Attorney General Suzanne Anton introduced Bill 42 today, the Electoral Districts Act, to adopt the Electoral Boundaries Commission’s (EBC) final report.

The new electoral map maintains the number of districts in rural and northern B.C. and creates two new districts in the Lower Mainland – all to ensure effective representation for British Columbians.

The independent commission presented its report to Government in September, and today, the Legislative Assembly voted to adopt its proposals.

Among them:

• Increasing B.C.’s electoral districts to 87 from 85, with new ridings in Surrey and Richmond/New Westminster to reflect growing population in these areas.
• Preserving current districts in the North, Cariboo-Thompson and Columbia-Kootenay regions, to ensure citizens in less-densely populated, yet geographically large, districts can be effectively represented by their MLAs.
• Boundary changes to 48 districts, including substantial changes in the Fraser Valley, Hope/Princeton and Comox Valley/mid-Vancouver Island regions.

The EBC undertook provincewide consultations in developing its recommendations which, if today’s amendments are passed, will take effect for the 2017 and 2021 provincial general elections.

Quote:

Attorney General Suzanne Anton –

“The work of the Electoral Boundaries Commission has resulted in recommendations that provide for both equal and effective representation in British Columbia. Ours is a province with dense and growing urban areas, and more-remote northern and rural regions, and we must ensure all British Columbians are represented appropriately. These changes today are identical to those in the commission’s report and are a result of significant input from the many British Columbians who participated in this important process for democracy in B.C.”

Quick Fact:

The Electoral Boundaries Commission Act requires that an independent three-member commission be appointed within one year after every second provincial general election.

Learn More:

Electoral Boundaries Commission Final Report: http://bc-ebc.ca/docs/reports/BC-EBC_Final_Report-Sept_24,_2015.pdf

About the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act: http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_96107_01

About the Electoral Boundaries Commission: http://www.elections.bc.ca/