Carbonear councillors worried by plan to split Avalon Riding

By Craig Westcott/August 19, 2022

A proposed redrawing of the federal electoral map that would split a large section of Conception Bay North away from Avalon Riding and append it to a new riding in Central Newfoundland has councillors in Carbonear feeling concerned.

Under the plan proposed by the federal Electoral Boundaries Commission, everything west of Spaniard’s Bay and Whitbourne, including Harbour Grace, Carbonear and Trinity Bay, would become part of a new riding called Terra Nova that would include the Burin Peninsula, and eastern Newfoundland from Clarenville to Gambo up towards Bonavista Bay North.

Mayor Frank Butt noted council has discussed the issue privately but opened the floor to anyone wanting to address it at Tuesday’s public meeting.

“I don’t know what the process is there,” said Deputy Mayor Sam Slade. “I’d certainly like to have a conversation with the present MP to see what his feelings are on it. I think he might be able to add something so that we can make a better decision.”

Butt said he has asked chief administrative officer Cynthia Davis to ask for a meeting between Avalon MP Ken McDonald and council for August 25.

“Because we certainly need to discuss that,” Butt said. “As someone said before, if it’s not broken, there’s no real reason to try to fix it. So hopefully we’ll get that meeting very soon and we can bring that to the attention of our MP.”

Councillor Ray Noel pointed out the Electoral Boundaries Commission has extended the deadline for public commentary on the changes to sometime in September.

“So, if we can meet with the MP before that, it would be great,” he said.

Councillor Danielle Doyle added there will be a public consultation session in Bay Roberts and council has “half nominated” councillor Chris O’Grady to represent Carbonear at the event.

So far, the announcement of the proposed changes has been low key with the federal government’s advertising agency, Cosette Media of Quebec, advertising the changes on social media, as it does with almost all federal advertising, but not in traditional media where more people are likely to become aware of what’s being proposed.