Calling it an important issue worthy of municipal engagement, councilors passed a motion asking that Chatham-Kent take part in the upcoming riding boundary consultations.
Council discussed the matter during the notice of motion portion of the Sept. 12 meeting, voting to waive the notice period due to timing.
According to a proposal, Chatham-Kent would be split into three federal ridings if a plan to redraw the boundaries in Ontario goes ahead. However, residents still have a chance to provide input for consideration.
Coun, Aaron Hall entered the successful motion asking that staff have representation at an upcoming virtual hearing, as well as prepare a page on the Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent website to solicit community feedback.
Staff would submit written comments and also provide an update report to council.
“I think it’s a worthwhile process to be engaged with,” Hall said. “We should be at the table for it and make sure our collective voices are heard.”
A three-member commission authorized by the federal government has come up with the new proposed boundaries to reflect the growth in Ontario’s population from 12.8 million people in 2011 to 14.2 million people in 2021.
The municipality is currently part of two ridings: Chatham-Kent-Leamington and Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.
Under the proposal, Chatham-Kent-Leamington would be renamed Chatham-Kent-Leamington-Kingsville and extend further west to Essex County Road 32 in Lakeshore and incorporate the Town of Kingsville south of County Road 18.
It would also extend north of the Thames River in Chatham-Kent to Pain Court Line between Jacob Road and Bear Line Road and to St. Andrews Line between Bear Line Road and Kent Bridge Road.
The riding would lose Moraviantown and the area of Chatham-Kent east of Kent Bridge Road.
Communities such as Bothwell, Ridgetown, Thamesville and Highgate would be part of the Elgin-Middlesex-Thames riding, which also features parts of the former Lambton-Kent-Middlesex and Elgin-Middlesex-London ridings.
The riding includes communities like Strathroy-Caradoc, Warwick, Middlesex Centre, West Elgin, Dutton Dunwich, Middlesex Center and parts of Southwold, Central Elgin, Thames Center and Dawn-Euphemia.
The remaining area of Chatham-Kent and Walpole Island from the Lambton-Kent-Middlesex riding is part of Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong under the plan. It would be an extension of Sarnia-Lambton to St. Andrews Line, Pain Court Line and the Thames River west of Jacob Road.
count. Carmen McGregor said the proposal could result in three federal and three provincial politicians representing the municipality.
“I think it’s very important that we spend some time with this,” she said.
However, Coun. Steve Pinsonneault said the proposal makes sense, given the physical size of Chatham-Kent and the challenges that brings.
“We as Chatham-Kent know that we have a large geographic area,” he said. “It’s a struggle with the councilors to represent your area properly.
“I’m all for going out and getting the public’s opinion on it. But honestly, I think they got it right.”
A virtual hearing on the proposed ridings, including those for Southwestern Ontario and Southernmost Ontario, will be held Sept. 27 at 6:30 pm An Ontario-wide virtual hearing will be held Oct. 29 at 12 pm
– With Postmedia files