Commission’s report proposes significant provincial constituency boundary changes

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This article was published 17/05/2018 (2168 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Electoral Divisions Boundaries Commission released an interim report on Friday, which includes the commission’s proposed changes to provincial electoral boundaries. The commission undertakes a review process every 10 years to ensure that all of Manitoba’s 57 constituencies consist of similar populations, to allow fair representation in the Manitoba Legislature.

Population increases in the Southeast have once again prompted major reworking of boundaries. Most significantly, the Southeast will be gaining a constituency. Much of the northern portion of the La Verendrye constituency is proposed to be renamed the Springfield-Ste Anne constituency. Its new boundaries would include the western portion of the RM of Springfield as well as the Town and RM of Ste Anne. What was the southern portion of La Verendrye would become a new constituency called Sandilands, but would also extend to the northwest to include communities like Niverville, Kleefeld and New Bothwell.

Another proposed change could mark the return of a familiar name. The Dawson Trail constituency, a name which was coined in the last boundary review in 2008, is proposed to be rebranded as the Carillon constituency, a nod to the old electoral division of the same name in the area from 1886-1969.

The commission will hold public hearings in September in order to gather feedback on the proposed changes, including a hearing on Sept. 18 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach.

More information, including the full interim report and detailed maps of the proposed changes, can be found at www.boundariescommission.mb.ca.

Finalized boundaries will come into effect for the 2020 provincial election.