Some changes have been made to proposed federal riding boundaries in Ontario.
A report from the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario was tabled in the House of Commons on Friday, and will now be reviewed by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
Public consultations were held last fall, with concerns raised locally about a proposal to split Chatham-Kent into three separate ridings, rather than two.
However, the new plan includes all of Chatham-Kent in one riding, as well as Leamington and Pelee Island, keeping the name Chatham-Kent-Leamington. If the current proposal is approved, Walpole Island will be included in the new riding of Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong.
“The time and effort committed by the public to this important democratic process was remarkable and very much valued by the Commission. We are satisfied that we have balanced our statutory obligations with the views of the people of Ontario, striving for the goal of effective representation”, said the Honourable Justice Lynne C. Leitch, Chair of the three-member Commission.
The earliest the new boundary map could be approved is in April of 2024, before coming into effect on the subsequent dissolution of Parliament.
