Wahnapitae First Nation wants to change its provincial riding

Morning North5:54Wahnapitae First Nation wants back in to provincial Nickel Belt riding

Wahnapitae First Nation is asking to be in the provincial riding of Nickel Belt instead of Timiskaming-Cochrane. There's concern about their MPP's office being three hours away from their community. We spoke about it with the Chief, Ted Rocque.Residents from the Wahnapitae First Nation, northeast of Sudbury, want to switch provincial ridings.

Right now, they are located in the riding of Timiskaming - Cochrane, but theywantto be in Nickel Belt, since that riding'sMPP works much closer to where they live.

Members of the communityoften go to Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas whenever they need help, since her office is only about half an hour away.

"I welcome them, I see them, I go there and I pretend that I'm their MPP because it happens to be that [Timiskaming -Cochrane MPP]John Vanthof is amember of the same party that I'm in" said Gelinas."Right now, it works. But I won't be there and John won't always be there. It's still a wrong that needs to be corrected."

Gelinas said residents from the Wahnapitae First Nationare often surprised to learn that they're not actually part of the Nickel Beltriding.

They're instead part of Timiskaming - Cochrane...and their MPP, John Vanthof has anoffice that is three hours away.

Gelinas feels this needs to be fixed.

"They've always belonged and did business with the city of Sudbury and with the riding of NIckel Belt." She added that the community falls within the riding of Nickel Belt at the federal level.

Gelinas recentlypresented a bill at Queen's Park to get the community switched over to her riding instead of Timiskaming-Cochrane.

Ted Rocque, Chief of the Wahnapitae First Nation,saidhis community doesn't bother contacting their MPPbecause of the distance.

He addedsome residents are so frustrated by this they don't even bother voting in provincial elections.

"Now they don't know where to turn. They're not going to go and callTimiskaming...so sometimes, they don't get their issues resolved.