C-396
First Session, Forty-first Parliament,
60-61 Elizabeth II, 2011-2012
HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA
BILL C-396
An Act to amend the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act (Northern Ontario)
first reading, February 15, 2012
Mr. Gravelle
411558
SUMMARY
This enactment amends the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act to ensure that Northern Ontario maintains a minimum of ten electoral districts.
Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address:http://www.parl.gc.ca
1st Session, 41st Parliament,
60-61 Elizabeth II, 2011-2012
house of commons of canada
BILL C-396
An Act to amend the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act (Northern Ontario)
Preamble
Whereas any readjustment of the boundaries of an electoral district must respect the principle of fair representation, and the inhabitants of Northern Ontario, including the francophone population, are entitled to be governed by that principle;
Whereas electoral boundaries commissions, in determining boundaries, do not only consider the average population per electoral district but also give weight to historical, geographic, linguistic and democratic factors and principles;
Whereas it is important that the electoral districts in remote northern and rural regions, because of their low population density and extreme weather conditions, must have reasonable dimensions in order to ensure the fair representation of the inhabitants of those regions;
And whereas the northern part of Ontario is greater in geographic size than every other province and territory except for Quebec and British Columbia;
R.S., c. E-3
Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
1. Section 15 of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (2):
Exception — Northern Ontario
(3) The commission shall depart from the application of the rule set out in paragraph (1)(a) to ensure that, in any case, the number of electoral districts in Northern Ontario is not less than ten. 
Interpretation
(4) For the purpose of this section, “Northern Ontario” means the geographic area comprising the following ten electoral districts, as described in the representation order declared in force by proclamation of August 25, 2003, under this Act:
(a) Algoma — Manitoulin — Kapuskasing;
(b) Kenora;
(c) Nickel Belt;
(d) Nipissing — Timiskaming;
(e) Parry Sound — Muskoka;
(f) Sault Ste. Marie;
(g) Sudbury;
(h) Thunder Bay — Rainy River;
(i) Thunder Bay — Superior North; and
(j) Timmins — James Bay.
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