Not everyone is happy with proposed changes to electoral map
Canada’s electoral boundaries are being redrawn for the first time in 10 years and there is already dissatisfaction with what the electoral commissions have come up with. The Alberta Electoral Commission issued its proposed new boundaries in December. As Alberta’s population has grown by 670000 since ridings were last set in 2001 the province was overdue for more constituencies. Altogether there will be six new seats in Alberta two of which are in Calgary.
The town of Taber is one community unhappy with the new boundaries. A town of 8000 east of Lethbridge Taber will be moved from its current Medicine Hat riding to that of Bow River. Mayor Ray Bryant and the municipal district’s reeve Brian Brewin are leading the effort to put the community back into the Medicine Hat riding.
“All of our contacts and our fit is with southern Alberta and particularly along the Highway 3 corridor” says Bryant. “We were really quite surprised when all of a sudden we were shifted into the Bow River…. We are connected with other municipalities mayors reeves throughout the south with various groups and organizations that we’re part of and we just feel that that’s where our interest is and that’s where we would like to be.”
Bryant is also concerned with the difficulty an MP would have keeping in touch with constituents in such a sprawling riding.
“It’s a fairly large area we’re talking three-and-a-half four hours from one end to the other end and we want our MP to be within our community as much as possible” he says.
The community’s leaders have written about the situation to their MP LaVar Payne and are awaiting a response.
Bow River is large but not the largest electoral district in Alberta by any means. Peace River-Westlock and Fort McMurray-Athabasca will contain the entire northern half of the province if approved.
Calgary will gain one seat in the south where Calgary Southwest and Calgary Southeast will be split into three new ridings: Calgary Heritage Calgary Midnapore and Calgary Shepard. The city is also gaining a seat in its northwest where three existing ridings will split into four: Calgary Confederation Calgary Nose Hill Calgary Signal Hill and Calgary Spy Hill.
The number of seats in the House of Commons will increase from 308 to 338. The boundaries are expected to be finalized by September 2013.
