News Release: New Provincial Electoral Division Boundaries Proposed

(Winnipeg – June 25, 2008) - Manitoba’s Electoral Divisions Boundaries Commission has made public its preliminary proposal to establish new boundaries for the 57 electoral divisions in the province.

Using 2006 census figures from Statistics Canada as required by legislation, the commission has proposed boundaries to reflect among other things a decade of population shift within the province. As a result, 55 provincial electoral division boundaries have changed [The Pas and Thompson remain the same].

The commission is proposing the distribution of provincial electoral divisions in Manitoba remain the same with 26 seats outside Winnipeg (including two seats in Brandon and four in the north) and 31 seats in Winnipeg.

Of the total 120 rural municipalities (RM) and local government districts (LGD), the commission’s preliminary proposed rural map splits a total of seven rural municipality boundaries, as compared to four in 1998 and six in 1988.

Included in this total of 7, the commission split two RMs because the population situated within the boundaries of the RMs exceeded or was very close to the permissible 10% above the quotient: the R.M. of Hanover with the growing community of Steinbach exceeds the permitted 10% above the quotient and the R.M. of Stanley including Winkler and Morden is within 1% of the permitted 10% above the quotient.

Maps showing the proposed electoral division boundaries together with their proposed names and populations based on the 2006 census are being sent to rural municipalities, local government districts, cities, towns, villages, First Nation communities and others. The proposed maps will also be available, free of charge, by calling the commission secretary at 945-8194 or toll-free at 1 (866) 926-0713, emailing info@boundariescommission.mb.ca, or by viewing and/or downloading them from the commission website — www.boundariescommission.mb.ca

Public Hearings

The commission welcomes public comment on the proposed maps and names and will hold public hearings. Interested organizations or individuals can make their submissions and comments at any of the public hearing locations. The times, dates and locations of the public hearings will be published in daily and weekly newspapers throughout the province and are as follows:

Winnipeg

Delta Hotel, Victoria/Albert Room, 350 St. Mary Ave
Monday, September 8 — 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

The Pas

Kikiwak Inn, Bignell Room
Tuesday, September 16 — 9:00 a.m.

Thompson

The Burntwood Hotel, 146 Selkirk Ave
Tuesday, September 16 — 3:30 p.m.

Dauphin

Parkland Recreation Complex, 200 1st Street South East
Wednesday, September 17 — 10:30 a.m.

Brandon

Brandon University, Health Studies Bldg, Rm 141, 270 – 18th St
Wednesday, September 17 — 6:00 p.m.

Gimli

Gimli New Horizons 55+ Activity Centre, 17 North Colonization Rd
Monday, September 22 — 2:00 p.m.

Beausejour

Brokenhead River Recreation Complex, 320 Veterans Lane
Tuesday, September 23 — 10:00 a.m.

Steinbach

Mennonite Heritage Village, 231 PTH 12 North
Tuesday, September 23 — 6:00 p.m.

Winkler

Days Inn, 395 Boundary Trail
Wednesday, September 24 — 11:00 a.m.

Winnipeg

Winnipeg Convention Centre, Room 2E, 375 York Ave
Wednesday, September 24 — 7:00 p.m.

To be ensured of an opportunity to make a submission in person, presenters are requested to register in advance on the commission website or by contacting the commission secretary:

Gerry Hébert
945-8194
1-866-926-0713
info@boundariescommission.mb.ca

Deadline for registering is two weeks before the public hearing you want to attend.

Written submissions will also be accepted on the commission website, and via email, fax and regular post. Written submissions, including submissions made at the public hearings, will be available for review at the Boundaries Commission office. Copies will also be available on request.

Background

Based upon the 2006 census and in accordance with The Electoral Divisions Act, the population of the province (1,148,401) was divided by the number of provincial electoral divisions in the province (57) to establish a quotient (20,147 people per electoral division).

The commission divided the province into three regions: the North, Rural South and Winnipeg. It then reviewed numerous option maps for each region taking into account population size, communities of interest, means of communication, physical features and existing rural municipality boundaries.

Where for reasons such as the sparsity, density or relative rate of growth of the population of a region, the commission is of the opinion that a population variation is desirable, the commission may vary electoral division populations by 10% above or below the quotient for divisions south of the 53rd parallel and by 25% above or below the quotient for divisions north or partially north of the 53rd parallel. The permitted variation is the same as was in place for the 1998 Boundaries Commission.

Following the public hearings, the commission will submit its final report to the Lieutenant Governor before December 31, 2008. According to 2006 amendments to The Electoral Divisions Act, the commission’s report comes into effect at the first dissolution of the Legislature after the year the report is submitted.

For further information contact:

Mary Skanderbeg
Electoral Divisions Boundaries Commission
Phone: (204) 945-1577
Toll-free: 1 (866) 628-6837
Fax: (204) 948-3260
e-mail: info@boundariescommission.mb.ca
Web: www.boundariescommission.mb.ca