A New Federal Electoral Map is Taking Shape for New Brunswick

Edmundston, Thursday, June 16, 2022 – The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for New Brunswick has proposed a new electoral map for consideration at public hearings this September. The map introduces changes to the boundaries of New Brunswick's federal electoral districts and was developed through an independent and non-partisan process. The proposal is the first step in the development of a final report.

"The Commission has endeavoured to achieve effective federal representation for all New Brunswickers. In its proposal, every electoral district has been altered—some more substantially than others. As a result, the names of five of the proposed ridings have been changed to better describe their geographic locations. We look forward to hearing from interested parties, either in person during our public hearings or in writing. The Commission recognizes that matters such as community of interest or identity, historical patterns and geographic size are open to differing interpretations. We welcome submission on these matters," said the Honourable Justice Lucie A. LaVigne, Chair of the three-member commission. Dr. Condé Grondin, a retired professor of political science, and the Honourable Thomas Riordon, a retired justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick, are the other members of the Commission who are responsible for the readjustment of the province's federal electoral boundaries.

The proposal reflects New Brunswick's increase in population from 751,171 in 2011 to 775,610, as captured in the 2021 Census, and takes into consideration communities of interest or identity, and historic and geographic factors. The proposal can be found at redistribution2022.ca. It will be published in the Canada Gazette on July 2, 2022.

Under the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, the Commission's main aim in redrawing boundaries is to divide the province into 10 electoral districts that are as close to the electoral quota as reasonably possible, while taking into consideration the factors above. The electoral quota is calculated by dividing the population of the province by the number of electoral districts it has been allocated. In the case of New Brunswick, the quota for each electoral district is 77,561 (775,610 residents divided by 10 electoral districts).

Public Hearings

The New Brunswick commission is holding 11 public hearings, in person and virtually, to gather comments and feedback on the proposed boundaries and electoral district names.

Public Hearings
Location	Place of Hearing	Date of Hearing	Time of Hearing
Woodstock	Best Western Plus 123 Gallop Court (Exit 185)	Wednesday, September 7, 2022	2:00 p.m.
Saint-Quentin	Palais Centre-Ville Multifunctional Room 198 Canada Street	Thursday, September 8, 2022	2:00 p.m.
CANCELLED Saint-Léolin	Municipal Hall 115 des Prés Street	Tuesday, September 13, 2022	2:00 p.m.
Newcastle	Kinsmen Centre 100 Newcastle Boulevard	Wednesday, September 14, 2022	2:00 p.m.
Shediac	Multipurpose Centre 58 Festival Street	Thursday, September 15, 2022	2:00 p.m.
Moncton	Hyatt Place Moncton (Rooms 1-2) 1000 Main Street	Tuesday, September 20, 2022	2:00 p.m.
CANCELLED Sussex	All Seasons Inn 1015 Main Street	Wednesday, September 21, 2022	2:00 p.m.
Rothesay	Bill McGuire Centre 95 James Renforth Drive	Thursday, September 22, 2022	2:00 p.m.
Saint Andrews	W. C. O'Neill Arena Complex 24 Reed Avenue	Tuesday, September 27, 2022	2:00 p.m.
Fredericton	Fredericton Inn Bi-Centennial Room 1315 Regent Street	Wednesday, September 28, 2022	2:00 p.m.
Virtual Hearing	The link will be provided to participants.	Thursday, September 29, 2022	7:00 p.m.

Everyone is invited to attend. If you wish to make a presentation at a hearing, please send a notice of representation to the Commission no later than August 23, 2022. You can do so by:

mailing it to the Commission's office
emailing NB@redecoupage-federal-redistribution.ca
filling out the Public Hearing Notice Form
using the Interactive Mapping Tool

Notices of representation should include:

your name, address and contact information
the organization you represent (if any)
the date of the public hearing you wish to attend
a short overview of the issue(s) you intend to address
your official language of preference
any accommodation you may need

Note

If you wish to send comments and feedback to the Commission without attending a public hearing, you can do so by email or mail or by using the Interactive Mapping Tool. To obtain a copy of the Commission's proposal or to learn more about the redistribution of federal electoral districts, visit redistribution2022.ca.