Commentaire 40 – commentaires et rétroaction

Emery Huszka

Please accept this brief submission on behalf of Lambton - Grain Farmers of Ontario District 3. We welcome additional consultation opportunities, and are willing to offer our concerns and knowledge during the commission's vital work.

Thank you.

Emery Huszka

Attachment:

Recognizing the necessity of a starting point for the re-drafting of political riding boundaries according to population changes, we as farmers appreciate the process at work, however, it is the consultation process that provides us opportunity to offer needed feedback for correction.

Rural municipalities, especially smaller single tier municipalities are, while in fact comprised of lesser population, these entities are however in fact cohesive, interactive, and functional communities with commonality of community leadership, specific goals, challenges and local planning. Under no circumstances should these smaller communities find themselves carved up as if they were simply another city block of numbers, thereby weakening our representation at the federal & provincial levels. Case in point with the 2022 draft proposal, finds the municipality of Dawn Euphemia of less than 2000 people in South Lambton County divided in half between two proposed new ridings. Simply and surely, they must remain whole!

For those communities surrounding urban centres, there are in fact economic spheres of influence which ought to be afforded weight in this decision process. Specific to Lambton County, the municipality of Warwick, other than being located in Southern Ontario, has ZERO association, commonality or interaction with Bayham or Aylmer, while Sarnia, at half the distance has a profound impact on economic and social interactions and activity with Warwick.

Specifically, Brooke Alvinston has a direct and practical relationship in daily life activity with Petrolia, Enniskillen Township, Dawn Euphemia, Warwick & Plympton Wyoming, far more practical & relevant than any interaction between Dover & Sarnia or especially Brooke Alvinston and Aylmer!

Essentially, there is reasonable argument to retain as much of Sarnia Lambton's integrity as a political riding for very practical and proper representation of our residents with natural and free flowing relationships, and that every effort to maintain this would be in the interest of the farmers, rural and urban residents of this greater community. Our chief concern as farmers is that greater effort be made to respect the integrity to the extent possible of communities of influence along with their existing relationship with one another. In this mapping, it would appear that respect for our neighboring London city boundaries does not translate in the same manner to the rural, which appears to be rendered the fill in portion.

As to our indigenous neighboring communities, has the boundaries commission perhaps considered asking them if, even as a pilot in southern Ontario, would they wish to be offered a similar courtesy, and extend the option of collectively being constituted for a collective indigenous seat to represent their needs specifically in the same manner that rural communities require a more sensitive, respectful approach? Farmers ask for a more cohesive rural voice in parliament, and we believe that perhaps our indigenous partners may appreciate the same courtesy for a larger voice.

The Grain Farmers of District 3 urge the responsible Elections Canada body to make every effort to achieve this important request, and hold Rural Lambton together, just as sensibly as holding the Chatham Kent community as whole as possible. We would welcome the opportunity to be consulted as revisions are proposed.

Thank-you for hearing our grain farmer concerns from Lambton District 3.

Sincerely,

Emery Huszka
Ontario District 3 Board Rep.
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Florence, Ontario
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