Comment 56 – comments and feedback

Bob Schnarr

Re: Federal Electoral Redistribution Districts for Ontario

Please accept this submission on behalf of myself, a resident of Dawn-Euphemia Township, with respect to the proposed boundaries for the Federal Electoral Redistribution Districts for Ontario.

It is my understanding that the mandate of the Electoral Boundaries Commissions in the Federal Redistribution Process, is to consider reasonable electoral district boundaries, the communities of interest or communities of identity in, and the historical pattern of, electoral districts, and a manageable geographic size for districts in sparsely populated, rural or northern regions of the province.

The first concern regarding the proposed boundaries, is if the Commission indeed has the best interests of the communities at heart, then I respectfully request that you do not implement the new proposed boundaries of the Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong and the Elgin-Middlesex-Thames districts, because it essentially dissects our Township in half, along the previous boundaries of the former Township of Dawn and the former Township of Euphemia (prior to amalgamation). The relatively newly formed Township of Dawn-Euphemia amalgamated in 1998, and since then, Council and staff have struggled to bring these former Township's together by combining services, fees, policies, procedures, and bylaws. This was a difficult process for not only Council and staff, but for the residents who struggled to embrace their new identity of being considered one municipality.

Should the Commission implement the proposed new boundaries through the middle of our Township, this could very well re-ignite the historical dissention and past individualism of these former Townships, and further hinder the progress Council has made over the past 24 years in promoting the unity of both former Townships. As well, the new proposed boundaries may not only encourage division, but it will most definitely create confusion amongst our residents as now they will need to contend with two different Members of Parliament (MP's).

If indeed the historical pattern of electoral districts are being considered in the development of the new boundaries, the Commission should have realized that historically (and to the best of my knowledge) this Township (even prior to amalgamation) has never been separated for electoral purposes Furthermore, the Township's geographic land area of 445 square kilometers, agricultural economy and sparse population of less than 2,000 would not create a population disparity by keeping the municipality together and adding the entire Township to one district or the other.

Dear honourable members of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario,

I write to you with concern over the proposed redrawing of the riding boundaries in Ontario, and specifically, our riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. As someone who cares deeply about our community, I'm disappointed the Commission has failed to deliver a satisfying proposal for constituents, businesses, and First Nations.

The proposed creation of the riding of Elgin-Middlesex-Thames neglects the importance of keeping our communities together. The Commission's proposal divides counties and municipalities, which could cause the distribution of services and historically established travel networks to be disrupted. For example, the riding has always represented the interests of the Kettle Point indigenous community, which has expressed their desire to continue living and working alongside service providers within Lambton-Shores.

Moreover, we need boundaries that preserve our unique rural heritage, and I believe the Commission has not taken a rural lens into account when developing its proposals. By mixing urban and rural areas, the residents of our rural communities will often be forgotten and treated as a second priority. I ask and encourage you to consider the proposal put forward by Member of Parliament Lianne Rood. I believe her submission to the Commission correctly outlines the importance of keeping our communities together.

I appreciate the work done by the Commission and the considerations they have made to balance population growth with community interests. However, despite its best intentions, the proposal fails to consider the collective needs of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. By changing the Commission's proposal to reflect the suggestions made by MP Lianne Rood, you will make sure all of us - especially our rural voices - are heard and fairly represented.

Sincerely,

Bob Schnarr