exploration

Wednesday August 29, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday August 29, 2012

New Federal riding for Hamilton?

Hamilton is set to receive a new seat in the House of Commons in time for the next federal election.

A commission tasked with reviewing Ontario’s federal ridings has recommended a new, U-shaped riding called Waterdown Glanbrook that stretches along Hamilton’s outer edge. The proposed district is made up of rural land that’s now part of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale and Niagara West–Glanbrook.

The new riding is one of 15 new electoral districts in Ontario proposed by the commission. The report, released Monday, still faces a public commenting period and review by a parliamentary committee.

If the Waterdown–Glanbrook riding is approved, political science professor Henry Jacek says it will likely go to the Conservatives, given its largely rural population.

However, Jacek also argues that the proposal to whittle down Ancanster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale to only Ancaster and left-leaning Westdale and Dundas could make for an interesting race come the 2015 federal election.

“It will be much more competitive than Ancaster is right now,” Jacek said.

David Sweet, MP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, could not be reached for comment.

Justice George Valin, who chaired the commission reviewing Ontario’s ridings, said the suggestion to create the new riding arose out of a formula that requires the population of each electoral district to come as close as possible to 111,166 people. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Saturday, August 26, 2006Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, August 26, 2006

Pluto’s demotion

Leave it to the nerds at the International Astronomical Union to ruin a kid’s day.

For half of their young lives, the sixth-graders in the Young Scientists program at Barrington Elementary School in North Austin have been told that there are nine planets in the solar system. So when their teacher, Paige Baker, told them that union scientists on Thursday had decided to delete Pluto from that list, it was understandable that some students had difficultly handling the gravity of the decision.

“It’s been with us so long. Why would they do this?” asked Nikki Chupa, 11, who always used the mnemonic “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas” to remember the order of the planets.

“Why do they have to go mess stuff up?” 11-year-old Angelique Price asked.

Baker told them she felt their pain.

“Imagine what it’s like for me, and I’ve been told this for years — double digits even,” she said. “But you’ve got remember, these are scientists. It’s not a popularity contest.” (Source: The Statesman)