Leaders in Oxford express concerns over proposed riding changes

A small section of rural Oxford in the western part of the county could become swallowed up by a new riding that would include much of east London.

It’s part of new federal riding boundary proposals.

If it goes ahead, however, some are worried their communities’ interests could be brushed aside.

“We would have more control if we were looked after by people that are part of our community because they would have a better handle, or know what was going on here,” said Harland Betzner, a resident and voter in Thamesford, a community in Zorra Township.

Local representation could mean something very different under the proposed new boundaries. Betzner’s community would get bumped from the existing Oxford riding into the newly proposed London North-East riding. The new riding would go as far west as Adelaide Street in London, and include part of the existing London North Centre.

Resident Harland Betzner in Thamesford, Ont. on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)Zorra Township Mayor Marcus Ryan believes it’s not a good fit.

“That’s not that any one of those sets of issues is more or less important than the other,” he said. “But the realities of population distribution means that the gravel road issues for the people in the farm house are going to take a back seat to the people in their transportation and other issues that they have living on Adelaide Street in London.”

The newly proposed Oxford-Brant riding would lose Tillsonburg and gain a number of Brant communities, including Burford, and the bustling tourism community of Paris.

Oxford Warden Larry Martin said he believes the existing Oxford riding functions well as it is.

“The agriculture community complements the industrial, commercial and the commercial industrial complements the agriculture,” Martin said. “So it all works very well together, and to my way of thinking it’s going to be very confusing to a lot of people.”

Riding boundaries are reviewed every ten years. The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposals Oct. 28 in London.