THUNDER BAY — The commission examining potential changes to federal riding boundaries in Ontario has scheduled a public hearing in Thunder Bay, after criticism over a small number of in-person hearings held in the Northwest.
Thunder Bay-area residents will have the opportunity to participate in a Nov. 8 hearing at the Valhalla Inn, according to the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario’s online hearing schedule.
The deadline to register to speak at the hearing is Nov. 4. Written comments can also be submitted online until Oct. 29.
The three-member commission had faced questions over why it held only two in-person consultations in the Northwest, where it has proposed changes that would significantly redraw riding maps.
The commission held public hearings in Sioux Lookout on Oct. 3 and in Kenora the following day. A spokesperson for the commission said its decision to add another in Thunder Bay was a response to requests from the public.
"The commission held three in-person hearings in Northern Ontario in October... and several virtual hearings during which participants commented on proposed electoral boundaries in Northern Ontario. The commission decided to hold an in-person hearing in Thunder Bay... after receiving several requests to do so."
Lynne Leitch, chair of the Ontario commission and an Ontario Superior Court judge, has previously said the commission chose to focus on areas most impacted by the proposal.
All of Northern Ontario’s federal representatives, including Thunder Bay MPs Patty Hajdu and Marcus Powlowski, signed a joint letter expressing concern over the proposed changes, alongside opposition from a number of municipal governments in the region.
Residents in the Sioux Lookout area also voiced concerted opposition to the changes at a public hearing there earlier this month.
The adjustments would reduce Northern Ontario representation in Parliament from 10 to nine MPs, eliminating Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing and splitting it between two neighbouring ridings.
In the Northwest, Thunder Bay-Rainy River would be enlarged to take in the Kenora and Red Lake areas.
The remaining section of the existing Kenora riding would form part of a new, sparsely-populated riding taking in remote Indigenous communities between Manitoba and Quebec.
Northern Ontario has already lost two ridings since 1974 due to redistribution and a low rate of population growth relative to other parts of the province.
The commission, which has no representative from Northern Ontario, is currently collecting public input before it finalizes its recommendations, which will be presented to the House of Commons for feedback before the commission makes a final decision.
More information is available at the commission’s website, along with a participation form for those interested in attending.
