The two MPs representing Lambton County will meet with the county’s mayors Wednesday to talk about the redistribution of the federal riding boundaries.

Lambton county could be represented by three different MPs and MPPs if a proposal for riding boundaries is approved.

A federal commission looks at the riding boundaries every 10 years and alters them to make sure each member of Parliament represents roughly the same number of people. This time around, Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu says the commission was trying to build riding boundaries so each MPP would represent about 117,000 people. Gladu is spearheading review of the boundary proposal for the federal Conservative party.

Under the plan, Sarnia-Lambton would grow to include Walpole Island, as well as parts of Wallaceburg and Dresden. It would be called and be called Sarnia-Lambton Bkejwanong. The Lambton-Kent-Middlesex riding would be replaced with Elgin Middlesex Thames. It would include Warwick, Brooke-Alvinston and parts of Dawn-Euphemia as well as parts of Chatham-Kent, Elgin and Strathroy.
Gladu says the proposal puts Forest and Lambton Shores in a riding called South Huron Shores.

The MP has been talking with some community leaders, particularly the indigenous communities in the riding. Bkewanong and Kettle and Stoney Point have join programs because they are in the same riding, she says, and they are concerned about their future.

The MP says Bkewanong was part of the Sarnia-Lambton riding in the past, but she expects another office would be needed to serve the needs of the south should the boundary proposals be approved for the next federal election. The province follows suit with the boundary redistribution. “Changes can be made, but only if people add their voice now, when the public hearings are being held. This is the only time that there’s input from the public,” says Gladu adding changes were “made in the last go round in 2012.”

During the Dawn-Euphemia council meeting Tuesday, Mayor Al Broad said the Gladu and MP Liane Rood from Lambton-Kent Middlesex are meeting with mayors from Lambton to work on a united front.

Broad is opposed to the current plan saying “I’m surprised the academics listed there (the federal commission) would think that’s a good idea,” he told council. “The new boundaries just doesn’t make sense.

“I think we need to put two or three proposals together…one just to leave things the way they are.”

“Another is why don’t you just put the whole county into one…. that would make sense.”