Commentary – British Columbia
The 2022 Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of British Columbia was established as an independent commission on November 1, 2021, pursuant to the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. E-3 (the Act) to reconfigure the boundaries of British Columbia's electoral districts for the election of members of Parliament. It is mandated to provide for 43 electoral districts, an increase of 1 over the previous allotment.
The process of reconfiguring of electoral district boundaries is required by our Canadian constitution. This takes place every 10 years, after completion of the decennial census. The increase in electoral districts by 1 to 43 is the result of increased population in the province. The 2021 decennial census reports an increase of about 600,000 residents to a current population of 5,000,879. On the basis of 43 electoral districts, this translates into about 116,300 people per electoral district. This number is called the electoral quota.
Three members have been appointed to the Commission: Madam Justice Mary Saunders, a justice of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia; Mr. R. Kenneth Carty; and Mr. Stewart Ladyman. Both Mr. Carty and Mr. Ladyman bring impressive backgrounds and qualifications in education and matters electoral. Mr. Carty is a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and has served as a consultant to both provincial and federal commissions of inquiry. He was a member of the 2002 Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for British Columbia, chaired by Mr. Justice Hutchison. Mr. Ladyman served as a member of the 2006 commission chaired by Mr. Justice Cohen that reconfigured British Columbia's provincial electoral boundaries, and as a member of the 2012 Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for British Columbia, chaired by Mr. Justice Hall.
The Statutory Framework
The Act provides that the population of each electoral district should correspond to the electoral quota as close as reasonably possible
(s. 15(1)(a)). The provision is aimed at promoting equality of voting power in the spirit of one person, one vote.
The Act also recognizes that a number of other factors are important to providing effective representation, and so requires the commission to consider the community of interest or community of identity in or the historical pattern of an electoral district in the province,
as well as a manageable geographic size for districts in sparsely populated, rural or northern regions of the province
(s. 15(1)(b)). The Act allows deviation from British Columbia's electoral quota by 25 percent or less and allows for the deviation to be greater in extraordinary circumstances (s. 15(2)).
A number of court rulings explain that effective representation
is key for the working of Canadian democracy and recognize that perfect uniformity to the electoral quota is impossible. Geographic size, historical patterns, and communities of interest and identity play an important role in determining electoral boundaries that allow for effective representation.
The British Columbia Challenge
Two features of British Columbia create particular challenges to configuring the province's electoral boundaries. These are British Columbia's uneven distribution of population and its varied and rugged physical geography. Population, sparse in vast tracts of the province, is concentrated and clustered in the southern parts, with highest density in the southwest corner. The varied and rugged physical geography determines the location of many electoral district boundaries.
British Columbia divides naturally into regions that cannot be easily straddled for purposes of creating electoral districts: Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland Fraser Valley and the Interior (including in this term the northern areas and north coast). The waters between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland make it largely impractical to combine their territories into electoral districts, with the exception of North Island—Powell River, and the same is true of the mountains north, east and west of Hope guarding the Interior. Further, within regions, steep topography requires attention to transportation routes and geographic features that will promote, or detract from, effective representation.
The Census Information
The census information received in February records significant, but uneven, population growth in the province. In some electoral districts, population has grown dramatically. In others, including some in the Lower Mainland, population has grown at a slower pace. Some of the fastest growing districts are ones that, even in 2012, were at the higher end of variance from the electoral quota, a feature compounding the effect of the last 10 years' population growth. An established pattern of rapid growth between the North Shore and the Fraser Valley has continued. Population growth on Vancouver Island is concentrated in the southern portions and Nanaimo. Electoral districts in the Southern Interior, already on the high end, have experienced significant population growth.
The Proposal
Below are our recommendations for reconfiguring British Columbia's electoral map. These recommendations are made after considerable study of the picture of British Columbia painted by the census information. We have concluded that the growth and redistribution of the population must result in quite a few adjustments to electoral boundaries, in the interest of fairness to voters in the various electoral districts affected and effective representation.
Some of the boundary adjustments that we propose suggest renaming the electoral district to better describe it. In this report, we generally refer to the current name when describing significant adjustments, followed by the recommended name, recognizing that all of what follows is a proposal.
Our first question is the appropriate placement for the new riding. On considering the pattern of electoral district populations, it was apparent that two regions, Vancouver Island and the Southern Interior (from the Fraser Canyon to the Alberta border), would have electoral district population averages either noticeably over or under the provincial electoral quota, depending on whether they receive the new electoral district. The Lower Mainland Fraser Valley's 26 electoral districts have an average population near the provincial electoral quota without adding an electoral district. Analysis shows that the imbalance for the Southern Interior between average population per electoral district and the electoral quota, without the addition of another electoral district, is greater than the same imbalance for Vancouver Island; that is, the average under-representation of the electoral districts in the Southern Interior exceeds the average under-representation of the electoral districts on Vancouver Island. As we considered these regional effects, it became apparent that the new electoral district should be located in the Southern Interior. We propose the creation of a new electoral district in the Southern Interior between Vernon and Kelowna, to be called Vernon—Lake Country, fashioned from North Okanagan—Shuswap and Kelowna—Lake Country.
The second question is how to approach the uneven growth. Neighbouring electoral districts may not have very much room to absorb population; having significant over population in an electoral district creates significant under-representation and a degree of unfairness between its residents and those in other electoral districts.
Historical patterns and communities of interest and identity must be given great weight. Even with this in mind, we have come to the conclusion that the unbalanced effect of the population growth across the province often requires adjustments spreading out over multiple ridings in order to adequately address what was becoming a pattern of serious over- and under- representation.
In the Southern Interior, creation of the new electoral district complicates reconfiguration. Under-representation is quite widespread across the region, and the benefit of the new electoral district should be shared broadly within the constraints of topography, geography and transportation routes. The need to appropriately spread this benefit has created a cascade of boundary change proposals, with a knock-on effect from one electoral district to another.
We are also mindful that British Columbia is home to many Indigenous communities. In the interests of ensuring their proper engagement in the electoral process, we have sought to locate each of these communities within one electoral district, and we have taken the same approach to towns and cities. This has not been possible, however, for certain larger communities, for numerical reasons.
In fashioning this proposal for British Columbians, the Commission has attempted to reduce disparities between electoral districts within the regions, influenced by the factors of historical pattern and community of interest and identity, and with voter fairness and effective representation in mind. The result has been a significant reduction in over- and under-representation.
The effect of geographic features, roads, municipal boundaries and regional district boundaries has guided our proposals for reconfiguration.
Overview of the Proposed Reconfiguration
i) The North
Skeena—Bulkley Valley electoral district occupies the largest territory in the province, at 327,275 square kilometres. It remains under the quota, but any alteration to its boundaries will add only to its size and exacerbate existing challenges to effective representation. We are proposing no changes to it.
The other two northerly ridings, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies and Cariboo—Prince George, are affected by the cascade of changes in the Southern Interior we describe below. We are proposing reconfiguration of Cariboo—Prince George to incorporate a larger part of the Cariboo area from Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, and to relinquish an area of the City of Prince George to Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies.
ii) Vancouver Island
On Vancouver Island, two areas have grown most quickly. Nanaimo has experienced exceptional growth and without reconfiguration stands to be under-represented to an undue level. We are proposing that its northern boundary be moved to the south and, for balance, that a portion of the City of Courtenay from Courtenay—Alberni be incorporated in North Island—Powell River, giving Courtenay two electoral districts. For like reasons, we are proposing that Saanich—Gulf Islands incorporate more of the Saanich Peninsula from Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke. Victoria is unchanged, and we would make only modest changes to Cowichan—Malahat—Langford.
iii) The Lower Mainland Fraser Valley
South of Burrard Inlet, the western electoral districts have experienced modest growth. We consider that the rapid growth in parts east calls for a general movement of boundaries eastward and are proposing the reconfiguration of electoral boundaries accordingly. This includes the electoral districts of Richmond, which remain, from 2012, under quota.
Looking to the North Shore, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country has grown at a great pace. We are proposing reconfiguration of the three ridings of the North Shore by moving boundaries westward, and in Burnaby North—Seymour, northward.
We are proposing a number of new configurations in Burnaby, Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and New Westminster in response to significant growth in population east of Burnaby, including reconfiguration of New Westminster—Burnaby by moving boundaries eastward and incorporating an area east of the Pattullo Bridge, and reconfiguration of Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge to incorporate an area south of the Fraser River and to extend into the Coquitlam area. We recommend that these electoral districts, newly configured, be named New Westminster—Bridgeview and Pitt Meadows—Fort Langley.
From Surrey to the eastern margin of the Fraser Valley, the population has continued to explode. In response, we are proposing considerable changes to existing boundaries. In proposing these changes, we have used the Fraser River, key roads and municipal boundaries to the extent possible to respect the historical patterns and communities of interest. The proposal for this region is detailed and is interlocking, as are the communities affected. In particular, north of the Fraser River, we are proposing to reconfigure Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon to extend from the Agassiz area to Maple Ridge, bringing it entirely north of the Fraser River, and to rename it Mission—Maple Ridge to reflect its geography. This will give Maple Ridge two electoral districts. We consider that the Fraser Canyon and Hope have the location, character and history necessary to fit with electoral districts in the Southern Interior. With these features and their community of interest in transportation, along with population considerations, we are proposing that communities in the Fraser Canyon north to Clinton be incorporated into electoral districts in the Southern Interior. In conjunction, we are proposing that Hope join with communities up to the confluence of the Thompson and Fraser rivers and with Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola in an electoral district newly configured and named Coquihalla, uniting the three key transportation corridors of British Columbia.
iv) Southern Interior
In the Southern Interior, we are proposing significant alterations to boundaries to accommodate the creation of the province's new additional electoral district, to be called Vernon—Lake Country. The consequent reconfigurations are complex. We are recommending the new electoral district be created from North Okanagan—Shuswap and Kelowna—Lake Country. To remedy the consequential population shortfall in North Okanagan—Shuswap, we are proposing two curative reconfigurations: the incorporation of Revelstoke from Kootenay—Columbia, and the incorporation of a portion of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. To complete the reconfiguration of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, we are also proposing that a portion of the Cariboo in that electoral district be incorporated into Cariboo—Prince George, an extension westward to incorporate areas from Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon as far south as Lytton, and the incorporation of Logan Lake from Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. We recommend a name change for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo to Kamloops—Thompson—Lytton to reflect the adjusted territory.
To remedy the consequential population shortfall in Kelowna—Lake Country, we are proposing that Kelowna's city centre be incorporated into that reconfigured electoral district, from Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, and that the reconfigured electoral district be renamed Kelowna. We are proposing that Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, in turn, reconnect Summerland and Penticton by incorporating the western portion of Penticton, relinquish the Keremeos area to South Okanagan—West Kootenay, incorporate Hope from Chilliwack—Hope (to be renamed Chilliwack), and incorporate the southern portion of the Fraser Canyon from Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, bringing all three key highways, passing through Hope, into the electoral district newly named Coquihalla.
This brings the summary of changes to an end. Along with the changes described in general terms above, the detailed examination of boundaries and blocks of population have prompted many smaller changes.
In making this proposal, we have aspired to honour the principles discussed at the beginning. We recognize that the knock-on effects from adjusting for population changes and from creating a single new electoral district described here are considerable. In particular, many changes required detailed attention to boundaries to ensure individual properties were not stranded in their electoral district. We encourage members of the public to consider the detailed descriptions below, or to view the proposals in detail on our website, with this in mind.
| Electoral District | 2021 Population | Map Number |
|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford | 117,561 | 5 |
| Burnaby North—Seymour | 116,426 | 12 |
| Burnaby South | 116,363 | 12 |
| Cariboo—Prince George | 117,160 | 1 and 11 |
| Chilliwack | 116,113 | 2 and 5 |
| Cloverdale—Langley City | 118,518 | 12 |
| Coquihalla | 110,820 | 2 and 10 |
| Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam | 114,901 | 3 and 12 |
| Courtenay—Alberni | 123,978 | 4 and 6 |
| Cowichan—Malahat—Langford | 123,679 | 3 and 4 |
| Delta | 117,020 | 12 |
| Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke | 120,606 | 4 and 13 |
| Fleetwood—Port Kells | 116,776 | 12 |
| Kamloops—Thompson—Lytton | 115,082 | 1 and 7 |
| Kelowna | 109,006 | 2 and 8 |
| Kootenay—Columbia | 111,821 | 1 and 2 |
| Langley—Aldergrove | 117,066 | 5 and 12 |
| Mission—Maple Ridge | 117,178 | 3 and 5 |
| Nanaimo—Ladysmith | 121,508 | 4 and 9 |
| New Westminster—Bridgeview | 118,422 | 12 |
| North Island—Powell River | 125,964 | 1 and 6 |
| North Okanagan—Shuswap | 109,971 | 2 and 7 |
| North Vancouver | 114,310 | 3 and 12 |
| Pitt Meadows—Fort Langley | 116,538 | 12 |
| Port Moody—Coquitlam | 116,740 | 12 |
| Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies | 116,962 | 1 and 11 |
| Richmond East | 116,764 | 12 |
| Richmond West | 119,857 | 12 |
| Saanich—Gulf Islands | 122,147 | 4 and 13 |
| Skeena—Bulkley Valley | 89,689 | 1 |
| South Okanagan—West Kootenay | 108,971 | 2 and 10 |
| South Surrey—White Rock | 115,956 | 12 |
| Surrey Centre | 117,698 | 12 |
| Surrey West | 115,780 | 12 |
| Vancouver Centre | 115,964 | 12 |
| Vancouver East | 115,759 | 12 |
| Vancouver Granville | 117,201 | 12 |
| Vancouver Kingsway | 117,209 | 12 |
| Vancouver Quadra | 115,873 | 12 |
| Vancouver South | 117,680 | 12 |
| Vernon—Lake Country | 111,205 | 2 and 8 |
| Victoria | 123,482 | 13 |
| West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country | 119,155 | 3 and 12 |