compromises the former and provides little improvement to the latter thus rendering them unnecessary.

The counter proposal provided resolves the issues of dividing the community of Hespeler, removing Hespeler from the riding name and harming their proud identity, while forcing North Dumfries to be represented alongside a community with which it has no connection.

The addition of Forest Hill to Kitchener-Conestoga results in another community of interest being preserved resulting from the natural extension of the Forest Heights area. Also, in the riding of Waterloo, it would make sense to add Bridgeport to the riding of Kitchener Centre. Although the area of Bridgeport connects geographically to Kitchener-Conestoga, it does not have shared interests or historical connections to the closest community Bloomingdale. These changes also serve to ensure that all ridings in Waterloo Region are well below the 10% deviation target.

I am grateful for the opportunity to offer feedback on the redistribution proposals within the Waterloo region as they profoundly affect the constituents of Kitchener South-Hespeler that I am privileged to serve. You have dedicated yourselves to the fulfillment of an incredibly difficult task and I thank you for your service. I commend my insights and proposals for your consideration, trusting that your decision will serve the people of the Waterloo Region well and especially the people of Hespeler and North Dumfries.