A commission struck to redraw BC’s federal electoral boundaries has included Powell River in a reconfigured riding on Vancouver Island. The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for BC released its second report on Monday, January 28, after holding public hearings across the province last fall in response to its initial report. It has included Powell River Regional District, except for Lasqueti Island, in a riding called Vancouver Island North-Comox-Powell River.
The new riding would have a population of 103,458, 1.25 per cent less than the electoral quota of 104,763.
Powell River has been a part of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country since 1996, when the riding was created and called West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast. It was renamed in 2003.
The Lower Sunshine Coast is staying in the existing riding, which, even without Powell River, has a population of 112,875, 7.74 per cent over the quota.
City of Powell River Mayor Dave Formosa travelled to Courtenay to make a presentation to the commission in October. “I’m not surprised by their decision, but saddened that they didn’t keep the Lower and Upper Sunshine Coast together, because that’s one thing that we asked,” he said. “We understand that they have to move us, but we were hoping they could keep the two together.”
It’s unfortunate as well, Formosa said, because Powell River has had good representation from John Weston, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country.
Weston told the Peak he thought the report “accurately and comprehensively” reflected the differing views about the riding. “It had to juggle the attempts to maintain communities of interest, while trying to reduce the numbers for ridings like ours that were much larger than the intended national average and creating six new seats for British Columbia,” he said. “On a personal note, I’m sad that, if things go according to the apparent plan, I would not be representing Powell River after 2015.”
Weston said it would be “very much an uphill battle at this 11th hour to change the mind of the commission, in that they have, as they put it, changed 36 into 42 jig-saw puzzles and to start making further changes has a domino effect. They would be hard pressed to make further changes at this point.”
Weston said he’s had a “great partnership” with Powell River elected officials, including Formosa, former mayor Stewart Alsgard and regional district board chair Colin Palmer. “Because of their initiatives, we’ve seen a lot of federal money come towards Powell River and it’s been matched by provincial and local governments,” he said “That was something really exciting.”
Weston also said he has become “very fond” of Powell River. “Anyone who knows Powell River will understand what I’m saying,” he said. “It’s hard to get to know Powell River and not to love Powell River.”
He’s committed to serving Powell River right up to “the last yard,” he said, and his office, which is open two days a week, will maintain that schedule.
Nicholas Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast, also made a presentation to the commission, asking it to keep the Lower and Upper Sunshine Coast together. “I'm quite disappointed in the decision to split the Sunshine Coast into two federal ridings,” he said. “There's more that unites the Upper and Lower Coast than divides us and I think ‘community identity’ should have been given more consideration by the commissioners.”
Regardless of whether or not the Sunshine Coast was assigned to the North Island or to the Lower Mainland, most people argued against cutting it in half, Simons added. “The voice of both the Upper and Lower Coast risk being drowned out by the larger and more populated regions that propose to absorb them. This will make it difficult for our common concerns to be heard.”
The commission’s report stated that the electoral districts comprising the North Shore and Sunshine Coast areas have populations considerably above the electoral quota. “After reviewing the population distribution for both these areas and the northern part of Vancouver Island, the commission decided in its proposal that it would be appropriate to include Powell River in the reconfigured electoral district of Vancouver Island North,” the report states. “Having made that decision, the commission focused its attention on the configuration of other electoral districts on Vancouver Island.”
In its initial proposal, the commission had divided the City of Courtenay between the existing Vancouver Island North and Nanaimo-Alberni electoral districts.
“The commission later received a number of submissions questioning the inclusion of Powell River and the division of Courtenay,” the report states. “It is worth noting that the two areas had, on occasion, been previously joined, once as Comox-Powell River and once as North Island-Powell River. In both instances, the electoral district had included the entire Sunshine Coast. The commission observes that reasonable access between the North Island area and Powell River is available via BC Ferries.”
From presentations at public hearings and in written submissions, a number of presenters stressed the strong ties between the Upper and Lower Sunshine Coast, the report continues. “Given that the 2011 census population of the Lower Sunshine Coast was 28,619, the commission viewed its inclusion with Powell River as unfeasible,” the report states. “Other presenters argued that the Lower Sunshine Coast is more directly linked to the Greater Vancouver area. In short, there were conflicting views presented about this area.”
After consideration, the commission decided to change the southern boundary of Vancouver Island North to exclude any part of the City of Courtenay. “Comox remains in this district, which is renamed Vancouver Island North-Comox-Powell River. The entire City of Courtenay is now contained in an electoral district named Courtenay-Alberni.”
BC is gaining six electoral districts as a result of the increase in its population, five in the Lower Mainland and one on Vancouver Island.
A House of Commons committee will now study the report and make non-binding suggestions back to the commission. The commission may take those comments into consideration before submitting a final report to the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada.
The redistribution of ridings across Canada will add 30 new seats to the House of Commons before the 2015 federal election.
The full report can be viewed here.
