The tale of a number of somethings
By Andrew Smith
Yesterday I wanted to find my MP to write to him/her about the conservative’s planed changes to copyright legislation. All I know about politics where I live is that my former MPP was an italian liberal and the current MPP is a conservative jew. Not much to go on, but at least I have an address, so how hard could it be to find out? Real hard. Let me tell you about the beginning of that journey.
I live on a very peculiar street corner – Dufferin and Rutherford. It’s peculiar because it’s not at all clear what city it’s in. It is right in between 3, or 4, or 5 cities, or towns, or municipalities, or regions whatever you call them.. Yes I’m actually not sure where I live. And the fact that I don’t know what a riding is, and how it’s mapped to the something that I live in makes things worse. Then what makes things even worse is that I’m not sure MPs and MPPs share the exact same regions or not.
Here’s what I thought I knew about this intersection (all roughly, with the Dufferin/Rutherford corner reference):
- NNE – Richmond Hill
- NW – Vaughan
- N/S – Concord
- NWW – Maple
To my annoyance the MPs and MPPs for Vaughan and Richmond Hill are liberals. Mind, I actually like that – but I know that my MPP is a conservative so I must be looking in the wrong place. Concord and Maple weren’t even in any of the tables I looked at.
Completely by mistake and almost out of desperation I looked at Thornhill. MP – liberal Susan Kadis, and she has a map of her riding on her website! What do you know, my corner of the intersection is in Thornhill. I had no idea, I thought Thornhill was way down on Steeles and east of Youge. Well I was half right – half of it is.
After that it was easy. I quickly found about my former, well liked and very experienced liberal MPP Maurizio Bevilacqua; and the current, new kid on the block conservative Peter Shurman. My search is over.
But honestly I still don’t know where I live. More than once I had my postal code resolve to Concord. I know that my garbage collection is managed by Vaughan, and I get the Vaughan local paper. Richmond Hill is so close I can’t honestly discount the possibility, and I often see Maple on maps when looking for where I live. Now Thornhill? If that’s where I lived for two years, how is it that I’ve never heard of or read about it? Lame.
I wish they’d just call the whole thing the Greater North York or something. That may sound vague but at least I’d know what it is.
June 20th, 2008 at 5:45
I took a look at your blog and noticed you were quite computer literate. Why didn’t you just Google something like “Ontario electoral ridings”? There’s a site right there that provides maps, descriptions, postal codes, names…anything you need. “Thornhill” is not a city or town…hasn’t been for years. Most riding names aren’t. Thornhill is a blanket name for an area just like “York Centre” or “Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock”. Our riding goes west all the way to Highway 400 (which is still in Vaughan, though you’d think of it as Concord). If you lived on the north side of Rutherford, you’d be in Richmond Hill. I have nothing to do with Bill C-61, the federal draft legislation on copyright, but I have to tell you a few things. First, you’d have received at least seven significant documents from me during last Fall’s election campaign and I canvassed your area heavily so maybe you were away when we rang your bell…but we’d have left literature. I have also done one mailing to every home since being elected and another’s in preparation. I am a frequent speaker in the Legislature and am frequently on radio or television and am quoted or written about in local and mainstream media often. In fact, if you want instant news about my activities, just set up a simple Google alert for my last name…that’s how your blog hit my email. I am readily available in the constituency (office at Yonge and Clark), have a lot of assistance, and our phones never stop. (905) 731-8462. I am also out and about at numerous riding activities constantly. You describe as “lame” the fact you didn’t know what riding you were in…we can agree on that, especially since “Thornhill” is what your riding has been called for several elections. I am a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Susan Kadis, the federal member is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Her opponent in the next federal election will be Peter Kent, the well known Global News anchor. He represents the Conservative Party of Canada. I don’t speak for either of them but I know they’ve both been visible and active too so I’m a little surprised you had no idea who represented you or where you lived. I’m sure this helps and I look forward to meeting or hearing from you someday soon.
Peter Shurman
MPP – Thornhill
June 20th, 2008 at 14:15
Thanks Peter. I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and clarify some things.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:14
Wow your MPP replied to a blog entry… I feel very justified in voting for Peter now. He is the first Conservative candidate that I ever voted for.