Comment 41 – comments and feedback

Mary-Maureen, Jay Atkin

My husband and I, like many others in our community, are greatly opposed to the proposed redistribution of Kingsville and Ruthven to be a part of the Chatham-Kent riding.

Kingsville (including Ruthven) has everything to do with Windsor and Essex County and very little to do with Chatham and Kent county. So many things that transpire in our community are done with Windsor and Essex County in mind. We are very satisfied with our riding of Essex as it currently exists.

To propose that Kingsville and Ruthven become part of the Chatham Kent riding is being made without realistic consideration of the needs of individuals living here. Why would we want any of our political electoral decisions made under the jurisdiction of Chatham Kent?

Many friends in Wheatley have expressed frustration over the handling of the recovery and restoration process since the explosion which happened over a year ago. They feel that if the explosion had happened closer to Chatham, it would have had a higher priority and handled more expeditiously. Wheatley is closer to Chatham Kent than Kingsville or Ruthven. We can only imagine how much longer it would take to resolve a problem like this given that we are even further away.

When Wheatley first proposed the Hometown Heroes Banner project they were disappointed when they received no support from Chatham Kent. This was a huge endeavour for such a small town but because it was so important to honour their local heroes they went ahead with the project on their own.

Again, we are adamantly opposed to the proposed changes to the federal electoral map as it pertains to Kingsville and Ruthven. We hope that you will seriously consider leaving our riding as it is.

Thank you,

Mary-Maureen and Jay Atkin