The first fixed election date in Ontario history wasn’t so fixed after all. The government announced Wednesday that the provincial election scheduled for Oct. 4 this year will be moved to Oct. 10 because of a conflict with a Jewish holiday.

Chief election officer John Hollins advised the government that Oct. 4, 2007, is the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, during which members of the Orthodox Jewish community would not be able to vote.

The Canadian Jewish Congress applauded the government’s decision to change the date, which it said would allow Jews who observe the holiday to not only vote when everyone else does, but also work for candidates or as returning officers.

“This is something that all Ontarians should take pride in, and it should give comfort to Ontarians,” said Steven Shulman, regional director and general counsel for the CJC.

“There’s a clear statement being made by the government to accommodate this sort of conflict, and next time it may be another community that’s in conflict.”

CTV