CANADA

Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act

BRITISH COLUMBIA

PREAMBLE

By proclamatiua published in the Canida Gazette on July $2, 1972, an Electoral Boundaries
Commission was established far the Province uf British Columbia. That Commission was to
teadjust the buundaties of electors districts in Gritish Columbia using the 1971 decennial
census. The Comaivuun subsitted a Report to the Representation Commissioner but the
Report was not acted on because of the enactinent in 1973 of the Electoral Boundaries
Readjustment Suspension Act (Chapter 23. Statutes of Canadis, 1973-74).

On December U. (974, the Representation Act (Chapter #3, Statutes of Canadis. 1974-75) *

cate inte effect. That Act authorized the establishment uf a new Electoral ouadaries
Commission for British Columbia which is to readjust the houndaries of electoral districts in
British C olumbie upain using the 1971 deceanial census.

.

Notice of Shttings

Pursuant te the provisions of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, Chapter E-2
Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970 the Act. the Electors! Boundaries Commission fur the
Frowace of Brtnh Columbia (the Commission) proposes that the twenty-eight (28) electoral’
ditewts assigned te Batish Columb. be as described in this advertisement and as illustrated by
the maps hereiniftee set nut. The Commission is required ty hold sittings to hear repressatue
tions Hy interested persons in respect of the proposed elector districts. Fur this purpose the
Commission will sil at the following places and times:

1. CHILLIWACK, Slesse Kuum, Evergreen Hall, 209 Corbould Street Suuth, Tuesday.”
Octuber 24. 1975

. COURTENAY, Court House, 420 Cumberland Ruad, Wednesday, Qetuber 4, 1975,
(0:00 am,

« FORT ST. JOUN, Court House, [0500 —100 Street, Munday. September k. 1975, 10:00
am.
KAML QOPS, Cunadian Inn. 349 St, Paul Street. Friday. September 42.

~ 1978, 10.00

. KEL OWNA, Capri Motes Hoel. Highway No. 97, Tueds Septem! or ba, 978. 10:00

. NANAIMO, Cont House, Front Street, Tuesday. October 7, 1978, 10:00 am.

. NELSON, Provincial Government Huilding. 2b Ward Sueet. Friday. Sentember Ww,
tyes, 10:00 am.
OUCIVER, Court House, West 7th Street, Wednesday, September 17, $975, 10:00 sn,

“representation shull

td) “secretary” means the secretary to the Commission.

3. Only one person shall be heard in the pre of wrepr at at siding unless, in

specinl circumstances, the Commission decides otherwise.

4. A person giving notice pursuant to Section P74) of the Act of intention tu make a
ile in the notige ut Which of the places designated by che advertivement
na plive of sitting such persua wishes to make The representytion,

S218 is person giving notice pursuant te Sectian £74) af the Act fails to comply with the
Provisions of Rule 4. the secretary shall forthwith enquize to ascertain from such person the
phice at which such pecsan wishes to appear to make a representation,

fe Rules Sand § are made for administrative purposes only and du not operate to prevent a
ferson who his given a notice of imenteon to make a tepreventation pursuant to and in
cumpliance with Section 1705) of the Act fram making the representation at any sitting of the
Commission sec aut in the advertisement. subject only to the power of the Cenmmission, of the
Chairman thereof, pursuant to Rule 7, to cancel a sitting at any ploce if it appears that ae une -
will make i representation at the sitting at that ¢.

TAC i appears that ne one will make a representation at any plice designited by the
adverlivement as a place of sitting. the Commissiua. or the Chairman thereof, may cancel the
sitting at such place.

8. 1f a quorum cannot be present at a place of sitting on the date set by the advertisement,
the Commission, of the Chairman thereof, may postpone that silting to a later date,

9. In the event of the cancellation ar pustponement of a sitting, the secretary shall forthwith
give notice thereof tw any person whom the Commission, or the Chairman thercof, deems
should receive such notice and the Commission, of the Chaienian thereaf, shall give public
notice of such cancellation or postponement of a sitting. The autices to be givon to individuals
and ta ‘the public may be given by such means us the Commission, or the Chairman thereof,
cansiders adequate in the cirguantinces,

WW, Two bers of the © shall ¢
hear representations. .

a quorum Sor the holving of a sitting to

Uae in appears ut a sitting of the C that the C cannut nh hearing
fepre within the time allowed fur the sitting, the Commission may adjourn the sitting

. PRINCE GEORGE, The Inn of the North. 770 Brunswick Street. Tuesday, § jb
9, 1978, 10.0 . . .

. REVELSTOKE. Court House, 320 Wikoo Street, Monday. September 68. 1978, 1:00
wm, .

. TERRACE, Court Hotere, 4506 Vakehe Avenue, Thursday. October 2.1978 1100 wm,
VANCOUVER, Tax Resiew Board Court Room, Bank of Canada Bldg.
Hastings Street, Thursday. Octuber 23, Friday. October 24 and Saturday, Octuber 2
1975, (O00 am, ce

12. VICTORIA, Fuser of Newsombe A
1975, 10.00 a.m.

14, WELLEAMS LAKE, Court Hause, 40 Borlund Street. Thursday, September ue 1978.
10:00 am.

Peovinciid M . Monday, October 6,

STATUTORY CONDITION PRECEDENT TO THE RIGHT TO MAKE A -

REPRESENTATION
The Commission iv precluded: by the Act from hearing any person desiring w make a
representation whe he net given nufice in Gweordance with Section U7¢4) of the Act, The
Commission, therefore, cannot beara representation from anyone whe has not given nutice in
welling to the secrelury to the Comminiwn within soatsthree days from the dale of
publication of thy whvertsement The nvtive must state the aume and nddress of the person by
wham the representation ix sought to be male and indicate cuncisely the nature of the
representation ind the interest af such penon. Notices should be mailed or delivered tu the
scoreturs to the Commusson at this aidress:
The Seeretuty
Riectaral Boundaries Commission for Britivh Columbia
Bow LORIN Pacific Centre :
TO West Georgia Slteet
VANCOUVER. BC.
vey ice
Dated at VANCOUVER, this cighth day of July. 1978.

Chairman of the Electoral Boundaries |
Commnission for the Province of British Columbia

THE ATTENTION OF PERSONS DESIRING TO MAKE A REPRESENTATION IS
DIRECTED TO THE FOLLOWING RULES.

RULES,

1. These rules may be cited as “The Rules on the Electoral Boundaries Commission for thé
Province of British Columbia, 1975", .

2. In these rules: : ’

{a) “Act means the Electoras Boundaries Readjustment Act, Chapter E-2 of the Revised |
Statutes of Canada, 1970;

(b) “Commission" means the Electoral Boundaries Commision for the Province of British
Columbia;

(c) “advertisement” means the advertisement published by the Commission phrsuant to
Section 17(2) and referred to in Section t7(4) of the Act; :

900 West

J.D, TAGGART:

. nearly as may be to the electoral queta but that, in

. (28) electoral district

toe duter diate ut the sane place or, taking inty accaunt the canvenience of Persansy whose
representations have not been heard of have been unly pistly heard. aay adjourn-the sitting to
w sitting of the Commission elsew here,

Reasons for Proposals

The 1971 decennial census established the population of British Columbia as 2,184,621. Asa
result of amendments made to the British North America Act in 1974, British Columbia is
entitled to be represented in the House of Commons by twenty-eight (28) members: five more
than at present. This requires the establishment of twenty. seight (28) electoral districts. The
population of the province divided by 2% yields 78,022. This is the electoral quota for the
province, The Act provides that the population of cach electoral district “shall correspond as
iccumstances specified in the Act. the

of el may exceed the electoral quota or be Jess than the electorat
quota, in cach case 10 un extent not greater thun 2552 of the electoral quota.

The task of the Commission is to recummend the divisién of the province into twenty-eight
and to make concerning the names and the descrip-

tions of the boundaries of the electoral districts,

The initis) proposals of the Commission ure set out below and are bused on these reasuny

and corisiderations.

In making the proposals the Commission must act only on the basis of the information
provided by the 1971 census as to population figures and distribution of pupulution,

The 1975 amendment to Section 13 of the Act precludes the Commission from giving any
consideratiun to the relative rate of growth of the pupulation in the various regions of the
province,

The existing twenty-three (23) electoral districts of necessity form the starting point for the
proposals as to how the province cun be divided into twenty-eight (28) electoral districts. The
Commission is fortunate to have availuble the Reports of the 196$ and 1973 Commissions, the
latter being especially helpful. The Commission has tried to utilize the additional five electoral
districts given to the province by the recent amendment to the British North America Act to
improve upon the recommendations of the 1973 Commission.

In general the Commission has endeavuured to ensure even d, Aribution insofar as sparsity or
density af population will allow, having regard to geographic limltstions and, above all,
sommunity of interest. In so duing the Commission has tended to luke maximum advantage of
the tolerances permitted where this is necessary in order to respect communily of interest and

& geographic factors.

When compared with the existing twenty-three (23) electoral districts it will be apparent that
the overall effect of the Commissiun’s proposals is to: .

(a) increase the number of ciectoral cistricts In the northern region of the province from two

tothree;
. ¢

(b) add two electoral districts to the Lower Mainland region;

(o) add one el y regions

t district to the Ok K
, (d) increase the Vancouver Istand electoral districts from four to five,

Pi