Part IV – Analysis and decisions – Quebec

The entire territory of Canada is divided into electoral districts to ensure that its population is adequately represented.

The way a territory is divided into electoral districts is not frozen in time; it evolves with population movements. Updating the electoral map involves a large-scale readjustment of the boundaries every 10 years, based on the data from the last decennial census. As a result, throughout Canada, commissions independent of political power have been established, their mission being to divide the territory of the province for which each commission has been constituted into electoral districts, to establish their respective boundaries and populations and, finally, to give them a name.

The 2021 decennial census established the population of the province of Quebec at 8,501,833.

The Commission conducted its work in an unprecedented context: for several months there was some uncertainty regarding the number of electoral districts it had to determine.

That number is calculated by the Chief Electoral Officer in accordance with the rules set forth in sections 51 and 51A of the Constitution Act, 1867. On October 15, 2021, the Chief Electoral Officer announced the results of his calculation of the number of MP seats to be allocated to each province. For Quebec, the number of seats decreased from 78 to 77, whereas for all of Canada it increased from 338 to 342.

The Commission began its work on the basis of 77 electoral districts, the only official figure at the time. The Commission refrained from participating in the public debate concerning that figure, considering the issue to be outside its mandate. The outcome of the debate was the introduction, on March 24, 2022, of Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (electoral representation), which changed the seat allocation formula so that Quebec would retain 78 seats, out of a Canadian total of 343. In keeping with its previous position, the Commission respectfully declined the offer to appear before the parliamentary committee that was conducting a detailed study of the bill. The bill received Royal Assent on June 23, 2022, (SC 2022, c.6) and the new calculation thus required was completed by the Chief Electoral Officer on June 27, 2022, (Canada Gazette, Part 1, July 9, 2022, p. 4221). The Commission issued a press release noting that the coming into force of that law had put an end to the uncertainty surrounding the number of federal electoral districts in Quebec, thus enabling it to finalize its proposal regarding the revision of the electoral map.

By dividing the population of Quebec by 78, the result is an electoral quota, or provincial average, of 108,998 people.

In Quebec, as in every other province of Canada, the revision of the electoral map is governed by the rules and principles set forth in section 15 of the Act:

The population figure for each electoral district must correspond as close as reasonably possible to the quota obtained by dividing the province's population figure by the number of MP seats to be assigned to the province (the electoral quota). As stated earlier, the Commission may depart from the principle of parity where it considers it desirable to do so, in which case the Commission must still ensure that, except in circumstances [that it views as] extraordinary, the deviation between the population of the district and the electoral quota remains within 25% above or below the electoral quota.

As regards the boundaries of electoral districts, apart from the electoral quota, the community of interest or community of identity of the electoral district or its historical pattern must be considered; and lastly, a manageable geographic size for districts in sparsely populated, rural or northern regions of the province must be maintained.

Exercise of the power to set electoral boundaries is subject to section 3 of the Charter, which guarantees every Canadian citizen the right to vote. On the crucial issue of whether deviation from the one person, one vote rule is permissible in redistributing electoral districts, the Supreme Court stated that the issue is not so much one of achieving absolute equality of citizens or voters, but rather one of ensuring effective representation; that is, the right of all citizens to be represented in Parliament and to have access to an MP and to his or her assistance.

Voting power parity is the most important factor in ensuring effective voter representation. Unduly diluting the vote of one citizen compared to that of another may result in inadequate representation of the former. It would also reduce that person's legislative power, as well as access to and assistance from his or her MP.

However, voting power parity is not the only factor that must be considered to ensure that different interests, groups and communities are fairly represented in the House of Commons. Other factors, including those mentioned in section 15 of the Act and decisions of the Supreme Court (the geographic characteristics of an electoral district, its historical boundaries, the interests of a particular community or its history, the representation of minority groups), may justify the Commission's departure from the one person, one vote rule in the interests of, in the words of the Supreme Court, better representation.^{footnote 1}

These principles were at the forefront of the Commission's considerations when it formulated its Proposal, and they remain central to the writing of this report.

It would be inequitable, and contrary to the principles of democracy, for an MP to represent significantly more, or significantly fewer people than the provincial average. In the first scenario, there would be under-representation of citizens, and in the second, over-representation. Such deviations from the electoral quota are incompatible with a healthy democracy and should be minimized wherever possible.

While the Commission paid heed to the concept of effective representation, it did not always accede to the oft-repeated request to maintain intact the current physical boundaries of electoral districts (i.e., maintain the status quo). However, the Commission was not insensitive to these requests and, where possible, avoided breaking up communities of interest within boroughs or cities, and did the same for boroughs within municipalities, municipalities within RCMs, and RCMs within an administrative region.

While sympathetic to the arguments of those who urged it to give greater weight to factors other than the electoral quota, the Commission cannot disregard the fact that, according to the expressed will of Parliament and decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada, parity of electoral power remains the primary condition (the condition of paramount importance) for effective representation of the entire population.

Following publication of its Proposal in July 2022, the Commission received a great deal of feedback, comments and suggestions. All were carefully considered by the Commission. Some were accepted, others were not, for the following reasons.

To assist in the reading of this report, and following the example of the Proposal, the 17 administrative regions of Quebec were grouped into 10 territorial units. The federal electoral districts included within each of them are identified in alphabetical order by their current names with, in parentheses where applicable, the names suggested in the Proposal. A summary of the comments and suggestions received is provided, along with the Commission's decisions, with supporting reasons.

At the end of this part, the Commission presents a summary table of electoral district names that have been changed—18 in all (six more than in the Proposal).

Footnotes

^{Return to footnote 1} Reference re Prov. Electoral Boundaries (Sask.), note 4, p. 186.