The Electoral Boundaries Commission made stops in Quesnel and Williams Lake yesterday. Quesnel was the first stop at 9am and Williams Lake at 3pm.
The reason for the Electoral Boundaries Commission going through the Cariboo, is to gather the residents concerns on the potential of electoral zones merging.
“The whole purpose of this first round is keep our minds open, and hear what people say.” says Nitya Iyer, Judge of the Supreme Court and Chair of the Electoral Boundaries Commission.
The great majority of the presenters who voiced their concerns, all spoke of losing their voice. They all spoke of how they are able to communicate with their MLA’s if they had any concerns, and if electoral zones were to merge, people in smaller towns would lose that.
“The people that are coming out to them, are really concerned about effective representation.” says Iyer.
Input to the Electoral Boundaries Commission will conclude on May 31st, so that they can prepare for preliminary reports. The preliminary report is expected to be published in fall 2022. The final report will be due in April 2023, which is when a decision will be made.
For more Information on the electoral boundaries, you can visit bcebc.ca.