A new federal electoral map is being proposed for the province. It was released last week by the Saskatchewan Electoral Boundaries Commission.

This electoral map, which would keep the number of federal constituencies at 14, will be the subject of public hearings this summer.

The process of redistricting occurs every 10 years. The Canadian Constitution requires that electoral districts be reviewed following censuses at the beginning of each decade.

Ken Coates, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, says the Saskatchewan Electoral Boundaries Commission did a good job reviewing electoral boundaries and the outcome was impartial. He believes the new map reflects demographic movements well and that the constituencies bring together populations with common interests.

He believes this is the case with the proposed changes in the City of Saskatoon.

A new riding in downtown Saskatoon

Saskatoon currently has three federal districts. The new map would have four, adding a district called Saskatoon Centre.

To the north of the city, the communities of Warman, Martensville and Humboldt would merge with part of Saskatoon to form Saskatoon-Wanuskewin.

Ken Coates explains that this drive takes a part of northern Saskatoon that is not densely populated and connects it to communities that are growing due to urban sprawl.

Population increase in Regina-Lewvan

Changes are also being proposed in Regina, where the boundaries of the three current ridings will be altered to reflect population movement and growth.

According to the chair of the commission, Judge Georgina Jackson, the population of the Regina-Lewvan electoral district would increase by 21.7% since the last census if it maintained its boundaries.

Without this change, the riding would represent nearly 100,000 people, or 30,000 more than Souris-Moose Mountain, another electoral district in Saskatchewan.

This is the kind of thinking that occurs in the electoral boundary processshe told CBC/Radio-Canada.

Indigenous Representation and Northern Saskatchewan

According to Ken Coates, the proposed changes to the Desnethé-Missinippi-Rivière Churchill route also deserve special attention.

The Commission proposes to remove some of the non-indigenous agricultural land currently allocated to the constituency.

This means that in the future, representatives elected by the region’s residents are more likely to reflect a collective Aboriginal choice.

I think more Aboriginal people will get involved in the campaign because the riding is seen as an Aboriginal, Métis and Dene riding and not a much more complex ridingsaid Mr Coates.

Public hearings in June and July

Judge Georgina Jackson said this review of the absentee ballot was an important part of the democratic process.

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During the months of June and July, Saskatchewan residents can attend one of 15 public hearings across the province, including a day of virtual meetings.

The new map will be used in the first federal election, which will be held at least seven months after the final maps are adopted. Elections Canada expects the new map to come into effect no earlier than April 1, 2024.

With information from Alexander Quon