The City of Kamloops could be split into two as part of a proposed realignment of federal electoral boundaries. (Photo via Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for British Columbia)
The City of Kamloops could be split into two ridings as part of a proposed realignment of federal electoral boundaries.
The neighbourhoods of Valleyview, Rose Hill, Dallas, and Barnhartvale – east of the Yellowhead Bridge at Highways 1 and 5 – will be a part of the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding, which will also include Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Revelstoke, Armstrong, and Enderby.
The rest of Kamloops will be part of the new Kamloops-Thompson-Lytton riding, which will also include the communities of Lillooet, Lytton, Cache Creek, Ashcroft, Clinton, Savona, Logan Lake, Barriere, and Clearwater.
South of Kamloops, the City of Merritt will be part of the new Coquihalla riding along with half of Penticton, Summerland, Peachland, West Kelowna, as well as Princeton.
“We are proposing quite a few boundary changes…mainly in response to the significant but uneven growth of our population. That growth pattern creates a domino effect if we are to be fair and have relative equality between voters in different electoral districts,” Justice Mary Saunders, the Chair of the three-member Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for British Columbia, said in a statement.
“Our proposal necessarily gives attention to what is possible and practical given our varied and rugged geography and our distinct communities.”
These proposed changes reflect the increase in B.C.’s population from 4,400,057 in 2011 to 5,000,879 in 2021 as reflected in the most recent Census. It is proposing to add a new 43rd riding to B.C. – Vernon-Lake Country – which would include the City of Vernon.
As it stands, the entire City of Kamloops is part of the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding, while Lillooet, Lytton, Cache Creek, and Ashcroft are part of the Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon riding.
Public hearings are slated for 27 communities between June 6 and Sept. 27, with a virtual hearing set for Sept. 28. The Kamloops hearing is set for June 16 at the Coast Hotel and Conference Centre in Aberdeen.
You’ll find the full report on the proposed changes here.
An interactive map of both existing ridings and the proposed changes can be found here.
