Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Newfoundland and Labrador Begins the Process of Readjusting Boundaries
St. John's, Wednesday, February 9, 2022
The recently established Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Newfoundland and Labrador has begun its review of the province's federal electoral districts. The Commission is composed of the Honourable Justice Alphonsus Faour (Chair), Dr. Amanda Bittner (Deputy Chair) and Ms. Julie Eveleigh.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Commission is one of ten independent commissions created by federal law to review and, if necessary, redraw the boundaries of Canada's federal electoral districts.
This redistribution process is undertaken every ten years following the decennial census. The Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act requires that a commission be appointed in each province to ensure that the boundaries of federal electoral districts reflect changes in population.
The work of readjusting Newfoundland and Labrador's federal electoral boundaries is not simply a mathematical exercise based on the principle of one person, one vote; it must also take into consideration communities of interest and/or identity as well as the province's—and each district's—history and geographic size.
The population of the province was 514,536 in 2011. The 2021 Census (official numbers to be released soon) will provide the population numbers for the whole province and for each of its existing federal districts. The Commission will be formulating an initial proposal for the province's districts—one for each of its seven seats in the House of Commons—to reflect population shifts. Some of these shifts have occurred internally within the province and some are the result of in- or out-migration.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Commission will publish its initial proposal outlining the new electoral map in a few months. Public hearings, where groups and individuals can participate in the process and share their opinions, will follow, likely in August and September. Notification of hearing dates and times will be provided through print and radio advertisements, social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) and the Commission's website.
Public hearings and input played an important role in the deliberations of the commission established for the 2012 redistribution process. All are welcome to participate in the current process by contacting the Commission at any time or by attending the public hearings, which will take place in the second half of 2022.
To learn more about the redistribution of Newfoundland and Labrador's federal electoral districts, visit https://redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca.
Contact Information
Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Newfoundland and Labrador.
NL-TNL@redecoupage-federal-redistribution.ca