Guelph riding split remains in latest redistribution report
The commission said it received some objections to the city’s federal riding segregation, but mostly stands by its original recommendation
Despite objections to the relocation of part of Guelph’s federal riding ground, the Commission’s latest report looking into mandatory redistribution of federal riding grounds largely stands by leaving Guelph south of Clair Road as part of a renamed riding ground with Wellington and parts of Halton.
However, as the population continues to grow, the commission does not rule out a more “natural” division of the city in the future.
The latest report from Ontario’s Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission was presented in the House of Commons on Friday after “extensive public submissions.”
It is reviewed by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs of the House of Commons.
Guelph’s southern boundary will follow the Hanlon Parkway, Hanlon’s Creek and Arkell Road. Areas south of the line become part of the renamed Wellington-Halton Hills North Riding.
You can see the differences between the current riding, the August redistribution proposal and the latest changes using an interactive map on the commission’s website.
“Guelph is another area of high population growth,” the report said. “Here and in other areas of the province, we have received some objections to ‘donut’-shaped arrangements, in which segments are scraped from the urban district and relocated to the surrounding rural district to achieve relative population parity.
“While such solutions typically don’t raise much immediate controversy (perhaps because they remain close to the status quo), they may become less sensible over time as suburban populations continue to grow.”
The first map on changing driving limits was released in August and generated mixed feelings but overall respect for the process from community leaders.
The report also came out in the middle of a local election cycle.
Cam Guthrie understood the concept from a fair and proportionate standpoint, having initially failed to understand why they should mess with a system where there is a representative at each level of government for the city.
“We’re a growing, not just a country, not just a province, but we’re also growing as a city,” he said last summer, midway through his re-election as Guelph mayor.
“We are already above the normal population figures that would normally be equated for one MP.”
The population of Guelph in the 2011 redistribution was 121,688. It has since grown to a population of 143,740 according to the latest census data.
The new boundary presented in the latest report shows a Guelph riding population of 118,498, leaving about 25,000 people in the larger, more rural riding areas.
Dominique O’Rourke, who was eventually re-elected to Ward 6, expressed concern about the postponement last August.
She told GuelphToday that progress was being made to increase representation for the south end of Guelph and the proposed new boundary “breaks that”.
Some “modest adjustments” were also made while riding in Wellington-Halton Hills.
First, the Commission has rejected the originally proposed name Wellington-Halton in favor of the name Wellington-Halton Hills North.
But in terms of looks, a piece of Milton – originally intended to be part of the renamed riding – is being moved back to a riding with parts from Burlington. To the north, East Garafraxa will remain part of a new Dufferin-Caledon ride after the Commission originally included it at Wellington-Halton.