'Shared circumstances' and the proposed changes to Sask.'s federal electoral districts
CBC
Saskatchewan will be getting a new federal electoral map — it's just a question of what the end result will look like.
Earlier this week, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Saskatchewan released a map of its proposed changes to the 14 electoral districts in the province.
The proposals are being welcomed by Ken Coates, a professor and Canada Research Chair with the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan.
"I think they've done a very, very good job with a very difficult assignment. They've kept it non-partisan. They've kept it non-political and it does represent a diverse province that is actually changing," Coates said.
The process of electoral district redistribution plays out every 10 years, with Canada's Constitution requiring the districts to be reviewed after each decennial census.
Justice Georgina Jackson, the chair of the commission, told CBC News it's an important part of the democractic process.
"It's about effective representation, good representation, good government and and a re-analysis every 10 years to make sure that that we have the best system possible," she said.
The process is supposed to make sure districts reflect changes in the Canadian population.
Coates said the proposed map doesn't favour one party over another and reflects an understanding that the people in the proposed districts have "shared circumstances."
"I think it actually reflects well on the country as a whole that we can have these kinds of very dramatic political changes without it being very controversial as well," Coates said.
The review isn't over yet. The commission still requires input from the province's people.
The commission will hold a series of hearings across the province throughout June and July looking for feedback.
Here's what the proposed changes look like:
Saskatoon currently has three federal electoral districts: Saskatoon West, Saskatoon-University and Saskatoon Grasswood.
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