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FEDERAL ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES COMMISSION FOR NEW BRUNSWICK ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES READJUSTMENT ACT PART I Preamble A Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of New Brunswick was constituted by proclamation dated April 16, 2002, in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. E-3 (the Act). The Commission was established to readjust the boundaries of the ten (10) electoral districts in New Brunswick, using the 2001 decennial census. The Commission is composed of Mr. Justice Guy A. Richard, Commission Chairman, John P. Barry, Q.C., Member, and George LeBlanc, Member. The 2001 decennial census established the population of the Province of New Brunswick at 729,498 people. Under the rules prescribed by the Act, the representation of New Brunswick in the House of Commons is 10 members and the province is accordingly divided into ten (10) electoral districts resulting in an electoral quota of 72,950 for each electoral district. The Act states that each of the ten (10) electoral districts shall have a population as close as possible to the electoral quota. The Act further provides that the Commission may only depart from the strict application of the rule in the following manner:
but, in departing from the application of the rule set out in paragraph (1)(a), the commission shall make every effort to ensure that, except in circumstances viewed by the commission as being extraordinary, the population of each electoral district in the province remains within twenty-five per cent more or twenty-five per cent less of the electoral quota for the province. The Commission does not find, in our province, any extraordinary circumstances that would warrant the evocation and application of paragraph 15(2)(b) of the Act. In other words, no reasons are to be found, in the Commission's view, to allow an electoral district to either exceed or fall short of the electoral quota by as much or more than 25 percent. The Commission is of the view that the important and democratically sound principle of one person, one vote, can generally be followed, with moderate adjustments, on the basis of "community of interest," "community of identity" and "historical patterns" as contemplated for in paragraph 15(1)(b) of the Act. Part II of this proposal gives an overview of the recommendations of the Commission in regard to each of the ten (10) electoral districts. Detailed legal descriptions and populations for each electoral district are provided in Schedule A to this proposal. The Act calls for public hearings so that the Commission can receive representations from interested persons. The public hearings will be held for all of the electoral districts of the province between September 3 and October 17, 2002. The schedule and locations for these hearings are set out in Part III of this proposal under the heading "Notice of Public Hearings". Advertisements as to these proposals and the hearings will appear in the four provincial daily newspapers in June 2002. The Commission has adopted rules for the conduct of, and representation to, these public hearings. These rules are set out in Part IV hereof. PART II Proposed Boundaries The Commission recommends the changes in the boundaries of the electoral districts set forth in Schedule A, hereafter. The changes recommended are in conformity with the Act. Five major changes are proposed:
Proposed Names of Electoral Districts The reasons for the changes are as follows. After a great deal of study and discussion, the Commission suggests that there is merit in changing some of the names of electoral districts in the Province of New Brunswick. Of the original New Brunswick electoral districts created at Confederation in 1867, only two have maintained their initial names: SAINT JOHN and RESTIGOUCHE. Traditionally, the names chosen or ascribed to the electoral districts, as they evolved over a period of 135 years, have reflected geographical features based on historical place names. Only two, Acadie—BATHURST and MONCTON—Riverview—Dieppe, recall an historical personage. Several were, and are, of Maliseet or Micmac origin and predate European settlements. Such is the case of the current electoral districts of Madawaska—Restigouche, Tobique—Mactaquac and Miramichi. These names have a tremendous historical and cultural importance for New Brunswick. The Commission proposes the following names for the electoral districts: 1. BEAUSÉJOUR The electoral district of Beauséjour—Petitcodiac is renamed BEAUSÉJOUR. The reason for this change is due to the fact that the Petitcodiac area is no longer included in the electoral district. The electoral district of Beauséjour came into being in 1987. When the electoral district was reapportioned in 1997, it became Beauséjour—Petitcodiac. It includes large areas of the former federal electoral district of Westmorland, established in 1867, but established as a county of New Brunswick in 1785, a year after the creation of the province. Beauséjour, which means "pleasant abode", was originally the name of an Acadian settlement established in 1671 in the near vicinity of present-day Sackville. In 1750, the French erected Fort Beauséjour which was taken by the British in 1755. The site of the fort, overlooking the Tantramar Marshes, became a National Historic Site in 1926. 2. CANAAN—TOBIQUE The electoral district of Tobique—Mactaquac is renamed CANAAN—TOBIQUE. This is a new combined name for the electoral district formerly known as Tobique—Mactaquac since 1996. The proposed renaming of the electoral district is based on the importance of two rivers within the electoral district: the Canaan, which flows into Washademoak Lake, and the Tobique, which flows into the Saint John River. The Tobique River, according to Rayburn, (see footnote 1) was named for a Maliseet chief, who could have been Noël Toubic (c. 1706-1767). He is mentioned by Father Jean-Louis LeLoutre as "Toubick". Canaan was the name given to the New Canaan River settlement and appears on a plan in 1826. It is named, of course, after the biblical promised land which scholars situate on the eastern seacoast of the Mediterranean Sea. (see footnote 2) "We went into the land to which you sent us. It does indeed flow with milk and honey (...)," (see footnote 3) as Caleb and Joshua reported to Moses and the community of Israel. There are several communities in New Brunswick that derive their names from the Canaan River: New Canaan, Canaan Road, Canaan Station and Canaan Rapids. (see footnote 4) This electoral district includes such historic New Brunswick counties as Victoria and Carleton, both established as federal electoral districts in 1867. Victoria was established as a provincial county in 1844 and named after Queen Victoria. The Carleton federal electoral district was established in 1867. The provincial county from which it took its name was created in 1831 and named after Thomas Carleton (1736-1817), New Brunswick's first Lieutenant-Governor. 3. CHALEUR—PÉNINSULE The electoral district of Acadie—Bathurst is renamed CHALEUR—PÉNINSULE. This name would replace the current electoral district name known since 1990 as Acadie (see footnote 5) —Bathurst. (see footnote 6) Were it adopted, Chaleur would be making a second appearance on the federal electoral map of New Brunswick since it was part of the name of the former electoral district of Restigouche—Chaleur from 1989 to 1996. Originally, the electoral district included most of the Gloucester electoral district, established in 1867. Chaleur is one of the oldest place names in Canada. Cartier gave its name to the Bay on July 10, 1534. It has been in continuous use ever since. Péninsule refers to the Acadian Peninsula, that area of Northeastern New Brunswick fronting on Chaleur Bay, beginning at Grande-Anse and including Miscou Island, established in 1620. 4. FREDERICTON The name of the electoral district of Fredericton will remain. From 1987 to 1989, the federal electoral district bore the name of Fredericton only. Then, from 1989-1996, it became known as Fredericton—York—Sunbury. It reverted to Fredericton in 1996. Along with Saint John, it is one of the oldest English place names in New Brunswick, the capital city, and subsequently the electoral district, having been named by Lieutenant-Governor Thomas Carleton, in 1785, after Prince Frederick, Duke of York, second son of George III. Fredericton was originally part of the electoral district of York, established in 1867, which became York—Sunbury in 1914. York was named in 1785 after Prince Frederick, Duke of York, in whose honour the capital had been named. Sunbury was the earliest political place name in what became the Province of New Brunswick. Sunbury County was established in 1765 as a county of Nova Scotia. It comprised most of western New Brunswick and was named after George Montagu Dunk (1716-1771), Second Earl of Halifax and Viscount Sunbury, who held several ministerial portfolios in the United Kingdom, notably as Lord Privy Seal. Sunbury was established as a federal electoral district in 1867. It became Sunbury—Queens in 1914 when it was amalgamated with York to become the federal electoral district of York— Sunbury. 5. FUNDY The electoral district of Fundy—Royal is renamed FUNDY. The present name came into being in 1966 when the counties of Kings and Queens formed an integral part of the federal electoral district, which will no longer be the case with the proposed changes in boundaries. Kings was one of the original 1867 electoral districts. It remained as such until 1903 when it was amalgamated with Albert to form Kings and Albert until 1914. Queens was also one of the original 1867 electoral districts, and remained so until 1892. The electoral district of Royal came into being in 1914 and continued until the 1966 redistribution. The name Fundy, which is applied to the Bay, is believed to be a corruption of the French word fendu, meaning "split" in reference to Cape Split in Minas Basin. The name Bay of Fundy appears as early as 1680. (see footnote 7) 6. MADAWASKA—RESTIGOUCHE The name of the electoral district of Madawaska—Restigouche will remain. The name Madawaska is derived from the Maliseet word Medawaskak according to Rayburn, (see footnote 8) meaning "porcupine place", or "land of the porcupine". It appears first in 1683 on a seigneurial grant. Thereafter, it is found on maps and documents under various spellings. Madawaska County, detached from Victoria on April 14, 1873, (see footnote 9) took its name from the civic parish established in 1833. A post office in the Edmundston area bore the name Madawaska from 1837 to 1864. It was a federal electoral district under the name Restigouche—Madawaska from 1914 to 1966 when the Madawaska portion was attached to Victoria under the name Madawaska—Victoria. In 1996, the Madawaska area of the electoral district was combined with Restigouche to form the electoral district of Madawaska—Restigouche. (see footnote 10) Restigouche, the name of a river flowing into Chaleur Bay, is derived from the Micmac word Lustagooch, according to Rayburn, "probably meaning 'good river' for canoeing ...". (see footnote 11) It appears in print in the Jesuits' Relations in 1642 as Restiguch. The Quebec Geographical Commission adopted the spelling as Ristigouche. The Micmac First Nation calls its important community, situated in the province of Quebec, Listuguj and gives several meanings to the word, notably "small forest" and "small trees". (see footnote 12) In New Brunswick, Restigouche was established as a county in 1837. It became a federal electoral district in 1867. We have seen that, from 1914-1966 it was known as Restigouche—Madawaska. In 1989, until 1996, the electoral district became known as Restigouche—Chaleur. Since 1996, the electoral district is Madawaska—Restigouche. 7. MIRAMICHI The name of the electoral district of Miramichi will remain. It includes the former electoral district of Northumberland, one of the 1867 electoral districts, which itself included the provincial county, established in 1785. From 1955 to 1987, the electoral district was called Northumberland—Miramichi. This place name is one of the oldest in New Brunswick, even of the entire Maritime provinces, appearing first in written form, in 1541, as Merchemay and as Misamichy on a map drawn by Samuel de Champlain. Jacques Cartier, in his 1534 voyage, referred to the area as Micheomay and Mechsamecht, which Ganong believed to be derived from the Montagnais, meaning "land of the Micmacs", or Maissimeu Assi. (see footnote 13) 8. MONCTON—DIEPPE The electoral district of Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe is renamed MONCTON—DIEPPE. Due to the rapid population growth of the area, the Commission could no longer maintain the three municipalities within one electoral district. The legislation governing the establishment of electoral districts does not permit it. With the Town of Riverview being relocated to the Fundy electoral district, the name of the new electoral district must be modified accordingly. Monckton Township was established in 1765. In 1786, the civil parish was established under the name of Moncton Parish. The post office was named Moncton in 1854 and the town was incorporated under the name Moncton from 1855 to 1862, and incorporated again as the Town of Moncton in 1875 until 1890 when it became a city. In March 1930, a resolution by city council was adopted whereby the missing letter k would be restored to the city's name. The attempt to correct the misspelling was vigorously opposed and the motion rescinded the following month. (see footnote 14) The name recalls Lieutenant-General the Honourable Robert Monckton (1726-1782). Originally known as Légère Corner from around 1897 to 1930, Dieppe's post office was officially known as Leger Corner from 1930 to 1946 when the name of the post office was changed to Dieppe. The name remained in use until 1946 when the area was incorporated as a village under the name Dieppe, after the French city in Normandy, where many Canadian servicemen died during World War II. It was incorporated as a town in 1952. (see footnote 15) 9. ST. CROIX The electoral district of New Brunswick Southwest is renamed ST. CROIX. The proposed name is charged with history since it recalls the first permanent European settlement in Canada, on June 26, 1604, by Sieur Pierre Dugua de Monts and his companions, among whom was Samuel de Champlain. (see footnote 16) The settlement, whose 400th anniversary will be celebrated in 2004, was on St. Croix Island. De Monts named the river St. Croix (Holy Cross) because its tributaries give it the form of a cross. (see footnote 17) The 1621 grant of Nova Scotia to Sir William Alexander includes "... the river generally known by the name of St. Croix ...". (see footnote 18) Over the centuries the island which was, in effect, the birthplace of Acadie and of Canada, was known by several names: Saincte Croix, Bone, Dochet (and Doucett), Neutral, Big (or Great), de Monts, Hunt's, Docia's. Dochet (pronounced Do-shay) is first mentioned in 1797 but Ste-Croix reappeared in 1798. In 1904, on the occasion of the tercentenary of the island, the following resolution was adopted:
Historically, Carleton County has equal significance. It was first established as a federal electoral district in 1867 and was named after New Brunswick's first Lieutenant-Governor Thomas Carleton. St. Croix encompasses the former provincial county of Charlotte, established in 1785, and named after Queen Charlotte Sophia of Mecklemberg-Strelitz, consort of King George III. Charlotte was one of the 1867 federal electoral districts, and remained so until 1966 when it was amalgamated with the electoral district of Carleton—Charlotte until 1996. In that year, it again became an electoral district, reverting to its original name, changed to New Brunswick Southwest in 1998. The name St. Croix is eminently suitable for a federal electoral district that can legitimately claim to be the birthplace of the nation. It should also be borne in mind that the St. Croix River forms a portion of Canada's international border with the United States of America. 10. SAINT JOHN The name of the electoral district of Saint John will remain. The name of this electoral district remains unchanged. The electoral district of the City and County of Saint John was established in 1867, as was the electoral district of the City of Saint John. From 1914 to 1966, there existed the electoral district of Saint John—Albert which became Saint John—Lancaster until 1976. Since then, the electoral district is known under the name of Saint John, a name given to the City in 1785. On June 24, 1604, the Sieur de Monts had given the name of Rivière Saincte-Jean to the river, on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. PART III Notice of Public Hearings The public hearings will be held at the following places and dates. The public hearings will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ADT.
Please note that the Commission will hear representations regarding any New Brunswick electoral district at any scheduled hearing. If a hearing cannot be held as scheduled, notice of the postponement will be given through local radio stations. Details of any new hearing will be published in an appropriate newspaper and the Secretary will advise persons who have given notice of intention to appear. The Commission will also accept any written representations. Members of the public are not required to appear at the hearing if they wish to submit their views and comments in writing. Notice of Representation The Commission encourages representations from interested persons or representatives of interested groups. Any person or group desiring to make a representation must give written notice in accordance with subsection 19(5) of the Act which provides:
This advertisement is the advertisement referred to in subsection 19(2) of the Act. Persons desiring to make a representation should take note of the rules of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of New Brunswick, as set out in Part IV. Notices must be received no later than August 21, 2002, and should be addressed to: Ms. Rolande Godin Notices may also be submitted electronically by completing the required form on-line at www.elections.ca. Simply go to Federal Representation 2004, click on Federal Electoral Boundaries Commissions, locate the province and then click on Public Hearings. PART IV Rules The following rules will apply to public hearings: 1. These rules may be cited as "The Rules of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for New Brunswick". 2. In these rules:
3. A person giving notice shall state therein at which of the places designated in the advertisement such person wishes to make the representation. 4. If a person giving notice fails to comply with the provisions of Rule 3, the Secretary shall ascertain from such person the place at which the person wishes to appear to make a representation. 5. Rules 3 and 4 are made for administrative purposes only and do not operate to prevent a person who has given a notice from making the representation at any place of sitting of the Commission set out in the advertisement, subject only to the power of the Commission pursuant to Rule 6, to cancel a sitting at that place. 6. If it appears that no one will make a representation at any place designated by the advertisement as a place of sitting, the Commission, or the Chairman thereof, may cancel the sitting at such place. 7. If a quorum cannot be present at a place of sitting on the date set by the advertisement, the Commission, or the Chairman thereof, may postpone that sitting to a later date. 8. The secretary shall inform any person who has given notice but has not been heard, of such cancellation or postponement. Public notice shall also be given by the Chairman or the Commission by such means as they consider adequate. 9. Two members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the holding of a sitting. 10. When the hearing of a representation cannot be completed within the time allotted, the Commission may adjourn the sitting to a later date. 11. The Commission shall have the power to waive any requirement that the Commission deems to be a defect in form and not in substance. 12. Any person wishing to make a representation to the Commission shall advise the Secretary in writing of the language of preference to be used, whether it be an official language or a Native language, and special needs they may have. Inquiries can be made to the Secretary at the following address:
910 Main Street, Suite 104 Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 1G6 Telephone: (506) 851-7727 or 1 877 247-7700 Fax: (506) 851-7684 or 1 877 535-3300 E-mail: commission.nb@nb.aibn.com On-line: www.elections.ca
Dated at Moncton, New Brunswick, this 6th day of May, 2002. MR. JUSTICE GUY A. RICHARD Commission Chairman Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of New Brunswick SCHEDULE A Maps, Proposed Boundaries and Names of Electoral Districts There shall be in the Province of New Brunswick ten (10) electoral districts, named and described as follows, each of which shall return one member. In the following descriptions:
The population figure for each electoral district is derived from the 2001 decennial census. 1. BEAUSÉJOUR (Population: 71,380) (Map 1) Consisting of:
2. CANAAN—TOBIQUE (Population: 65,075) (Map 1) Consisting of:
3. CHALEUR—PÉNINSULE (Population: 76,353) (Map 1) Consisting of that part of the County of Gloucester contained in:
4. FREDERICTON (Population: 76,143) (Map 1) Consisting of:
5. FUNDY (Population: 71,339) (Map 1) Consisting of:
6. MADAWASKA—RESTIGOUCHE (Population: 72,816) (Map 1) Consisting of:
7. MIRAMICHI (Population: 67,097) (Map 1) Consisting of:
8. MONCTON—DIEPPE (Population: 75,997) (Map 1) Consisting of the City of Moncton and the Town of Dieppe. 9. ST. CROIX (Population: 72,966) (Map 1) Consisting of:
10. SAINT JOHN (Population: 80,332) (Map 2) Consisting of:
   
Alan Rayburn, Naming Canada Stories about Place Names from Canadian Geographic, University of Toronto Press, 1994, p. 272. Illustrated Dictionary & Concordance of the Bible, G.G. The Jerusalem Publishing House Ltd., Jerusalem, 1986, pp. 207-208. The Holy Bible, Numbers 13: 27-28. Alan Rayburn, Naming Canada Stories about Place Names from Canadian Geographic, University of Toronto Press, 1994, p. 77-78. Giovanni da Verrazzano is credited with giving the name Arcadia to an area comprising the present states of Maryland and Virginia in 1524, "on account of the beauty of the trees" (see Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Vol. I, pp. 657-660). It appeared on the Gastaldo map in 1548. Eventually, the name was moved north to encompass present-day Nova Scotia and parts of Maine. King Henri IV's 1603 commission to de Monts constitutes him Lieutenant-General of "La Cadie", and Champlain, in 1604, writes indifferently Acadie or Arcadie. See Ganong, Crucial Maps. Bathurst was named by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Howard Douglas in honour of Lord Henry Bathurst, Third Earl of Bathurst (1762-1834), Secretary of State for the colonies. See Rayburn, Geographical Names, p. 47. Alan Rayburn, Geographical Names of New Brunswick, Toponymy Study 2, Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names, Ottawa, 1975, p. 113, and Ganong, "Crucial Maps in Cartography and Place-nomenclature of the Atlantic Coast of Canada", in Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, (1929), p. 180. Alan Rayburn, Geographical Names..., p. 167. William Francis Ganong, "A Monograph on the Place-nomenclature of the Province of New Brunswick", Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, 1896, and "Additions and Corrections to Monographs on the Place-Nomenclature, Cartography, Historic Sites, Boundaries and Settlement-origins of the Province of New Brunswick", Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, 1906, Section II, p. 428. For a history of the evolution of the federal electoral districts in New Brunswick, please see the Canadian Parliamentary Internet site, Library of Parliament, Information and Documentation Branch: "History of the Federal Electoral Ridings Since 1867" at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/ hfer.asp? Alan Rayburn, Geographical Names..., p. 229. The same meaning is given by Joseph E. Guinard, Les Noms indiens de mon pays : leur signification, leur histoire, Rayonnement, Montréal, 1960, p. 156. Ganong, Crucial Maps..., p. 191. See also Alan Rayburn, Naming Canada, pp. 140-142. Alan Rayburn, op. cit., pp. 187-188, and Alan Rayburn, Naming Canada, p. 54. Alan Rayburn, Geographical Names, p. 93, and see Ronald Cormier, The Forgotten Soldiers Stories from Acadian Veterans of the Second World War, New Ireland Press, Fredericton, N.B., 1992. Jean-Yves Grenon, Pierre Dugua de Mons Founder of Acadie (1604-5) Co-Founder of Québec (1608), Peninsular Press, Annapolis Royal, 2000. William Francis Ganong, Ph.D., LL.D., F.R.S.S., Ste. Croix (Dochet) Island A Monograph, from Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, Second series — 1902-1903, Volume VIII, Section II. Edited by Susan Brittain Ganong, B.Sc., LL.D., Monographic Series No. 3, The New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, N.B. 1945. "... ad fluvium vulgo nominee Sanctae Crucis appellatum...", in Ganong, "A Monograph of the Evolution of the Boundaries of the Province of New Brunswick", Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, Section II, 1901, p. 165. Tercentenary of De Monts' Settlement at St. Croix Island, June 25, 1904, Portland, Maine Historical Society, 1905, p. 85. |
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