As potential changes to Alberta’s Electoral Boundaries remain under review, representatives from Lac Ste. Anne County and Parkland County warn the initial recommendations could have a damaging impact on rural representation in the legislature.
The Electoral Boundaries Commission released its final report at the end of April, outlining majority and minority recommendations for changes to the ridings.
A significant change was proposed in the majority report, which would see the Lac Ste. Anne—Parkland riding completely dissolved. As a result, Parkland County would be split between three different boundaries while Lac Ste. Anne County would be split across two.
Eliminating the riding would create two new urban ridings: Edmonton—Beaumont and Edmonton—Enoch.
The Electoral Boundary Commission’s majority report recommends eliminating the Lac Ste. Anne County—Parkland riding. (Captured from the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission Final Report)
Parkland County Mayor Rod Shaigec says he is concerned about the impacts to rural representation if this recommendation were to be adopted.
“I think we would end up with less effective representation because of the hybrid models that are being adopted here and the challenges that the MLAs will face trying to represent municipalities with very distinct needs and advocacy efforts,” he comments. “We’re concerned about whether our voice will be heard.”
Jurgen Preugschas, Reeve, Lac Ste. Anne County, adds that MLAs for rural ridings have a greater workload than those for urban centres.
“It’s always been a struggle to get enough representation from rural Alberta,” he says. “What a lot of the urban people don’t understand is that we have massive square mileage that our MLAs have to cover with many different communities— not only counties— but also different communities within the county they have to deal with. Urban ridings don’t have that.”
Preugschas suggests the efforts of rural MLAs could be stretched even further by combining communities with competing interests within the riding.
Rural communities tackle a handful of unique challenges, including access to emergency services, wildfire threats, environmental priorities and connectivity.
For example, Shaigec says Parkland County has 100 lakes under its jurisdiction, so maintaining ecosystem integrity is essential. Many residences also lack reliable internet or cell phone service, making broadband efforts uniquely important to the region as well.
Preugschas says Lac Ste. Anne County is a long county, with acreages in the east and agriculture in the west. It also features lakes and waterways that make water protections essential.
He also said the county’s small tax base can be a challenge come budget time, making economic development key to the region, efforts he worries would stall if its representation is split across two ridings.
In contrast, the minority report recommends far less drastic changes to the riding, including adding Chip Lake in the west. Elsewhere, an eastern portion of the riding will move to the proposed Edmonton-Spruce Grove riding, while lands west of Highway 33 will move to Athabasca—Barrhead—Westlock. A section in the northeast will also go to St. Albert—Sturgeon.
Map 66 outlines boundaries for the Lac Ste. Anne—Parkland riding, as proposed in the Electoral Boundaries Commission’s minority report. (Captured from the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission Final Report)
On April 22, the Alberta Government passed a motion to task a new committee of legislature members with overseeing the work of an advisory panel that will propose updated riding maps by the fall.
Premier Danielle Smith said the move reflected a recommendation from the commission’s chair, who proposed increasing the number of seats in the legislature to 91 from the current 87 to maintain rural representation.
“A fair distribution of electoral divisions is essential to the democratic process, and we must ensure Albertans receive effective representation in this legislature,” Justice Minister Mickey Amery commented on the change.
The recommendation for the increase, however, was made due to concerns the government would adopt the minority report, which was primarily put forward by United Conservative Party (UCP) appointees and critics asserted was an attempt to rig electoral maps in the UCP’s favour.
Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi claimed the new committee’s work is a smokescreen for the government to adopt the minority plan.
If the minority recommendations are adopted, Parkland County would remain split across two ridings, as it is now. Lac Ste. Anne County would remain intact within one riding.
“We do recognize that the boundary commission has a difficult job,” Shaigec comments. “They’re required to take a look at those boundaries every eight to ten years, and those boundaries are the foundation of representative democracy. They will shift, and we know that, but how it shifts affects how our communities are heard and the future, the welfare and well-being of our municipalities.”
As the proposals are under review, Preugschas encourages Lac Ste. Anne and Parkland County residents concerned about the potential changes to reach out to their MLA, the speaker of the house and the premier to share their thoughts.
With files from the Canadian Press.
