Commission struck to create new ridings in Ontario's far north

The province has officially created a commission that will look at creating two new ridings to better service First Nations communities in Ontario's far north.

The five members of Far North Electoral Boundary Commissionwill be tasked with carving out one or two new ridings from the massive area currently covered by Timmins-James Bay and Kenora-Rainy River.

They are expected to hold public hearings and submit their findings by August1.

The Ontario government has to pass legislation this fall creating anynew ridings to have them in place in time for the next provincial election in June 2018.

The commission will be chaired by Thunder Bay judge Joyce Pelletier, a member of Fort William First Nation. It also features Chief Electoral Officer Greg Essensa, legal scholar Michael Pal, former Wabaseemoongchief Eric Fisher and Theresa Hall, a former justice of the peace in Cochrane, who teaches at Laurentian University in Sudbury.