CORNWALL – The federal riding boundary for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry may grow as riding boundaries are being redrawn across Ontario.
Every 10 years, seats in the House of Commons are reapportioned based on the population growth from the census. Ontario is receiving one new seat in Parliament with this redistricting.
The current federal boundary of SDSG includes the City of Cornwall, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne community of Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island) and all of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry except for the Township of North Glengarry. That municipality is presently included in the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell.
Officials from North Glengarry began the process of petitioning for the change in July. The move is to help clear up confusion where North Glengarry is part of SDG Counties, but is presented by a Member of Parliament that is tied to Prescott-Russell.
SDG Counties Councillor Jamie MacDonald (North Glengarry) updated council on the efforts to move boundaries.
“We did receive the report from the electoral commission and they have accepted the recommendation that North Glengarry be put into SD and G,” MacDonald told council.
Now that the recommendation has been received by the electoral commission there is a 24-day period for public comment. Then the final recommendations, along with public feedback, will go to the Chief Electoral Officer for final approval.
SDG Warden Carma Williams explained that recommendations have a domino effect as other ridings also have proposed changes. GPR is expected to already add small areas of the east end of the City of Ottawa into that riding due to the redistricting process.
“There is always the potential that they will object,” Williams said of North Glengarry’s proposal.
Past riding compositions have never had the entire SDG Counties area in one riding.
If approved, the new riding boundaries would not take effect until April 2024. Any federal election that may occur before then will follow the current electoral boundary. It is expected that if approved, the provincial legislature boundaries will also be modified to reflect that change in time for the 2026 provincial election.
