The Electoral Boundaries Commission got an earful about a proposal that would see Queensborough become part of a Richmond riding in a federal election.
The British Columbia Commission is holding public hearings across the province to give people an opportunity to offer their opinions on the proposed boundaries. Public hearings got underway in September and will conclude in Burnaby on Oct. 18.
Under the proposed boundaries, Queensborough or "that part of the City of New Westminster on Lulu Island" would become part of the Richmond East riding. Instead of splitting the city into the existing Burnaby-New Westminster and the New WestminsterCoquitlam ridings, the city (with the exception of Queensborough) would be represented in the proposed New Westminster-Burnaby East riding.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr was among those who addressed the commission when it held a public hearing in New Westminster on Sept. 26. While there was clear opposition to the pro-posal by the majority of people at the New Westminster meeting, he said the commission also indicated there wasn't much support for the proposal from Richmond residents who had previously attended a meeting in that community.
According to Puchmayr, Queensborough residents presented the commission with a petition against the proposal from some members of the South Asian community.
New Westminster city council recently voted in favour of opposing the proposed federal boundary changes and applying to make a presentation at the public hearing. Coun. Bill Harper made a presentation on the city's behalf.
"The residents of Queensborough don't want Queensborough to go to Richmond," Puchmayr said of the city's decision to take a position on the matter. "The residents have asked us to support Queensborough staying part of New Westminster."
According to Elections Canada, the Constitution of Canada requires that federal electoral districts be reviewed after each 10-year census to reflect changes and movements in Canada's population. Launched in February, the federal redistribution process is proposing changes to many federal ridings in Canada.
The new electoral boundaries are expected to be in effect for the next federal election, which is slated for Oct. 19, 2015. For more information about hearings in B.C. and maps of proposed boundaries, visit www.fed eral-redistribution.ca.
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