Commentaire 52 – commentaires et rétroaction

Art Bolton

Ms. Paula Puddy, Commission Secretary
Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario
PO Box 37018 Southdale
London, ON N6E 3T3

Re: Submission on the proposed boundaries for the riding to be called South Huron Shores Secretary Puddy,

Upon review of the proposed new boundaries for the new ridings of South Huron Shores, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, and Perth-Wellington, we wish to propose the following changes to the suggested representation order.

1. That Brockton and South Bruce be moved from Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound to South Huron Shores and that Saugeen Shores be moved to Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.
2. That Howick be moved from Perth-Wellington to South Huron Shores, and that Lucan-Biddulph be moved to Perth-Wellington

Our reasons are as follows:

1. After reviewing the data available from the 2021 census for the specified Census Subdivisions (CSDs), the net impact on the populations of the proposed new ridings would be minimal in comparison to the original proposal. The exchange outlined in item 1) would see the population of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound increase by approximately 300 people, while the exchange outlined in item 2) would see the population of Perth-Wellington increase by about 1600. This would leave all three proposed ridings with populations within 6% of the target for the redistribution process. As such, our proposal would not negatively impact the population distribution targets set by the Commission.
2. Culturally, South Bruce, Brockton, and Howick have more in common with the more agriculturally-dominated South Huron Shores riding, while Saugeen Shores is more culturally and industrially aligned with the more urban City of Owen Sound.
3. While matters associated with health care and education delivery are constitutionally matters of provincial rather than federal jurisdiction, in the province of Ontario, the provincial representation order generally follows the federal boundaries. As such, we believe that concerns associated with health care and education are legitimate for consideration by the Commission. With this in mind, there are two hospital alliances, as well as school board crossover to consider. The Walkerton hospital maintains a partnership with Kincardine, while the Saugeen Shores hospital is in partnership with the hospital in Owen Sound. Furthermore, high school students seeking to attend a Catholic School who live in Saugeen Shores attend the school in Owen Sound. Similarly, the Catholic High School in Walkerton (Brockton) serves the students of Huron-Kinloss and Kincardine, which in the current proposal would not be in the same riding. Additionally, students in the village of Teeswater in South Bruce seeking to attend public high school generally are sent to Wingham (North Huron), which again would be across riding boundaries. While these are provincial considerations, it makes sense to ensure continuity of provincial representation within rather than across hospital alliances and school boards where possible.
4. While discussions surrounding the location of the proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for high level nuclear waste are ongoing, the leading candidate for the site is in South Bruce. The siting and regulation of this site is a significant issue for residents of South Bruce, as well as those in Huron-Kinloss and Kincardine. In light of the seriousness of this issue, it makes sense for cohesive representation of these CSDs at the federal level, particularly given that nuclear waste is a federal matter. Additionally, given the presence of Bruce Power as a key stakeholder in Kincardine, this cohesion in representation at the federal level is even more important.
5. Along with the common agricultural component, many of the residents of South Bruce, Brockton, and Howick are employed at Bruce Power in Kincardine, or at Wescast in Wingham. These are key players in the local economy, and both they and their employees should be represented by the same person at the federal and provincial level.

Lastly, as this submission is generally with concern to the proposed South Huron Shores riding, we object also to the name being considered, regardless of the final composition of the riding. First, the use of South is unusual given there is no northern counterpart. Additionally, the emphasis on Huron (while a reference to the Lake, presumably) also has the connotation of the County of Huron, which is one, but not the only County included in the riding. The historical name Huron-Bruce is still very much identifiable and relevant, and keeping it would provide continuity for the residents of the new riding. That said, Lambton is the third largest area in the new electoral district, and so if the Committee is specifically seeking to change the name, I would recommend Huron Bruce Lambton.

Art Bolton,

Returning Officer for Huron-Bruce (1979-2004)

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