Last Thursday – on behalf of the Flamborough Chamber of Commerce (FCC) – Executive Director Arend Kersten appeared before the 3-person commission charged with looking at new boundaries for federal ridings. The boundaries are reviewed every ten years in light of the latest census results.

The commission is proposing an additional riding for the greater Hamilton area. Instead of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, the commission is recommending a new riding comprised primarily of the rural areas of Flamborough, Ancaster, Stoney Creek and Glanbrook. Another riding would consist of Ancaster, Dundas and Westdale.

The commission was recommending that the name for the rural riding should be ‘Waterdown-Glanbrook.’ At the direction of the FCC Board of Directors (BOD), Arend suggested to the commission while Waterdown is an important component of Flamborough, it is also only one of 16 local ‘settlement areas’ (including Greensville, Rockton, Freelton and Carlisle) and that therefore the name of the new riding should be ‘Flamborough-Glanbrook.’

He had outlined his main arguments in an email sent to the commission when he asked for permission to address it. After sharing about 10 percent of his submission, the chairman – Mr. Justice George Valin – interrupted Arend, telling him there was no need to continue with his submission as the commission had read his email and agreed with the FCC position. Justice Valin later told the Hamilton Spectator that the FCC’a argument was “very persuasive.”

This means that the name ‘Flamborough’ will not not be relegated to the dustbin of history.

For the entire FCC submission please click HERE. And to read the Hamilton Spectator article, please click HERE.