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(Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Alberta)
drastic changes

Proposal has Red Deer forming solo federal electoral riding: Boundaries Commission

Jun 11, 2022 | 2:27 PM

Red Deer could be going back to one federal electoral riding.

The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Alberta has proposed a new set of boundaries, which will be the subject of discussion during public hearings this September.

The proposal was developed through an independent and non-partisan process, according to a release.

“To give Albertans more time to participate in the process, the Commission has extended the deadline to request to make a representation at a public hearing to August 15 instead of July 31 (the date that appears in the insert). We look forward to hearing from the public,” said the Honourable Justice Bruce McDonald, Chair of the three-member Commission. Donald Barry and Donna Wilson are the other members responsible for the readjustment of the province’s federal electoral boundaries.

Proposed new federal riding boundaries. (Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Alberta)

The proposal reflects an increase in Alberta’s population from 3,645,257 in 2011 to 4,262,635, as shown by the 2021 Census. It considers communities of interest or identity, and historic and geographic factors.

For Red Deer, an in-person public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 21 at the Cambridge Hotel.

Elsewhere in central Alberta, there is an in-person hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sept. 21 at the Pomeroy Inn in Olds. There is a virtual offering as well, to take place at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.on Oct. 14.

Red Deer has been split in two — with Red Deer-Mountain View and Red Deer-Lacombe — since the 2015 election. They’ve been held by longtime Conservative MPs Earl Dreeshen and Blaine Calkins, respectively, ever since, across three elections.

The new riding boundaries, if approved, would include Penhold and Delburne with Red Deer.

Meantime, Innisfail would be lumped into a large riding, area-wise, which includes Drumheller, and stretches to the Saskatchewan border, plus south to the Oldman River near Medicine Hat.

Blackfalds, Sylvan Lake, Lacombe and Ponoka would be in their own riding with Wetaskiwin.

More about the proposal can be viewed here.

From the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Alberta

If you wish to make a presentation at a hearing, send a notice to the Commission no later than August 15, 2022. You can do so by:

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 by mail. To obtain a copy of the Commission’s proposal or to learn more about the redistribution of federal electoral districts, visit redistribution-2022.ca