Commentaire 51 – commentaires et rétroaction

Dave Epp, MP for Chatham-Kent – Leamington

Dear Commissioners,

I appreciate the opportunity to provide comment. The first point that I wish to make is to thank the commission for an extended date for submissions, as well as granting additional opportunities for public input into this process.

Secondly, my second point is that the overwhelming preference I'm hearing from local organizations, and municipalities, is that they prefer the status quo, with minor adjustments to boundary lines to adjust for population variances among ridings, rather than the full-scale re-drawing of the map as proposed in Draft 1 by the Commission. Under the Act, actually Chatham-Kent – Leamington as well as of my surroundings electoral districts, did not require any adjustments in boundaries due to population changes. In short, the weighting of maintaining municipalities in their entirely, or at least with minimal disruption from the present patterns of working together is the preferred direction, even if this results in greater overall population differentials between ridings.

In addition, the addition of Kingsville to an already long Chatham-Kent – Leamington riding name will present challenges to House Speakers, and ignores the reality that Pelee Island, and Lakeshore are also a part of this proposed riding. One of the speakers at the September 27 hearing actually advocated for the addition of Pelee Island to the riding name as well, creating an incredibly long potential moniker.

While I understand that the Commission may have considered the greenhouse industry, and the fishing industry, as well as the transportation logistics inherent with Pelee Island's connection to Leamington and Kingsville in their proposal to add Kingsville to the new riding boundaries, the splitting of Kingsville as a municipality, and the addition of a 3rd MP to Chatham-Kent, has not received favourable support from municipalities.

If, in order to maintain the integrity of Kingsville as a municipality with one Member of Parliament, Chatham-Kent Leamington must add population, the return of the remainder of the municipality of Chatham-Kent from between Kent-Bridge Line and the Elgin County border would allow CK to continue to be represented by two MPs, as opposed to the proposed 3 MPs.

Another option, only if deemed necessary, would be the shifting of the already-in-place split of the Municipality of Lakeshore to add the communities of Belle River, Emeryville, and Woodslee to Chatham-Kent Leamington.

Let me state again, that the preferred option of our local municipalities and communities is to maintain the status quo, as this is fully allowable under the existing Act.

Thank you for your consideration!

With Respect,

Dave Epp.