kitchenercentre.liberal.ca pg. 1 · 2013-08-07 · liberal party of canada (ontario) southwest...

Message from the President

Upcoming Events Policy Pub Night August 15, 2013 McCabes Pub Annual Picnic September 8, 2013 Victoria Park Pavilion Second Pearson Club Event Date to be confirmed Stay tuned for more details LPC Biennial Convention February 21-23, 2014 Stay tuned for more details Find out about events as they come up by looking at: kitchenercentre.liberal.ca/ upcoming-events

[email protected] � 519-570-2001 � kitchenercentre.liberal.ca � facebook.com/kcfla � pg. 1

Dear Member,

The Kitchener Centre Federal Liberal Association (KCFLA) is pleased to revive its quarterly newsletter. Re-launching the Association’s e-newsletter is our latest attempt in our engagement process aimed at keeping you informed and involved. I wish to thank the Communications Committee for leading this initiative.

It has been a busy few months for Liberals in Kitchener Centre and across Canada. We have a new leader whose message of hope and personal appeal has resonated with many Canadians. What an exciting time to be a Liberal - you can feel the excitement and positive energy growing in the party from coast to coast to coast as we continue to rebuild our brand into a modern and progressive movement for change.

At the local level, the KCFLA board of directors has been very busy since being elected at the AGM last December. We have formed strong and very active Committees. Our Association has attracted new members and supporters; we have hosted a number of events;

revived our Lester B. Pearson club; continued to build partnership with the larger community and are continuing to improve communication between the riding executive and its members. Please stay tuned regarding a number of upcoming events.

The Kitchener Centre Federal Liberal Association is only as strong as its members and supporters - people like you who believe in Liberal values and goals and actively engage to protect them. We value our members and supporters and we wish to build lasting relationships with you. We encourage you to become more involved in the Association. Please take the time to fill out the survey questions regarding how you can get more involved.

On behalf of the KCFLA board of directors, I wish to thank you for your continued support and membership with the Liberal Party of Canada. I look forward to working with you as we continue to renew the Liberal brand. Kind regards, Joan Euler President KCFLA

In this Newsletter Message from the President 1 Upcoming Events 1 History Lesson 2 Recap of Past Events 3 Redistribution Update 4 The Ottawa Scene 6 Get Involved 6 Name this Newsletter 6


History Lesson: the Federal Electoral District of Kitchener Centre

Riding Names:

1867-1968 Waterloo North 1968-1997 Kitchener 1997- Kitchener Centre

Members of Parliament: 1867-1878 Isaac Erb Bowman – Liberal 1878-1887 Hugo Kranz – Conservative 1887-1896 Isaac Erb Bowman – Liberal 1896-1908 Jos E. Seagram – Conservative 1908-1911 William Lyon McKenzie King – Liberal 1911-1917 William George Weichel – Conservative 1917-1940 William Daum Euler – Liberal 1940-1952 Louis Orville Breithaupt – Liberal 1952-1958 Norman C. Schneider – Liberal 1958-1965 Oscar W. Mike Weichel – Conservative 1965-1974 Keith Hymmen – Liberal 1974-1979 Patrick Joseph Flynn – Liberal 1979-1980 John Reimer – Conservative 1980-1984 Peter Lang – Liberal 1984-1993 John Reimer – Conservative 1993-1997 John English – Liberal 1997-2008 Karen Redman – Liberal 2008 - Stephen Woodworth – Conservative 1867-1968 - Waterloo North electoral district The British North America Act of 1867 created two federal electoral districts in the County of Waterloo: Waterloo North and Waterloo South. At its inception, the North Riding of Waterloo was defined as consisting of the Townships of North Waterloo, Woolwich and Wellesley, and the Town of Berlin (later Kitchener) and Village of Waterloo. In 1903, it was re-defined to consist of the townships of North Waterloo, Wellesley and Woolwich, the towns of Berlin and Waterloo, and the village of Elmira. In 1947, the riding was further re-defined to consist of the city of Kitchener, the town of Waterloo and the

townships of Wellesley and Woolwich, and the northern part of the township of Waterloo. Waterloo South mainly consisted of the Towns of Ayr, Galt, Hespeler, New Hamburg and Preston, as well as the Townships of South Waterloo, North Dumfries and Wilmot. These electoral boundaries were in place from 1867 to 1968. The Waterloo North and South electoral districts were redistributed between the ridings of Kitchener, Waterloo, Perth and Wellington-Grey. 1968-1997 - Kitchener electoral district The riding of Kitchener was created from parts of Waterloo North and Waterloo South ridings. It initially consisted of the City of Kitchener; however, in 1976, it was re-defined to exclude the northeastern part of the city. The electoral district was abolished in 1996-1997, when it was redistributed between Kitchener Centre and Waterloo-Wellington ridings. 1997-present - Kitchener Centre electoral district The riding of Kitchener was further re-adjusted in 1997 and it was renamed Kitchener-Centre. In 2003, it was redefined to consist of the part of the City of Kitchener bounded on the west by the western limit of the city, on the north by a line drawn from west to east along Highland Road West, Fischer Hallman Road and the Canadian National Railway situated northerly of Shadeland Crescent, on the east by the Grand River, and on the south by a line drawn from east to west along the King Street Bypass (Highway No. 8), King Street East and the Conestoga Parkway NEXT EDITION: Short Biographies - Get to know your former Liberal MPs better – Isaac Erb Bowman, William Lyon McKenzie King, William Daum Euler, Louis Orvilel Breithaupt, Norman C. Schneider, Keith Hymmen, Patrick Joseph Flynn, Peter Lang, John English and Karen Redman.


Recap of Past Events

KCFLA AGM & Christmas Party Sunday, December 9, 2012 Kitchener Delta Hotel Our Annual General Meeting was well attended. The general membership elected a new board of directors. Members and guests from neighbouring Riding Associations stayed afterwards for our Christmas Party. We all enjoyed some Christmas treats, entertainment that was provided by Ms. Sue King’s students (Cassandra Hodgson and Alexandra Girard), and good company! Thanks a Million Bob! Monday, January 21, 2013 Concordia Club, Kitchener In partnership with the three other local riding associations, KCFLA co-hosted Bob Rae in his farewell tour of Canada as interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Guests joined us for a fun evening of live entertainment, food, drinks and a live auction! Thank you Bob for your service to the Liberal Party of Canada! Leadership Debate - Watch it Live! Saturday, March 23, 2013 Little Bean Coffee Bar, Kitchener KCFLA members and supporters were invited to watch the televised Leadership Debate at the Little Bean Coffee Bar in Kitchener. The debate was televised live from Montreal. 2013 Liberal Party Leadership Victory Party Sunday, April 14, 2013 McCabe’s, Kitchener KCFLA organized a leadership victory party at McCabes. Members and guests had the opportunity to view the incoming voting results, celebrate Justin Trudeau’s victory and enjoy delicious food.

Tri-Pride Saturday, June 1, 2013 Kitchener City Hall The KCFLA was represented at the annual Tri-Pride festivities, held in front of Kitchener City Hall. A number of local volunteers helped out at the Liberal Party booth. This was a great opportunity for us to remind visitors of our Party’s historic commitment and continued support to the LGBTQ community. KCFLA Lester B. Pearson Club Inauguration Event with Gerald Butts Thursday, June 6, 2013 Peter Martin’s 41, Kitchener The KCFLA held its inaugural Lester B. Pearson Club event, with Gerald Butts, Principal Advisor to the Justin Trudeau leadership campaign, as its first guest speaker. The Pearson Club is the KCFLA’s fundraising club. Gerald shared stories from the campaign and provided insights on future direction for the Liberal Party of Canada and its new and exciting young leader. We were also fortunate to be joined by John English, who introduced Gerald. John is a former Member of Parliament for Kitchener and was recently named the Director of the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at the University of Toronto. Overall, this was an excellent event and somewhat bittersweet being our last event at Peter Martin’s as 41 King closed its doors in June after having been opened for over 25 years. Thank you to Peter who has hosted many of our gatherings over the years. Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) Southwest Regional Meeting Saturday, June 8, 2013 Courtyard By Marriott, London The LPC(O) Southwest Regional Meeting took place in London this year. The day was filled with Liberal workshops and presentations on various topics. A variety of guest speakers addressed members throughout the day. Thank you to our delegates who went on behalf of the KCFLA.

Continued on page 5


The proposed new boundaries for the electoral district of Kitchener Centre would include: Those parts of the City of Kitchener lying east of Fischer-Hallman Road. This would include Forest Hill; Victoria Park; Highland/Stirling/Courtland/Mill Street; Downtown; Auditorium; Rockway; Rosemount; Stanley Park; Lackner; Idlewood neighbourhoods – all the way east to the Grand River; Those parts of the City of Kitchener north of the rail line and west of Conestoga Parkway This would include Old Westmount/Glasgow; Cherry Park, the Grand River Hospital, Mount Hope/Breithaupt Park neighbourhoods; This would not include Bridgeport East area and Bingemans, which would remain part of the Waterloo riding.

Electoral Boundaries Redistribution Update Background Due to the increase in population, Canada’s number of electoral districts is increasing to 338 from the current 308. Ontario will have 121 electoral districts - this is an increase of 15 electoral districts for the province. The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission of Ontario was established on February 21, 2012. Its mandate is to readjust the boundaries of existing electoral districts and establish the boundaries of new electoral ridings. The Commission held 31 public hearings across the province in 2012, including Cambridge (they visited twice). The Commission submitted its report redrawing the province’s federal electoral map to the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada in February 2013. The latter forwarded it to the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Speaker tasked the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to study the report. The committee reviewed the Commission’s report in the Spring and filed their objections to the Commission. Overall Approach The Commission is governed by several rules - the primary rule for constructing electoral boundaries is that the population of each electoral district shall be as close as reasonably possible to the electoral quota for the province. The quota is established by dividing the census population by the number of electoral districts allocated to the province. The quota for electoral districts in Ontario is 106,213. Other rules for constructing electoral boundaries relate to community of interest; community of identity; historical patterns; and a manageable geographic size for electoral districts in sparsely populated, rural or northern regions of the province.

Proposed Changes According to the Commission’s findings, Waterloo Region has a combined population of 508,824. This warrants an additional electoral district, for a total of five: Kitchener Centre (population 102,433) Cambridge (population 111,693) Kitchener-Conestoga (population 93,827) Kitchener South-Hespeler (population 97,673) Waterloo (population 103,192)

(Above) Summer Social Dinner (Below) Area Presidents with Bob Rae

Electoral Boundaries Redistribution Update (Continued)

The new riding would lose the following neighbourhoods: Forest Heights (west of Fischer-Hallman Road that is currently part of Kitchener Centre) along with Resurrection neighbourhood north of Victoria Street West (formerly part of Kitchener-Waterloo) and Activa/Laurentian south of Ottawa would now become all part of the reconstructed riding of Kitchener-Conestoga;

The part lying southeast of Fairway Road North and east of Highway 8; assigned to the new electoral district of Kitchener South-Hespeler. This would include Chicopee Park; Freeport; King Street East/Old King.

The electoral district of Cambridge would be composed of that part of the city of Cambridge lying south of Highway 401 (Preston and Galt); the Township of North Dumfries and that part of the City of Brant lying north of Paris Plains Church Road, Scenic Drive and Howell Road. The electoral district of Kitchener-Conestoga would be comprised of the townships of Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich; and that part of the City of Kitchener lying westerly of Fischer-Hallman Road. The electoral district of Kitchener South-Hespeler would be comprised of that part of the City of Cambridge lying northerly of Highway 401 (Hespeler); and that part of the City of Kitchener lying east of Fischer-Hallman Road and south of Highway 7 and south of Fairway Road North. The electoral district of Waterloo would consist of the City of Waterloo and that part of the City of Kitchener lying northerly of the Goderich-Exeter Railway Company Ltd. Railway and northeasterly of Conestoga Parkway What’s Next? The Commission is currently reviewing the parliamentary committee’s input and is expected to issue its final report sometime in the Fall. The new boundaries are applied at a general election called at least seven months after the report is adopted by Parliament (presumably sometime in September). This time allows Elections Canada, political parties, candidates and sitting MPs to prepare for the next general election. The next general election is planned for October 2015. However, in theory the earliest a general election could be called where the new boundaries would take effect is April 2014.


Recap of Past Events (Continued)

Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Festival Saturday/Sunday June 22 & 23, 2013 Victoria Park, Kitchener The KCFLA Outreach Committee did a fantastic job at getting out local volunteers to help out at the Liberal Party booth at the K-W Multicultural Festival. KCFLA has had a long-standing history of being represented at this annual festival, which celebrates our region’s diversity through food, dance and music. Visitors had the opportunity to stop by our table to pick up free Canadian flags, copies of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, purchase Liberal Party t-shirts and sign up for membership with the Party. Nonviolence Festival’s 9th Annual Day in the Park Saturday, July 13, 2013 Victoria Park, Kitchener The KCFLA was well represented at this annual event celebrating of the spirit of non-violence. The program included food tents, a number of speakers and performers and a fun zone for the kids. Thank you to our dedicated and hard-working volunteered who helped out at the Liberal Party booth. KCFLA Annual Summer Social Dinner Monday, July 22, 2013 Hot Wheels Chinese Restaurant, Kitchener The KCFLA hosted its Annual Summer Social Dinner at the Hot Wheels Chinese Restaurant. The dinner was well attended, as members and supporters turned out to show their support for the KCFLA, re-acquaint with fellow guests and friends and taste some great Chinese food at the newest Chinese restaurant in town.

The Ottawa Scene

The last few months in Ottawa have seen a flurry of activity with the Senate scandal and the latest cabinet shuffle. The final report on Pamela Wallin is due in mid August while the investigation into the expense scandal involving Mike Duffy is still ongoing. There has been some controversy lately involving Nigel Wright, as he has stated, through his lawyer, that other members of the PMO’s staff were also aware of the $90,000 payment to Mike Duffy. This is in complete contradiction to what the Prime Minister has stated publicly. He has reiterated that no one in his office was aware of the payment. Stay tuned for developing details. Regarding the cabinet shuffle just announced it seems that the main players (Finance, Treasury Board, Foreign Affairs) have all stayed in place. This is one of the largest cabinets in political history with an unprecedented number of Ministers of State. However, it seems that things will be the same and the additions to cabinet were really window dressing without any profound impact on the direction of the government. If I can quote Shakespeare in terms of this cabinet shuffle, it can be described as “much ado about nothing”.

Raj Saini

Get Involved

We are working hard to host events and engage people in the Kitchener area to lay the groundwork for 2015. However, we cannot do it alone. Every day Canadians are joining a bold new Liberal Party. Take the next step and get involved with us. Even if you don't have much time to commit, there are many ways you can help.

Volunteer on a regular basis Volunteer at events Volunteer for recruitment Get email updates Become a Member Attend Events

Go to our website to fill out this short form. You can also contact us at 519-571-2001 kitchenercentre.liberal.ca/get-involved


Lester B. Pearson Club

The Liberal Party of Canada has a new leader. Justin’s message of hope and personal appeal has resonated with many Canadians. His victory is a testament of the hard work, positive energy and promise of renewal that he brings to the leadership. That is why the Kitchener Centre Federal Liberal Association is on a push to raise $45,000 so we are ready to fight the next election. With that in min, the Kitchener Centre Federal Liberal Association is proud to announce the inauguration of the Lester B. Pearson Club. Membership with the Pearson Club is $250 annually and provides you the invaluable opportunity to hear from prominent guest speakers at a minimum of three events throughout the year, meet with local community leaders and attend other social functions hosted by the KCFLA. For more information, or to make a contribution, visit kitchenercentre.liberal.ca/pearson-club

Name this Newsletter!

This regular newsletter is a new initiative, so new it doesn’t even have a name yet! Kitchener Centre FLA is looking for your suggestions to name this newsletter. The winner will be announced at the Annual Picnic in September. Please submit any names at the following link, or call 519-571-2001 kitchenercentre.liberal.ca/name

kitchenercentre.liberal.ca pg. 1 · 2013-08-07 · liberal party of canada (ontario) southwest...

Documents