Electoral boundaries matter

Do you know what federal riding you live in? Do you know what riding you’ll be in for the next federal election? Every ten years, the boundaries are reviewed to take into account changes in population. It’s a way to make sure all MP’s represent around 85,000 Canadians, give or take 25%. This week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Procedures and House Affairs (PROC) heard objections to proposed changes to three Nova Scotia Ridings. They heard from Halifax West MP Lena Dian, Sydney Victoria’s Jamie Battiste and Central Nova’s Sean Fraser. And a group calling themselves the Concerned Citizens of St. Margaret’s Bay are speaking out. Doug Stout says they’re upset with a plan to draw a boundary line down the middle of their community to accommodate the population growth in Halifax. And they are upset with a process that didn’t seem to give them a say in a proposal that originally wasn’t even on the table.