Southern Alberta could see some changes to the configuration of provincial electoral ridings in the next general election, according to the interim report presented by the Electoral Boundaries Commission.
According to the report provided to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the boundaries for Lethbridge East and Lethbridge West are expected to undergo slight changes. This change includes the boundary line now being 13th Street South, with the area south and east of Whoop Up Drive and 6th Avenue, along with east of Scenic Drive, now part of Lethbridge East. The border will continue south at the Scenic Drive and 18th Avenue South, ending at the city boundary.
According to the report, the proposed change takes into account the recent population, along with the possibility for development and subsequent population growth in the Lethbridge-West riding in the future.
The Livingstone – Macleod and Cardston-Taber-Warner ridings could also see changes to their electoral boundaries. Livingstone- Macleod could see two major changes, with the first recommended change seeing Lethbridge County, excluding the City of Lethbridge, be added to the electoral division. The second major change would be to exclude all parts of Foothills County from the electoral division.
According to the commission, the new boundaries will “facilitate effective representation by bringing together Lethbridge County, the Municipal Districts of Willow Creek, Pincher Creek, and Ranchland, as well as Waterton Lakes National Park, and the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass.” According to the report, this will help communities of interest in rural Southern Alberta be effectively represented.
Cardston-Taber-Warner would see changes from the current Taber-Warner and Cardston-Siksika ridings. The most notable parts of this would include Cardston County, including the towns of Cardston and Magrath, joining the Taber-Warner riding. This move would bring portions of the MD of Taber, which were previously not part of the Taber-Warner riding, into Cardston-Taber-Warner.
“The fact that there was a previous version of Cardston-Taber-Warner underscores to the Commission that this electoral division contains communities of interest that can be effectively represented,” the report reads. “History proves that this configuration can provide effective representation.”
In the new year, the commission will be holding another series of public meetings to hear feedback on the recommendations proposed in the Interim Report. The final report will be presented to the Legislative Assembly by the end of March.
