A map shows the proposed new ridings of Red Deer and Ponoka-Didsbury. (Electoral Boundaries Commission)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

coming soon to a federal election near you

More proposed changes to central Alberta federal electoral district boundaries

Feb 2, 2023 | 4:07 PM

Red Deer’s federal electoral boundaries will likely look quite unfamiliar the next time an election rolls around.

As proposed, Red Deer-Lacombe and Red Deer-Mountain View will become just Red Deer and Ponoka-Didsbury.

A final report outlining the proposed changes was tabled in the House of Commons this week. MPs can now express any issues they have with the boundaries, as proposed, to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

One of that committee’s members is Red Deer-Lacombe MP Blaine Calkins, who points out that in the last decade, Alberta has gone from 28 to 34, and now a proposed 37 ridings.

“Every 10 years, the commission does its work. At one point, central Alberta became two ridings and what the commission is doing this time is proposing to go back to one MP for the city of Red Deer plus a small rural area, which is consistent with pre-2015 boundaries, and then a more rural central Alberta type riding,” Calkins explains.

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“I think folks in places like Innisfail and Sylvan Lake will be much happier in a riding with all the economic ties that connect one another around central Alberta. Think about the Central Alberta Economic Partnership, the Mayors and Reeves Caucus, and it makes more sense for them to be together.”

Once MPs are done bringing forward concerns, the recommendations will go back to the electoral boundaries commission, and then become final.

Calkins, an MP since 2006, explains that if the next general election were held before April 2024, the current boundaries would be used. If it’s in April 2024 or later, the new ones would be in effect. The next scheduled federal election is in October 2025.

“Barring anything unforeseen, the boundaries you see today are very close to what will likely be the final version,” added Calkins.

A Lacombe resident, Calkins says he does plan to run in the next election, no matter the boundaries.

The same goes for current Red Deer-Mountain View MP Earl Dreeshen, who’s also generally pleased with the proposed boundary changes.

“I’ve spoken with a lot of different communities and it does seem their voices have been heard in the redraw,” says Dreeshen, who was elected in 2008 to the riding of Red Deer, before it was split.

“The part I thought was most important was that the County of Red Deer stays whole, and it looks good as far as keeping most of the County of Mountain View together also. Having Olds College be part of the same riding as Red Deer Polytechnic is important too.”

More of what the commission’s report says about Red Deer and area can be read here.

A sampling states the following:

“Splitting the City of Red Deer into two hybrid electoral districts was unpopular with its residents. Accordingly, the Commission in its Proposal recommended a modified Red Deer electoral district, one that included the City of Red Deer in its entirety as well as a portion of the current Red Deer—Mountain View electoral district. The proposal to reunite the City of Red Deer within one electoral district was received very favourably.”

It also notes that Bowden and Innisfail were not happy to be lumped in with an enlarged Bow River electoral district, wanting instead to be included with Red Deer, which was a change made.

Olds had a similar sentiment, originally being lumped in with faraway Canmore, and representatives stating the town has much more in common with Red Deer. It’s location was also changed upon being revisited.

Following the initial proposal, a public hearing was held in Red Deer on Sept. 21, 2022.

A table of population by proposed riding can be seen here. Red Deer would have 115,044, 0.14 per cent below the per riding quota of 115,206; meantime, Ponoka-Didsbury would have 114,521, 0.59 per cent below the quota.

More information about the changes in general is at redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca.