Redistribution of Federal Electoral Districts 2012

[Hatman 🍁]

Yeah, I would've going with "University Heights" or something. The new name may be better, but why change for the sake of change? Especially if York Centre remains.

Why not rename York Centre "Downsview"?

Yup, would be a good call as well.

[Wilfred Day]

Northumberland—Pine Ridge changed to Northumberland—Peterborough South

Leaving the 16,250 people of the Newcastle area no longer reflected in the name. Could have been Northumberland—Newcastle—Peterborough South. Only 11,063 people are in "Peterborough South."

I think this would be more appropriate:
Northumberland-Clarke-Peteborough South

I think the historical name for the area in Clarington that is in this riding is more appropriate then just one town. There's just too many.

Arguable, yes. Still, today Clarke refers only to Clarke High School, and the Clarke Museum in Kirby, and the geographic township of Clarke (known only to title searchers and land surveyors). They don't even call Clarington's ward 4 "Clarke Ward" (they should). Clarke Township as a municipality has not existed for 41 years. The urban population centre of Newcastle has about 7,600 residents, half the population of the geographic township of Clarke. It has its own Newcastle & District Chamber of Commerce, the Newcastle Yacht Club, the Newcastle Community Hall, Newcastle Recreation Complex, and the Newcastle Arena. By contrast, Orono has 1,547 residents, Kirby (which still has a K-6 school) no more than 100, and Newtonville (which has lost its school) only about 500.  Newcastle has resonance; the territory which now includes Northumberland and Clarington was originally named the Newcastle District from 1802 to 1849.  

[Hatman 🍁]

To be fair, Clarington's wards don't even have names.

[Wilfred Day]

Flashback: To what 2011 election trivia question is Claude Ringuette the answer?

Answer: the Liberal candidate with the lowest vote. He got 1.98% of the vote in Jonquière—Alma. He was listed as a driver-mover, but now says he is an antique dealer. He was a last-minute candidate after Notary Bianka Villeneuve withdrew. He complained publicly that he had no signs or campaign team and had been abandoned by the party.

Honourable mentions:
Lee Reaney, a 30-year-old Saskatoon employment counsellor, got 2.32% in Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar.
Omar Harb, a 23-year-old second-year university student in Calgary, parachuted into Crowfoot while writing his final exams, got 2.33% when he came fourth there, behind the Green Party.

[deafcat27]

Can anyone confirm or deny this.

I do live in Ward 4 of Clarington, so because of this I'm voting in the new Northumberland-Peterborough South Riding. (The Orono Weekly Times has picked up on the naming issue)

My local council representative keeps referring to Rick Norlock being our MP since the riding was made final.

I told her, that even though the ridings are final,

Since there has been no election where we have voted in the new riding, Erin O"Toole (Durham) still remains our representive at the federal level.


Can someone confirm or am I completely wrong and Rick Norlock is indeed now my MP despite the fact I didn't vote for him.

[Wilfred Day]

Can anyone confirm or deny this.

I do live in Ward 4 of Clarington, so because of this I'm voting in the new Northumberland-Peterborough South Riding. (The Orono Weekly Times has picked up on the naming issue)

My local council representative keeps referring to Rick Norlock being our MP since the riding was made final.

I told her, that even though the ridings are final,

Since there has been no election where we have voted in the new riding, Erin O'Toole (Durham) still remains our representive at the federal level.


Can someone confirm or am I completely wrong and Rick Norlock is indeed now my MP despite the fact I didn't vote for him.

You are correct.

However, as the election day grows closer, and candidates are nominated (Rick Norlock has not even stated whether he intends to run again), it will be interesting to see whether Erin O'Toole starts to hand some Ward 4 matters over to Rick Norlock (assuming he is the candidate), or at least copy him on correspondence as a courtesy. Similarly, in other ridings with shifting boundaries. 

[Wilfred Day]

A footnote to the 2012 redistribution: The PEI Commission saw no need to change anything.

This led me to almost overlook the changing nature of PEI. The Charlottetown metropolitan area (Stats Can's CMA) has 64,487 people, 46% of the total 140,204. Ideally the Charlottetown CMA would have 2 MPs.

This would not have been easy. To pull Stratford and abutting areas south of the Hillsborough River out of Cardigan is 11,416 people, which goes into Charlottetown--Stratford. Then Malpeque ends up split: about 11,000 into Cardigan--Hunter River, and the other 24,000 into Charlottetown--Cornwall--Borden which stretches quite a way west as well. So the 64,487 in the Charlottetown CMA ends up 7% in Cardigan--Hunter River in order to make it a contiguous riding, 53% in Charlottetown--Stratford, and only 40% in Charlottetown--Cornwall--Borden which becomes 25% rural.

Perhaps that's why they left it alone.

[Hatman 🍁]

They left it alone because the population of the four ridings are virtually equal.