The members of the Northern Ontario Chamber of Commerce are the latest voices to add their concerns about eliminating a Northern Ontario riding.
The member chambers are asking Elections Canada to reject a proposal that would see the number of MPs in the North go from 10 to nine and maintain the Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing riding.
The Federal Electoral Boundaries of Ontario is recommending the riding be eliminated and be divided between the ridings of Sault Ste. Marie and Nickel Belt due to a loss in population over the last ten years.
The chambers have sent a joint letter to Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault pointing out the North is also under-represented, and that the North cannot lose another voice in Parliament.
Other organizations across Northern Ontario have also spoken out against the proposal including the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities.
Meanwhile, Elections Canada has responded to our story with the following letter: Good morning Rosalind and My Espanola Now team,
Final decisions as to where the federal boundaries will lie are made exclusively by the independent commissions set up in each province. For Ontario, therefore, those decisions lie with the Ontario commission. It is also the Commission’s role, and not Elections Canada’s to consider the input received from Canadians and members of the House of Commons when determining the boundaries.
More information on the process and the independent commissions can be found here: About the commissions – Federal Electoral Districts Redistribution (redecoupage-redistribution-
