A new electoral district in Calgary, the reunification of Red Deer, and the complete urbanization of Edmonton’s electoral districts are some of the changes to the provincial electoral map approved by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Alberta.

The commission was tasked two years ago with reorganizing the province into 37 counties after Alberta’s population growth brought it to three seats. The final report was presented last week.

The new map gives Calgary 11 MP seats instead of the previous 10.

Airdrie and Cochrane parishes will have their own constituency rather than being merged into Banff-Airdrie’s.

positive reactions

The town of Red Deer, previously divided between Red Deer-Mountain View and Red Deer-Lacombe, will become one town to the satisfaction of Mayor Ken Johnston.

It was [une division] Honestly awkward for a city our size, he said. The mayor said it was difficult to get a quick answer to a federal question because of the presence of two lawmakers.

The commission was also responding to concerns from elected officials in the greater Edmonton area who had not liked the changes proposed in June 2022. According to these representatives, long-standing economic and cultural ties between several communities were broken in the first version.

Beaumont Mayor Bill Daneluik is pleased with the final layout. [Les commissaires] have shown that democracy works, that it is not a predetermined outcome.

The commission, chaired by Judge Bruce McDonald, conducted more than 20 public hearings in September 2022. The public could also submit these written statements.

According to Duane Bratt, political science professor at Mount Royal University, redistributions in Canada generally do not provoke accusations of partisanship as they do in the United States.

He doesn’t expect this new map to affect Alberta’s political representation in Ottawa. Thirty of the current 34 MPs are Conservatives.

The chief electoral officer has yet to prepare a proxy order, which is expected to become official in September. The new voting limits will come into effect in April 2024.

Based on information provided by Janet French