The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Manitoba has been established, and has begun its review of the province's fourteen federal ridings. Every ten years, after the census is conducted, the number of electoral districts and their boundaries are revised to reflect population shifts and growth. The three-person commission is headed by the Honourable Richard J. Chartier and commissioners Dr. Paul Thomas and Dr. Kelly Saunders.

Chartier, a judge with the Manitoba Court of Appeal, notes this isn't simply a mathematical exercise, with many factors taken into account.

"The act also allows for us to take into account what's called community of interest (or identity), as well as taking into account the geographical size of a riding," says Chartier. "Specifically, if a riding becomes to large as to be unmanageable, in those situations we're allowed to deviate from the representation by population figures."

The target population for a specific riding is about 86,000 people, with the Commission's goal of staying within plus or minus five percent of that figure. Brandon-Souris has grown about 5% since the 2006 census, and currently stands at a population of 89,575. Manitoba's population has increased from 1,119,583 in 2001 to 1,208,268 in 2011.

"At the end of the day there might not be changes, I doubt that very much because there has been an increase in population in our province, some areas more than others," says Chartier. "Of course, once you change one there is a domino effect that comes into play and we have to go from there."

The commission is currently formulating a proposal for the province's fourteen seats in the House of Commons, and you have until April 27th to provide your thoughts on what that proposal should look like. You can call the Commission at 1-855-747-7226 or email your thoughts to manitoba@rfed-rcf.ca

 

 

The Manitoba Commission will publish its proposal outlining the new electoral map in the near future, and public hearings will be held at various locations across the province to seek citizens' views. Area residents will have the opportunity to voice their thoughts at these public hearings. The public hearings and input from the electorate had a great impact on the electoral boundaries created by the last commission in 2002.