The BC Electoral Boundaries Commission has published its final report with recommendations to the Legislative Assembly for changing provincial electoral districts.
The commission’s recommendations include a proposal to create six additional electoral districts in areas of rapid population growth, bringing the total number of provincial ridings to 93 from the current 87.
The commission also recommends adjustments to the boundaries of 72 electoral districts and changes to 41 electoral district names.
The ridings of Delta North, currently held by NDP MLA Ravi Kahlon, and Delta South, currently held by Liberal MLA Ian Paton, are among those to undergo changes.
Part of the Delta North electoral district would be moved to Delta South with the area south of 64th Avenue to be included as part of Delta South.
The report notes the change distributes the population of the two ridings more evenly and creates room for anticipated population growth in Delta North. It also keeps the area around Watershed Memorial Park in one electoral district.
“We acknowledge that our proposed boundary divides the suburb of Sunshine Hills; however, we do not believe that this adversely affects effective representation. The principle of representation by population favours this change because it reduces the population difference between Delta North and Delta South,” the report adds.
Under the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act, an electoral boundaries commission must be appointed after every second provincial election to review and propose changes to provincial electoral districts in the province.
If approved by the Legislative Assembly, the proposed boundaries would be used for the next two provincial elections.
