It looks like federal electoral boundaries will not be changing following a commission’s examination of ridings in Ontario.
A release from Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff’s office says, “The Federal Electoral Boundary Commission for the Province of Ontario was tasked with reviewing and drawing 122 electoral districts in Ontario. After initial proposals put forward by the Commission outlined potential changes to the riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, they were rescinded after the consultation period. Therefore, there have been no changes to the name or the boundaries of the riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.”
The Commission’s goal is to divide the province into 122 electoral districts that are as close to the electoral quota as reasonably possible, which is 116,590 residents in each electoral district. (14,223,942 residents divided by 122 electoral districts).
The proposed changes that are now rescinded would have seen Grey Highlands which is in the riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound become part of what is now Simcoe-Grey.
Brockton and South Bruce would have become become part of Bruce-Grey-Owen-Sound instead of Huron-Bruce.
During the consultation period, Grey Highlands stated its desire to stay in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.
Ruff explains, “Grey Highlands provided the commission with a formal submission. They actually passed a resolution at council that they submitted to the commission requesting to remain in the riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound based on the linkages to Grey County in particular and all the other connections, more at the municipal, and higher tier municipal level and the importance of doing that.”
Ruff says in a statement, “I thank the Municipality of Grey Highlands for providing its input to the Commission and highlighting its ties to the rest of Grey County. In my opinion, this input was instrumental in preventing changes to the boundaries as noted in the Commission’s report.”
There was also objection to changes to the riding of Huron-Bruce.
Ruff says, “There are still a few final steps yet to be completed by the Commission; however, I do not anticipate any changes that will impact Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.”
He says the next time the commission is due to look at the region again is in about 10 years.
The report is public and available in PDF format online here: https://redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca/com/on/rprt/index_e.aspx
