Media

Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario
Begins the Process of Readjusting Boundaries

TORONTO, Monday, March 26, 2012 – The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario, recently established, has begun its review of the province's federal electoral districts. The three-person commission is headed by the Honourable George T.S. Valin and commissioners Mr. Leslie Pal and Mr. Douglas Colbourne.

The Ontario Commission is one of 10 independent federal electoral boundaries commissions created by law to redraw the boundaries of Canada's federal electoral districts.

The work of readjusting Ontario's federal electoral boundaries is not simply a mathematical exercise whereby each electoral district ends up with roughly the same number of people, but rather a balancing act that must take into consideration communities of interest or identity as well as a district's history and geographic size.

Ontario's population has increased from 11,410,046 in 2001 to 12,851,821 in 2011, and the Commission is currently formulating a proposal for Ontario's 121 seats in the House of Commons to reflect the population growth and shifts.

The Ontario Commission will publish its proposal outlining the new electoral map in a few months, and public hearings will follow at various locations across the province. Advertisements in newspapers and on the Commission's website will notify Ontarians of the dates, time and place of these hearings where groups and individuals can participate in the process and share their opinions.

The public hearings and input from the electorate had a great impact on the electoral boundaries created by the last commission in 2002. In order to involve the public as soon as possible in the process, the Commission is inviting citizens to participate in creating the initial proposal by providing their comments by e-mail or mail by April 30, 2012.

To learn more about the redistribution of Ontario's federal electoral districts, visit www.federal-redistribution.ca.

Information:

Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario
130 King Street West, Suite 3670
P.O. Box 368
Toronto, Ontario
M5X 2A2

1-855-747-7224 (toll-free)
ontario@rfed-rcf.ca