Federal electoral boundaries could change Durham ridings

DAN CEARNS, The Standard

DURHAM: Changes could be coming to some of Durham Region’s federal ridings.

The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario recently released a new proposed electoral map, which includes changes to some local ridings.

“In exercising its mandate under the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, and given the allocation of one additional district to Ontario, the Commission found it necessary to propose many new electoral boundaries to correct wide variations in voter equality [which] have emerged across the province over the past decade, due to population change,” read a statement from Justice Lynne C. Leitch, the Chair of the commission.

If approved, one of the changes would be replacing the current Durham riding, held by Erin O’Toole, with a riding known as Lake Simcoe-Uxbridge. This riding would encompass Scugog, Uxbridge and Georgina and would also include portions of Clarington, Whitchurch-Stouffville and Oshawa. Pickering would leave the Uxbridge riding and move into a riding with Brooklin. Bowmanville would be moved into a riding with North Oshawa. While losing Brooklin in their riding, Whitby would maintain its own riding, as would Ajax.

The commission will hold public consultation sessions on the proposed redrawn map throughout autumn. For more information, go online to redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca.