Expressions of Support – Ontario

The Commission acknowledges that seven Members of Parliament filed "objections" with the Standing Committee in which they indicated acceptance and expressed support for the final boundaries respecting the electoral districts they represent. We note that the Standing Committee supported some of the submissions to this effect, but did not endorse or otherwise comment on others. The Standing Committee supported the submission of Karina Gould and the joint submission of Valerie Bradford, Bryan May, Tim Louis, and Bardish Chagger; it did not comment on Jean Yip and Shaun Chen's joint submission.

Jean Yip (MP for the existing district of Scarborough—Agincourt) and Shaun Chen (MP for the existing district of Scarborough North) presented a joint submission expressing their satisfaction with the revised boundary configurations for the districts of SCARBOROUGH—AGINCOURT and SCARBOROUGH NORTH. They expressed support on the grounds that six Scarborough districts were maintained, that communities of interest in northern Scarborough were protected, and that the names of the districts were retained. These two Members of Parliament stated "that Scarborough voices were heard and noted with empathy in the Commission's final report."

Karina Gould (MP for the existing district of Burlington) presented a submission expressing satisfaction with the configuration for the district of BURLINGTON which was, in her view, "strongly supported by residents." In her written submission to the Standing Committee, she indicated that "all of our community's concerns were addressed; we were heard. The community is strongly supportive of the revised proposal."

Ms. Gould also commended the Commission for changing the proposed district name of Burlington—Lakeshore to BURLINGTON, indicating that the "riding name of Burlington in the Report was strongly supported by residents."

Valerie Bradford (MP for the existing district of Kitchener South—Hespeler), Bryan May (MP for the existing district of Cambridge), Tim Louis (MP for the existing district of Kitchener—Conestoga), and Bardish Chagger (MP for the existing district of Waterloo) presented a joint submission stating that they accepted the electoral boundary configurations that are detailed in the Report for the districts of KITCHENER SOUTH—HESPELER, CAMBRIDGE, KITCHENER—CONESTOGA, and WATERLOO, and expressed appreciation that "the Commission took communities of interest into consideration in making its decisions."

Ms. Chagger, who is a member of the Standing Committee, recused herself from the discussion and consideration of her statement.