Electoral Boundaries Act, 2015, S.O. 2015, c. 31 - Bill 115

• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Bill Number: 115
• Date: 03 December 2015

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Explanatory Note was written as a reader’s aid to Bill 115 and does not form part of the law. Bill 115 has been enacted as Chapter 31 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2015.

The Bill contains five Schedules which enact the Representation Act, 2015, repeal the Representation Act, 2005 and make complementary amendments to the Election Act, the Election Finances Act and the Legislative Assembly Act.

The Representation Act, 2015, set out in Schedule 1, provides for 122 electoral districts to replace the current 107. This redistribution takes effect immediately after the first dissolution of the Legislature after November 30, 2016.

The 11 northern electoral districts that were first established by the Representation Act, 1996 are maintained. The rest of Ontario is divided into 111 electoral districts whose names and boundaries are identical to those of the corresponding new federal electoral districts.

Schedule 2 repeals the Representation Act, 2005.

Schedules 3, 4 and 5 contain amendments to the Election Act, the Election Finances Act and the Legislative Assembly Act that are complementary to the enactment of the Representation Act, 2015. The amendments to the Election Finances Act deal with the effect of the redistribution on constituency associations.

chapter 31

An Act to enact the Representation Act, 2015, repeal the Representation Act, 2005 and amend the Election Act, the Election Finances Act and the Legislative Assembly Act

Assented to December 3, 2015

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Contents of this Act

1. This Act consists of this section, sections 2 and 3 and the Schedules to this Act.

Commencement

2. (1) Subject to subsection (2), this Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Same

(2) The Schedules to this Act come into force as provided in each Schedule.

Short title

3. The short title of this Act is the Electoral Boundaries Act, 2015.

SCHEDULE 1
representation ACT, 2015

Definitions

1. In this Act,

“federal Act” means the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act (Canada); (“loi fédérale”)

“federal electoral district” means an electoral district established under the federal Act. (“circonscription électorale fédérale”)

Redistribution

2. (1) For the purpose of representation in the Legislative Assembly, Ontario is divided into the following electoral districts:

1. The 11 northern electoral districts, whose names and boundaries are set out in the Schedule.

2. In the part of Ontario that lies outside the 11 northern electoral districts, 111 southern electoral districts whose names and boundaries are identical to those of the federal electoral districts that come into effect on the first dissolution of Parliament after May 1, 2014.

Effective date

(2) The redistribution described in subsection (1) takes effect immediately after the first dissolution of the Legislature after November 30, 2016.

Existing electoral districts maintained until effective date

(3) Until the redistribution described in subsection (1) takes effect, Ontario is divided into 107 electoral districts with the names and boundaries that are in effect under the Representation Act, 2005 as it reads on the day before the day the Electoral Boundaries Act, 2015 receives Royal Assent.

One member per district

3. One member shall be returned to the Assembly for each electoral district.

Commencement

4. The Act set out in this Schedule comes into force on the day the Electoral Boundaries Act, 2015 receives Royal Assent.

Short title

5. The short title of the Act set out in this Schedule is the Representation Act, 2015.

Schedule
11 Northern Electoral Districts

(Paragraph 1 of subsection 2 (1))

1. Algoma-Manitoulin

Consisting of:

FIRSTLY:

All of the Territorial District of Algoma, EXCEPTING the City of Sault Ste. Marie and that part of the Rankin Location Indian Reserve No. 15D lying within the limits of the City of Sault Ste. Marie.

SECONDLY:

All those parts of the Territorial District of Sudbury described as:

(i) All that part lying west of the easterly limit of the geographic townships of Shenango, Lemoine, Carty, Pinogami, Biggs, Rollo, Swayze, Cunningham, Blamey, Shipley, Singapore, Burr and Edighoffer;

(ii) All that part lying south and west of a line described as follows: Commencing at the northwest corner of the geographic township of Acheson; thence easterly along the north boundary of the geographic townships of Acheson, Venturi and Ermatinger to the northeast corner of the geographic township of Ermatinger; thence southerly along the east boundary of the geographic townships of Ermatinger and Totten to the westerly limit of the former Regional Municipality of Sudbury (2000); thence generally southerly along the west limit of said former regional municipality to the northeast corner of the geographic township of Foster; thence southerly along the east boundary of the geographic townships of Foster and Curtin to the southeast corner of the geographic township of Curtin; thence easterly along the south limit of the geographic townships of Roosevelt, Hansen and Goschen to the southeast corner of the geographic township of Goschen; thence southerly along the west limit of the geographic township of Sale to the southwest corner thereof; thence easterly along the south limit of the geographic township of Sale to the southeast corner thereof; thence southerly along the west limit of the geographic townships of Kilpatrick and Travers and continuing southerly to the northeast corner of the Territorial District of Manitoulin on the west limit of the Territorial District of Sudbury.

THIRDLY:

All that part of the Territorial District of Thunder Bay lying south and east of a line described as follows: Commencing at the southwest corner of the geographic Township of Downer; thence west astronomically to the intersection of a line drawn south astronomically from the southeast corner of the geographic Township of Bain; thence south astronomically to the intersection of a line drawn west astronomically from the southwest corner of the geographic township of McGill; thence east astronomically to longitude 86°00ˈW; thence southerly along longitude 86°00ˈW to the White River; thence generally westerly along said river to the northerly shore of Lake Superior; thence S45°00ˈW astronomically to the international boundary between Canada and the United States of America.

FOURTHLY:

All of the Territorial District of Manitoulin.

2. Kenora-Rainy River

Consisting of:

FIRSTLY:

All of the Territorial District of Kenora, EXCEPTING that part lying east of a line described as follows: Commencing at the most northerly northeast corner of the Territorial District of Thunder Bay; thence northerly along the production of the east limit of the Territorial District of Thunder Bay to the north limit of the Province of Ontario.

SECONDLY:

All that part of the Territorial District of Rainy River lying west of a line described as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the south limit of said district with a meridian line known as the 4th Meridian Line, surveyed by Phillips and Benner, Ontario Land Surveyors, 1926; thence northerly along said meridian line to the south limit of the Town of Atikokan; thence westerly along said south limit of said town to the southwest corner thereof; thence northerly along the west limit of said town and its production northerly to the north limit of the Territorial District of Rainy River.

THIRDLY:

All that part of the Territorial District of Thunder Bay lying north and west of a line described as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the west limit of the Territorial District of Thunder Bay with a base line, known as the 6th Base Line or Ross’s Base Line, surveyed by K.G. Ross, Ontario Land Surveyor, 1923; thence easterly along said base line to the southeast corner of the geographic Township of Bertrand; thence northerly along the east boundary of the geographic townships of Bertrand, McLaurin, Furlonge, Fletcher and Bulmer to the northeast corner of the geographic Township of Bulmer; thence northerly along a meridian line, known as Phillips and Benner’s Meridian Line, surveyed by Phillips and Benner, Ontario Land Surveyors, 1923, to the north limit of the Territorial District of Thunder Bay.

3. Nickel Belt

Consisting of:

FIRSTLY:

All that part of the Territorial District of Timiskaming lying west of the easterly limit of the geographic townships of Douglas and Geikie.

SECONDLY:

All of the Territorial District of Sudbury, EXCEPTING those parts described as follows:

(i) All that part lying west of the easterly limit of the geographic townships of Shenango, Lemoine, Carty, Pinogami, Biggs, Rollo, Swayze, Cunningham, Blamey, Shipley, Singapore, Burr and Edighoffer;

(ii) All that part lying south and west of a line described as follows: Commencing at the northwest corner of the geographic township of Acheson; thence easterly along the north boundary of the geographic townships of Acheson, Venturi and Ermatinger to the northeast corner of the geographic township of Ermatinger; thence southerly along the east boundary of the geographic townships of Ermatinger and Totten to the westerly limit of the former Regional Municipality of Sudbury (2000); thence generally southerly along the west limit of said former regional municipality to the northeast corner of the geographic township of Foster; thence southerly along the east limit of the geographic townships of Foster and Curtin to the southeast corner of the geographic township of Curtin; thence easterly along the south limit of the geographic townships of Roosevelt, Hansen and Goschen to the southeast corner of the geographic township of Goschen; thence southerly along the west limit of the geographic township of Sale to the southwest corner thereof; thence easterly along the...