Public hearings planned on riding changes

This week there were some rather important developments for many constituents in our riding. The City of Thunder Bay has announced information sessions for flood disaster relief for affected citizens, and the Electoral Boundaries Commission has announced changes to our riding that could affect the services people receive in the west end of our riding around Lake of the Woods.
A key development as it pertains to quality of public services received by constituents comes in the form of the new proposed boundary changes to our riding. The proposed changes, part of the ongoing federal electoral redistribution process, would see the following communities move from the Thunder Bay – Rainy River riding to the Kenora riding; Lake of the Woods Township (including Morson and Bergland), Big Grassy First Nation, Big Island First Nation, Saug-a-Gaw-Sing First Nation, and Sabaskong Bay First Nation.
While I do not personally oppose the idea of change, though I would be sad to lose these communities that I love to visit, my concern first and foremost is for the people who live in these communities. If one consults the ever useful Google Maps they would find that it is approximately 127km (254km return) from Morson to my Fort Frances constituency office, or about three hours return if someone needs someone needs help with a CPP, disability, or other issue. However, the trip to Kenora is a full 261km (521km return) to receive the same services from their new Member’s office in Kenora.
At this point, the boundary changes are merely proposed and there are public hearings scheduled in the area to hear from those who are affected. The closest meeting to those who would be affected by these changes in our riding is in Kenora on Thursday October 6th at the Best Western Lakeside Inn (401 1st Ave. S. The unfortunate part of the hearing process is that anyone from the affected communities will have to make the 521km return trip to Kenora to have your voice heard. If you wish to make a presentation at a hearing or submit a comment, you should inform the commission in writing as soon as possible but no later than October 1, 2012. Your written notice can be sent to the Commission Secretary at HYPERLINK “mailto:ontario-ne@rfed-rcf.ca” ontario@rfed-rcf.ca, or you can fill out a comment form online at: HYPERLINK “http://www.redecoupage-federal-redistribution.ca/email.asp?section=on&lang=e” http://www.redecoupage-federal-redistribution.ca/email.asp?section=on&lang=e .Your notice of presentation should include:
your name, address and contact information
the organization you represent (if any)
the date of the public hearing that you wish to attend
a short overview of the issues you intend to address
your official language of preference, and
any accommodation needs you may have
I plan to attend these meetings and plan to voice my opposition to the proposed changes on the grounds that the current constituents of our riding who will become part of the Kenora riding will have severely degraded services and less accessibility to their Member of Parliament due to the location of their new MPs office.
Please do take the time to attend one of the ODRAP clinics in and around Thunder Bay if you require any assistance in completing your application, and the Kenora meeting on the new electoral boundaries if you are able to.

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