Comment 11 – comments and feedback

Irek Kusmierczyk, MP for Windsor-Tecumseh

RE: Southernmost Ontario Redistribution

Dear Esteemed Commission Members,

Thank you for your considerable efforts to improve democratic representation in Ontario. The work is challenging, and the hours are long. I salute your work and service.

As the Member of Parliament for Windsor-Tecumseh, I would like to share with you what I've heard from the residents of my community.

The first four points will outline our concerns with the proposal.

The fifth and final point will outline a solution that we feel advances the mission of the Commission while defending the two principles important to our community (a) to minimize disruptions (b) to keep communities together.

First – keep the Town of Tecumseh whole.  The Commission's proposal cuts the Town of Tecumseh in half. Keep the physical integrity of Tecumseh intact and keep it aligned with riding boundaries. Residents in Tecumseh do their shopping, government business, and their healthcare in Windsor and Tecumseh.

Second – the community of Walkerville, which is the neighbourhood west of Walker Road, should remain part of Windsor-Tecumseh – which has been the case since 1968. There are 9,000 people in the neighbourhood we call Walkerville. Transferring this population to Windsor-West – which already has a larger population - is counterproductive and disrupts a 50 year relationship, history and connection.

Third – Windsor-West should retain its existing western borders.  It is home to the new Gordie Howe International Bridge and the soon-to-be Ojibway National Urban Park.  Both are located within the City of Windsor, both have the City of Windsor as a key stakeholder, and both have a more direct impact on City of Windsor residents than Essex.  It is sensible and pragmatic that both the international bridge and national urban park situated in Windsor be represented by a Windsor Member of Parliament.

Fourth – the Town of Kingsville historically has been a part of Essex County and is integrated in Essex County economically, politically and culturally. Just one case in point, the tourism organization responsible for that area is called Tourism Windsor-Essex and Pelee Island.  The economic development agency for the region is called Invest Windsor-Essex. It is not Invest Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent nor is it Tourism Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent.  Ripping Kingsville out of Essex is a dramatic and jarring change that is divorced from its historical, social and economic foundation.

Having outlined our concerns with the Commission's proposal, I now turn to our proposal, which we feel strongly advances the Commission's mission while adhering to our principles.

My fifth and final point appreciates the Commission's mission of smoothing out the peaks and valleys of the population numbers between ridings in our region of Southernmost Ontario.

I present a regional solution for Southernmost Ontario that (a) minimizes disruption (b) keeps communities of interest together and (c) reduces the population in Essex Riding – the one true significant population outlier - while increasing the population in Windsor-Tecumseh and Chatham-Kent-Leamington which raises the region's population floor.

1. Extend the eastern boundary of Windsor-Tecumseh farther east to include part of Lakeshore up to the natural boundary of Puce River. The southern boundary would be CN rail line. Alternate options for southern boundary include: County Rd. 22 or County Rd. 42 or Highway 401
2. Extend the western boundary of Chatham-Kent-Leamington farther west to include part of Lakeshore up to the natural boundary of Puce River. The southern boundary would be CN rail line. Alternate options for southern boundary include: County Rd. 22 or County Rd. 42 or Highway 401

This one proposed change also accomplishes two additional goals:

1. It connects communities in close proximity – Windsor/Tecumseh/Lakeshore share major infrastructure and roadways (County Road 22); major shopping centers where residents shop; places of worship; public transit; schools – and it is also unites communities in close proximity to (i) the new Regional Acute Care Hospital (ii) the new major place of employment – the Stellantis Battery Plant that will employ over 3,000 workers – scheduled to open in 2024 at the intersection of Country Road 22 and Banwell Road.
2. The second goal or benefit is that it reduces the geographical distance to travel for both the Essex MP and the constituents of Lakeshore connecting to their constituency office.

For example, the distance from Lakeshore to Windsor-Tecumseh MP office: 8 kilometers

Distance from Lakeshore to current Essex MP office in Essex: 15 kilometers

We have brought forth a solution that represents common ground. It is the Commission and the Community working together. It accomplishes the Commission's key goal for Southernmost Ontario in one simple and effective move that reduces the population range between ridings, addresses the population outlier of Essex Riding, all the while minimizing disruption to residents and maintaining maximum community cohesion and connections between communities of interest throughout our region.

Thank you kindly for your attention and consideration.

Sincerest Regards,

Irek Kusmierczyk
Member of Parliament
Windsor-Tecumseh

Encl. proposed map

Proposed changes in blue for Windsor-Tecumseh.

Other options for Southern boundary include: County Rd 22 or County Rd. 42 or Highway 401.

Final Map of Southernmost Ontario – excluding Sarnia-Lambton.