Federal ridings may be redrawn in Quebec, involving some pretty hefty changes in Montreal. There’s a site on which you can bring up a map and flip between the existing boundaries and the proposed ones, although it’s not exactly the user-friendliest thing ever. There’s also a PDF map of Montreal island with the new ridings. Public consultations on the proposed changes will be held this fall.
(Idola Saint-Jean was a journalist, educator and feminist (died 1945); Denis-Benjamin Viger was a Patriote; John Peters Humphrey was most famous as the author of the first draft of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights; Paul Ragueneau was a Jesuit missionary (died 1680); I don’t know who Langstaff is in the new Macdonald-Langstaff riding.)
Marc R. 22:29 on 2012/07/16 Permalink
Wilder-Penfield looks dodgy- it breaks Liberal Westmount off from Ville-Marie and merges it with NDG, presumably to encourage vote splitting between the LPC and the NDP\Bloc- not, of course, that this type of gerrymandering is uncommon. Couple this with similar ministrations in and around the 416/905, and 2015 starts looking like an uphill climb for anybody-but-Harper
Matt 23:14 on 2012/07/16 Permalink
Annie Macdonald Langstaff – the first woman to earn a law degree in Quebec and fought for years to allow for women to be admitted to the bar. http://www.barreau.qc.ca/fr/barreau/historique/chronologie/stabilite.html
John 23:16 on 2012/07/16 Permalink
Macdonald-Langstaff was the first woman to earn a law degree in Quebec. McGill has a lecture series named after her.
From the Cdn Encycolpaedia:
“Annie Langstaff, née MacDonald, feminist, legal scholar, aviatrix (b at Alexandria, Ont 1887; d at Montréal 29 June 1975). First woman graduate of McGill’s professional schools and first woman graduate in law in Québec (first-class honours, 1914), she achieved notoriety as a result of litigation against the Québec Bar, in which she sought permission to take its qualifying examinations. Defeated, Langstaff returned as a paralegal in 1916 to the Montréal law firm of her sponsor and advocate, Samuel W. Jacobs. She wrote several articles on FAMILY LAW published in popular women’s journals, as well as the unique French-English, English-French Law Dictionary (1937), and she continued to agitate for the admission of women to law practice in Québec until it was achieved in 1942. Langstaff herself was never admitted to the bar.”
John 23:26 on 2012/07/16 Permalink
On island, one of the biggest changes seems to be wiping out the riding of NDG-Lachine. The riding was home to Marlene Jennings until her defeat by Isabelle Morin, NDP, in the last election.
It currently stretches from the tip of Dorval to half way through NDG (ending at Hingston). Now Lachine will be added to LaSalle; and Montreal West, and NDG are added to Westmount to form the new Wilder-Penfield.
Of course this is also a major change for Westmount which was part of Westmount-Ste-Marie stretching from Hingston in NDG to Berri (it took in all of the old Montreal).
On first look, Morin, and Westmount’s MP Marc Garneau seem to be the sitting MPs the most effected.
John 00:48 on 2012/07/17 Permalink
Sorry as Marc. R said the riding was called Westmount-Ville Marie (not Ste-Marie).
But that riding already contains the major part of NDG (which was added in the last re-drawing)
Ian 06:07 on 2012/07/17 Permalink
Making the eastern edge of what is currently Outremont riding into the Plateau-Mile-End riding will actually help keep that area NDP, as it’s the rich folk up the hill that tended to vote LPC historically – though if Mulcair keeps Outremont riding he’ll likely win it again. I’m sad that I’m losing Mulcair as my MP (I’ll be int eh Plateau-Mile-End) , but at least in this area I think it won’t split the vote and actually makes more sense socioeconomically and geographically.
Bill_the_Bear 06:50 on 2012/07/17 Permalink
What’s with bringing Outremont all the way south to Sherbrooke Street to encompass the McGill campus and the Square Mile?
Kate 11:38 on 2012/07/17 Permalink
Thanks for the clarification on Macdonald-Langstaff, I admit I’d never heard of her.
Vasi 14:51 on 2012/07/17 Permalink
A map of the existing ridings is available here: http://www.elections.ca/res/cir/maps/mapprov.asp?map=24907&b=n&lang=e
Jack 21:39 on 2012/07/17 Permalink
One of the things that is impressive and frightening is what stark contrast our Federal votes weigh as compared to the almost unbelievable anti- Montreal districting of our provincial votes, someone from the Gaspe or isles de Madeline’s is worth three times my vote. I think that is wrong.
Kate 13:34 on 2012/07/18 Permalink
But Jack, it’s not surprising. The PQ spent years trying to drag influence away from Montreal and we’re still living with the consequences.
John 18:42 on 2012/07/19 Permalink
The Hill Times is reporting that Cotler and Dion aren’t happy with the suggested boundaries.
http://www.hilltimes.com/news/politics/2012/07/19/grit-mps-dion-cotler-plan-to-challenge-‘arbitrary’-riding-boundary-changes/31540
Dion’s argument seems to suggest that he’d be happy with his riding voters having less weight than others.