Smaller Provencher proposed

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This article was published 12/07/2022 (1030 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Five municipalities and a First Nation that are collectively home to nearly 12,000 people should be removed from Provencher and placed into neighbouring federal ridings, according to a plan proposed by the non-partisan commission tasked with updating Manitoba’s electoral map.

The plan, which will undergo public hearings in September, calls for the Village of St Pierre, Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation, and the RMs of De Salaberry, Emerson-Franklin, and Montcalm to become part of Portage—Lisgar. The RM of Whitemouth would be moved into Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman.

The plan would affect 11,800 people, roughly 8,700 of whom will be old enough to vote in a federal election held in or after 2024, when the new boundaries take effect.

In a written summary, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission of Manitoba unpacked the challenges they faced in redistricting southern Manitoba.

“As more population growth takes place in the semi-urban communities immediately outside [Winnipeg], it becomes difficult to avoid combining rural and urban components within ridings,” the commission wrote.

Provencher’s proposed changes disrupt bilingual areas but address the twin problems of overrepresentation and future population growth, the commission explained.

Provencher added nearly 21,000 residents between 2011 and 2021 and is currently home to nearly 110,000 people, making it the second most populous federal riding in the province behind Winnipeg South.

That’s far higher than Manitoba’s electoral quotient—the ideal number of people per riding—of 95,868. The commission’s plan would reduce Provencher’s population to 97,650.

Provencher MP Ted Falk’s office did not return a request for comment on the first boundary changes proposed to his riding since his election in 2013.

In a spring letter to the commission, Falk suggested moving the RM of Springfield, home to 16,000 people, into neighbouring Elmwood—Transcona, arguing many Springfield residents shop and work in Winnipeg.

Reached by phone, reeves of several affected municipalities were caught off guard by the commission’s proposal, which was published online three weeks ago.

“That’s kind of a surprise,” Whitemouth reeve Walter Amerongen exclaimed.

After studying the changes, Amerongen said it makes sense to pair Whitemouth with Beausejour, its main economic hub. The RM also belongs to the Interlake-Eastern health authority.

Amerongen, who plans to attend the fall public hearings, said representation is what’s most important to Whitemouth council.

“Our main concern, as a small RM, is that we keep getting government service and that we can approach the government for requests and for help,” he said. “We don’t want to end up in a constituency where we’re small and kind of left out.”

Montcalm reeve Paul Gilmore lamented the severing of historical ties between Montcalm and Provencher, forged in the days of the Red River trade corridor.

Gilmore said two Provencher MPs, Arthur-Lucien Beaubien (in office 1921-1940) and René Jutras (in office 1940-1957) came from Montcalm. Beaubien served as reeve before entering federal politics while Jutras was born in Letellier.

Gilmore said Montcalm residents feel more connected to francophone communities to the east but noted there are francophone communities in Portage—Lisgar too. He plans to attend the fall public hearings “to hear what everyone else has to say.”

De Salaberry reeve Darrel Curé said residents of St Malo would have to drive 75 minutes to the Portage—Lisgar constituency office in Morden rather than 30 minutes to the Provencher constituency office in Steinbach.

“We’ve always been in the Provencher jurisdiction, and I don’t feel that it’s fair that we get bumped out of it,” Curé said. “I would be concerned that we would not get the same representation as we do have currently, looking at the map and the way things are going to be shifted.”

Emerson-Franklin reeve Dave Carlson was less bothered by the proposal, pointing out both Provencher and Portage—Lisgar are predominantly rural ridings anchored by regional centres.

“As long as the rural voice is heard and there’s strong representation—that’s what we look for,” Carlson said. “I think either way we have pretty solid representation.”

Carlson said he plans to discuss the new electoral map with council and attend the upcoming hearings.

Village of St Pierre mayor Ray Maynard and Roseau River chief Craig Alexander could not be reached for comment.

Reeves who spoke to The Carillon were relieved the commission refrained from dividing rural municipalities between two electoral districts. That makes it easier for MPs to work with municipal counterparts, Manitoba’s seven-member Conservative caucus, which includes Falk, wrote in a letter to the commission this spring.

But several reeves questioned why Manitoba won’t get another seat in the House of Commons. The commission said Manitoba should keep its current allotment at 14 seats, despite the province growing by nearly 134,000 people over the last decade.

“I would welcome another seat, there’s no doubt, but regulations are regulations,” Gilmore said. “We’re still a small province.”

Across Canada, just four more seats will be added to the House of Commons, bringing the total to 342.

“I think as our population is growing, we should have greater representation,” Carlson said. “Another seat probably would have been far more attractive.”

The Manitoba commission has also proposed the simplified name of Winnipeg West for the riding currently known as Charleswood—St James—Assiniboia—Headingley.

Two virtual hearings and three in-person hearings on Manitoba’s new electoral map will take place this fall. Steinbach’s will take place Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. at Mennonite Heritage Village.

“We welcome input into this important democratic process and invite everyone to provide written and oral submissions,” Justice Diana Cameron, who chairs the three-member commission, said.

Anyone wishing to speak must notify the commission by Aug. 30. Notices are accepted by email at MB@redecoupage-federal-redistribution.ca or by mail at:

Electoral Boundaries Commission for Manitoba

Cargill Building

240 Graham Avenue

Second Floor, Suite 210

Winnipeg, MB R3C 0J7

For more information, including a full hearing schedule and detailed maps, log on to redistribution2022.ca.