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4 - Orono Weekly Times 1937 - 2012 · Celebrating 75 Years Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Clarington looks for unity According to Frank Wu, Clarington's best chance of not being divided into three federal ridings is to present a better solution at the public hearing on November 13, in Oshawa. In the proposed federal electoral boundary realignment released last month, Clarington would be split into three federal ridings with a minority share of the population of each of the ridings according to a staff report issued on Monday. With a population of 84,548, Clarington makes up 67 percent of the population in the Durham Riding. Scugog makes up 17 percent of the riding and Uxbridge 16 percent. Under the proposed realignment west Clarington (Bowmanville and Courtice) will make up 47.35 percent of the Oshawa-Bowmanville riding. North Clarington will make up 15.7 percent of the Oshawa-Durham riding and east Clarington (Ward 4 and Wilmot Creek Retirement Community) will make up 14.9 percent of the proposed Kawartha Lakes-Port HopeCobourg riding. The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario are recommending the creation of 15 new electoral districts in Ontario to better reflect the population shifts and increases. The Commission's aim is to honour existing municipal boundaries whenever possible in establishing 121 electoral districts in the province with an average population of 106,213. The commission must make every effort to ensure that each electoral district in the province remains with 25 percent (plus or minus) of the quota. The Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act permits deviation from the population targets when necessary in order to respect a community of interest or identity and in sparsely populated regions. At the September 10th committee meeting Clarington councillors passed a resolution voicing their strong opposition to the proposed electoral boundaries, which Mayor Adrian Foster said, "came right out of the blue." According to the report issued Monday, it has been suggested that Clarington may be better off with three Members of Parliament rather than one. This could increase the likelihood that Clarington would have a representative in the Federal Cabinet and more MPs to potentially advocate on its behalf, states Clarington's Chief Administrative Officer, Frank Wu in the report. On the down side the voice of Clarington's farmers would be significantly diluted if the municipality were carved into three ridings. There would also be the risk of contradictory positions by area MPs if they came from competing parties the reports states. Clarington Agricultural Advisory Committee member Don Rickard told the Times, "The proposed boundary realignment flies in the face of the Commission's mandate to not break up a community if they can help it." He too made the point that Clarington would make up the miniority population in the three proposed electoral ridings which means Clarington will have the smallest voice in the three ridings. Staff will consult with Regional and Municipal stake holders and develop alternative federal riding boundaries Kira (R) helped Kaylee (L) run the Terry Fox course at Orono Public School on Thursday afternoon. to present to the Commission at the November 13th hearing. It was noted in the report that Clarington's population combined with Scugog would be 106,117 a few shy of the quota and well within the 25 percent fluctuation factor. "To collectively bring a solution forward is the right way to go about doing this," Wu stated at Monday's meeting. "Our main goal is to keep Clarington as intact as possible."