Red Deer could be split into two federal ridings according to proposed changes to federal election boundaries.
Red Deer riding is the same as the boundary for Red Deer County. The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Alberta has proposed city residents north of Ross Street become part of the new Red Deer-Wolf Creek that includes Lacombe County and a portion of Ponoka and Red Deer counties. It would include Ponoka, Hobbema, Sylvan Lake and Summer Village of Parkland Beach.
Residents south of Ross Street would be part of Red Deer-Mountain View that includes Mountain View County and a portion of Red Deer County. It would include Penhold, Innisfail, Bowden, Olds, Didsbury and Carstairs.
Every 10 years, after the census is conducted, the number of electoral districts and their boundaries are revised to reflect population shifts and growth.
Alberta will gain six electoral districts as a result of the increase in its population from 2,974,807 in 2001 to 3,645,257, as captured in the 2011 census.
Population shifts and the creation of the new districts means that all electoral districts in Alberta have been altered, some more substantially than others.
Proposed is one new electoral district in northern Alberta, two new electoral districts in and around Edmonton, two new electoral districts within Calgary and one new electoral district in southern Alberta.
The commission says its main aim in redrawing boundaries is to divide the province into electoral districts as close to the average population as reasonably possible.
Garfield Marks, a Liberal candidate for Red Deer in the 2008 federal election, is against the proposed Red Deer boundary changes.
“You would think it would be better to minimize the size and just keep it as an urban riding because we have more in common. Keep it like the city limits,” Marks said on Monday.
Otherwise urban constituents will have to compete with rural constituents, he said.
Rural voters in Alberta are traditionally conservative so it looks like an attempt to make sure as many ridings as possible have rural voters, he said.
“I can see why the Conservatives are doing it. They decided if they made it an urban riding than a Liberal or an NDP would win it.”
The last time there was an attempt to change the boundary, everyone knew about it, he said.
“Before it was wide open and people were talking about it. They always had big formal processes to go through. Now, this seems to be coming out of nowhere,” Marks said.
Red Deer MP Earl Dreeshen said changes were anticipated.
“It is important for people to realize that this is just the first map. It is the one that was done mathematically to make sure there was just the right number of people in each of the ridings,” Dreeshen said.
He said having Red Deer county and city together as one riding was “certainly one that was very workable.”
“It didn’t bother me that I had one of the largest populations because we worked so well together,” Dreeshen said.
Proposed changes that remove the eastern portion of the county from the ridings should be reviewed, he said.
Trade routes should also be considered, Dreeshen said.
Red Deer-Wolf Creek would have a population of 107,985 and Red Deer-Mountain View would have 108,465.
In Red Deer, two public hearings on boundary changes will be held at the Sheraton Hotel on Sept. 19 at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Those wishing to make a presentation at a hearing are requested to send the commission notice no later than Aug. 10.
For more information on the proposed changes visit www.federal-redistribution.ca or Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com