Evidence of meeting #71 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was name.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
We'll call our meeting to order.
We're still on federal electoral boundaries for the province of Quebec. We have witnesses today. Welcome.
Mr. Dion, you wanted to have a moment of time before we started today, though.
11 a.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Mr. Chair, I just want to inform my colleagues at the committee that I distance myself from any discussion, debate, report redaction, and so on, regarding the boundary issues on the island of Montreal. There's no problem with names, nominations, and so on, but there is a problem with anything that is linked to boundary issues. I need to do so because my riding is at stake.
My colleague Dominic LeBlanc will replace me in any discussion we have about the island of Montreal boundaries.
11 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Super. Thank you, Monsieur Dion.
All right, let's go to witnesses.
Witnesses, you'll each get five minutes to plead your case, and then we'll ask you really hard questions. It'll give you a feeling for what it's like to have a witness at the end of the table during committee meetings.
Madame Raynault, would you like to start for us, please, for five minutes.
11 a.m.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
Mr. Chair, eminent colleagues and members of the committee, thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of the Communauté Atikamekw de Manawan, the residents of which have asked me to do everything in my power to challenge the redistribution proposed on February 26. Since time is limited, allow me right off the bat to summarize the reasons for this challenge.
First, the announcement that Manawan would be removed from the electoral district of Joliette, was a shock to the Atikamekw community. The council and residents immediately mobilized. We therefore have with us a unanimous resolution by the Conseil des Atikamekw de Manawan and a petition signed by 600 residents who want to keep Manawan in Joliette. Those 600 signatures represent more than 50% of adults on the Manawan electoral list. This petition makes ours the most significant challenge in Canada in 2013. Apart from this mobilization effort, however, there are good reasons to reject the proposed redistribution.
Joliette is the closest urban centre to Manawan and the location of the Centre d'amitié autochtone de Lanaudière, which serves some 50 aboriginal families living in an urban setting. Joliette is also where Manawan residents go to do most of their shopping, to go to school off reserve and so on. Highway 131, which crosses my riding from north to south, is the only link between Manawan and the Joliette urban area. It is also the road the Atikamekw must use to reach the electoral district of Saint-Maurice—Champlain, the urban centres of which are much farther away than Joliette.
If the proposed redistribution were implemented, the Atikamekw would definitely continue going to Joliette as they do now but would not have a federal political link with that territory, which is also their own. Furthermore, as a result of the challenge, we learned that community relations between Joliette and Manawan will grow in coming years. The Commission scolaire des Samares recently began a process of cooperation with Manawan's educational services to promote the inclusion of Atikamekw youth who go to school off reserve. There are currently 45 Atikamekw students at the primary level of the Commission scolaire des Samares and 15 at the secondary level. Logically, Atikamekw secondary enrolment will triple over the next few years.
In addition, among the some 50 Atikamekw families settled in Joliette, there is a majority of young people aged 20 to 29 and, even more so, a majority of women. The demographic changes and births that may be anticipated will only expand the Atikamekw presence to and in Joliette, since the Atikamekw are also settling in the countryside around the city. The confirmed demographic boom in all first nations is being observed in all areas in Manawan, and relations with Joliette will only increase.
This situation is developing together with an increasing openness by the Atikamekw toward non-aboriginals, as may be seen in the efforts of the school board and the development of Tourisme Manawan, for example.
Lastly, we would have liked to challenge this redistribution earlier, but the loss of Manawan was not made public until the commission members' report was tabled on February 26. Other parts of my riding were subject to changes, and residents were able to speak before the commission, which listened to them.
Today I am simply asking you to allow the commission members to review their decision based on the arguments compiled in our report, the people's will expressed in the petition and the resolution of the Conseil des Atikamekw de Manawan.
For that reason, I ask you as well to let the commission members analyze our request. I am convinced that they will accommodate the Atikamekw's wishes and accept the many reasons for leaving Manawan in Joliette.
Thank you.
11:05 a.m.
NDP
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for this opportunity to speak to the commission's proposals.
In fact, my only demand concerns the proposed name of "Salaberry", which would cover a portion of the existing electoral districts of Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Beauharnois—Salaberry.
Many people do not feel represented at all by the name that has been selected. A consensus emerged around the name "Suroît" at the public hearings on October 23. That name is already being used and is much more inclusive. It is being used by the Office du tourisme du Suroît, which already covers the RCMs of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Beauharnois-Salaberry and Haut-Saint-Laurent. There is really a consensus on that name.
If you want to select another name, there is a lesser consensus on a second name, Salaberry-Soulanges, although it was accepted by all the residents who took part in the hearings on October 23, 2012.
We do not know the origin of the name "Salaberry", which was not discussed at the preliminary hearings. That is why I am testifying in committee today.
11:05 a.m.
NDP
Jamie Nicholls NDP Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I also want to testify to submit a proposed name change for the electoral district of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. We would like to suggest the name "Vaudreuil—Soulanges-Est".
The name "Soulanges" is a heritage name in the province of Quebec. It is the name of a seigniory that dates back to New France and that was named in honour of Pierre-Jacques de Joybert de Soulanges et de Marson.
Historically, the communities that lived in the territory of Soulanges were those of Saint-Clet, Coteau-du-Lac, Les Cèdres and Pointe-des-Cascades. As the new electoral district of Vaudreuil includes the municipalities of Les Cèdres and Pointe-des-Cascades, which historically constitute the eastern part of the seigneury of Soulanges, I would like to propose the name Vaudreuil—Soulanges-Est.
I also propose another minor change, that three municipalities be grouped together in the new electoral district of Vaudreuil, which we propose should be named Vaudreuil—Soulanges-Est. They are the municipalities of Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, Très-Saint-Rédempteur and Sainte-Marthe.
The reason why we want to include these three communities north of the electoral district is that they are hard to reach by Highway 20. It would be very difficult for the member for Salaberry to travel to the north of the riding in winter road conditions.
In addition, Mont Rigaud is an important geographic entity in the territory. The communities of Très-Saint-Rédempteur and Sainte-Marthe are part of Mont Rigaud. I would like to retain that geographic entity and the communities around Mont Rigaud. They have a considerable common interest in keeping the mountain. In addition, Sainte-Justine-de-Newton is not part of the historical seigneury of Vaudreuil or that of Soulanges. It is a township that was established under the British regime.
Since the population of the municipality of Sainte-Justine-de-Newton has very strong ties to those of the municipalities of Très-Saint-Rédempteur and Sainte-Marthe, and they often hold joint events, we propose that those three municipalities be kept together as part of the new electoral district of Vaudreuil—Soulanges-Est. This is a very minor change. Altogether, it represents fewer than 3,000 residents and even fewer electors. I therefore do not believe this will cause a serious problem regarding the variance from the number of electors.
That in short is what I wanted to present. I know that my electors were very disappointed to lose the historical name of Soulanges. We would like to keep it in the name of the electoral district of Salaberry or Vaudreuil and, in an ideal world, in both ridings.
The purpose of my proposal is thus to have a new riding name, that of Vaudreuil—Soulanges-Est.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Merci.
We'll go to questions from members.
Mr. Reid, for five minutes, please.
April 23rd, 2013 / 11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
It's going to be a challenge, given the number of witnesses.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
No, just in getting everybody through. I'll try to be brief, actually.
My questions are for Ms. Raynault.
I believe the population of the Manawan reserve is 2,500 inhabitants. Is that correct?
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
I have the current map of your electoral district. It indicates that Manawan is surrounded by a municipality called Baie-Atibenne.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
It is bigger, but I believe it surrounds Manawan.
11:10 a.m.
NDP
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
Yes.
If Manawan returns to your electoral district of Joliette, I believe it will be necessary to give Baie-Atibenne back to your riding as well. What is the population of Baie-Atibenne?
11:10 a.m.
NDP
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
So the population concerned is not very large.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
I understand.
I believe that the other municipality there, Baie-Obaoca, will be in the new electoral district. I do not know its name. It is Shawinigan or Saint-Maurice. Is that correct?
11:15 a.m.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
Perhaps it is the electoral district of Saint-Maurice—Champlain. I do not know.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
11:15 a.m.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
As I said earlier, when we received the commission members' report on February 26, it concerned only Manawan. There was never any mention of these very sparsely populated places.