Madam Chair, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to the proposed boundaries for my riding, Ville‑Marie—Le Sud‑Ouest—Île‑des‑Sœurs, in the Commission's report.
Just as Mr. Boulerice did, I would like to express my concerns about moving the boundary north of the riding in the Saint‑Henri neighbourhood. Its current position goes from the Ville‑Marie Expressway to Rue Notre‑Dame. In fact, we are splitting an historic neighbourhood in two.
Saint‑Henri is a unique and dynamic community whose history precedes that of Canada by several centuries. Recognized in Quebec literature and music, Saint‑Henri has survived urbanization, industrial transformations and the evolution of economic forces, while conserving its unique identity. Dividing this community between two federal ridings would make it more difficult and more confusing for residents, and the countless community organizations that serve them, to access federal programs.
The residents of Saint‑Henri are currently served by one member at the provincial National Assembly, by one municipal councillor in the Sud‑Ouest borough of the City of Montreal, and by a single federal member of Parliament. Although Saint‑Henri has been part of various federal ridings over the years, this neighbourhood has remained intact in a single federal riding for at least the past 40 years. Moving the boundary north to Rue Notre‑Dame would divide this community along the heart of its socio-economic core. What is more, the Ville‑Marie Expressway, which is elevated, would create a significant physical barrier that would diminish participation in elections. In the wake of the reorganization of Montreal, Westmount has a different municipal government than the City of Montreal. This means that the northern part of Saint‑Henri would be part of a separate and distinct municipality.
This request not to change the northern boundary of the riding has the support of municipal representatives, including Mayor Dorais. In fact, the clerk should have received a letter from the mayor indicating his objection.
Saint‑Henri is a community with a strong and unique identity. Not only should the community be fully maintained, but its residents deserve to have easy access to federal services and programs. Even if maintaining the northern border increases the number of residents in the riding, it is important to note that the population of the riding of Ville‑Marie—Le Sud‑Ouest—Îles‑des‑Soeurs would still be well below the quota for ridings in the Province of Quebec.
My friends, I note that the during the reference period my riding underwent the highest population increase in Quebec at 35%. Sacrifices certainly need to be made. I would like to close my speech on a non-partisan note. I did the intellectual exercise of looking at this northern section, which would be separated and added to the riding of Notre‑Dame‑de‑Grâce—Westmount. The people in this northern section do not usually vote for the Liberal Party of Canada compared to the people in the rest of my riding. I will let you guess who they vote for and I assure you that is it not the Conservatives. No matter, this is not a partisan effort. We want to strive to fully maintain the integrity of Saint-Henri.