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Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for British Columbia
Begins the Process of Readjusting Boundaries

VANCOUVER, Monday, March 26, 2012 – The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for British Columbia, recently established, has begun its review of the province's federal electoral districts. The three-person commission is headed by the Honourable John E. Hall and commissioners Mr. Stewart Ladyman and Mr. J. Peter Meekison.

The British Columbia Commission is one of 10 independent federal electoral boundaries commissions created by law to redraw the boundaries of Canada's federal electoral districts.

The work of readjusting British Columbia's federal electoral boundaries is not simply a mathematical exercise whereby each electoral district ends up with roughly the same number of people, but rather a balancing act that must take into consideration communities of interest or identity as well as a district's history and geographic size.

British Columbia's population has increased from 3,907,738 in 2001 to 4,400,057 in 2011, and the Commission is currently formulating a proposal for British Columbia's 42 seats in the House of Commons to reflect the population growth and shifts.

The British Columbia Commission will publish its proposal outlining the new electoral map in a few months, and public hearings will follow at various locations across the province. Advertisements in newspapers and on the Commission's website will notify British Columbians of the dates, time and place of these hearings where groups and individuals can participate in the process and share their opinions.

The public hearings and input from the electorate had a great impact on the electoral boundaries created by the last commission in 2002. In order to involve the public as soon as possible in the process, the Commission is inviting citizens to participate in creating the initial proposal by providing their comments by e-mail or mail by April 20, 2012.

To learn more about the redistribution of British Columbia's federal electoral districts, visit www.federal-redistribution.ca.

Information:

Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for British Columbia
1095 West Pender Street, Suite 301
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6E 2M6

1-855-747-7236 (toll-free)
bc-cb@rfed-rcf.ca