Burnaby's electoral districts during the next B.C. election could look a lot different.
The BC Electoral Boundaries Commission has released its proposals to change electoral districts in the province in creating six new ridings, one of which would be in Burnaby.
The five other additional proposed districts would be in Langford, Langley, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria.
If the recommendations are accepted, the seat count in the B.C. legislature would rise from 87 to 93.
"British Columbia is a growing province," commission chair Justice Nitya Iyer said in a news release.
"The population has increased by more than 300,000 people over the last five years. Our recommendation to increase the number of electoral districts in B.C. reflects that growth."
In addition to the creation of six new electoral districts, the commission also recommended adjustments to the 71 electoral districts based on the geographic demographic.
The current local electoral districts are:
- Burnaby-Deer Lake
- Burnaby-Edmonds
- Burnaby-Lougheed
- Burnaby North
Under the proposed changes, the new ridings would be Burnaby Centre, Burnaby East, Burnaby-New Westminster, Burnaby North and Burnaby South.
The commission is proposing Burnaby Centre be situated on the west side of the city and would follow Boundary Road in the west; a line bounded by Highway 1, Douglas Road and the Lougheed Highway and Sperling Avenue in the north; Imperial Street in the east and Kingsway in the south.
Cascade Heights, Garden Village, Deer Lake and Buckingham Heights would be included in the Burnaby Centre district.
Burnaby East would be situated in the northeast corner of the city, bounded by Kensington Avenue, North Road and the Burrard Inlet.
The committee says it proposes adjustments to the district that would remove the neighbourhood of Eastburn and add part of New Westminster bounded by McBride Boulebard, E. 8th Avenue and Cumberland Street.
Burnaby-New Westminster would include the Kelvin, Eastburn and Glenbrooke neighbourhoods of New West and the adjacent Middlegate and Edmonds neighbourhoods in Burnaby.
Proposed boundaries of the riding are Imperial Street in the north, Griffiths Drive in the west, Sixth Avenue in the south and the line of McBride Boulebard and Newcombe Street in the east.
Burnaby North would be located on the northwest side of Burnaby and contain the neighbourhoods of Burnaby Heights, Capitol Hill, Willingdon Heights and Brentwood Park.
The commission is proposing balancing the population with neighbouring districts by moving the portion of the current riding south of Highway 1, Douglas Road and the Lougheed Highway into Burnaby Centre.
Burnaby South would sit between the Fraser River in the south and Kingsway in the north.
Included areas would be Metrotown, Suncrest and South Slope in Burnaby and Connaught Heights in New Westminster.
The commission says adding the area around Metrotown south of Kingsway keeps the rapidly growing SkyTrain corridor in one riding.
“Before we began our deliberations, we travelled throughout the province, meeting as many people as we could, seeking input on electoral boundaries. We held 50 public meetings in 43 communities and received over 1,300 submissions,” Iyer added.
"Our recommendations are the result of the considerations in the Act, the data we collected and the diverse perspectives of British Columbians.”
Visual maps depicting the proposed changes are available to be viewed online.
Final round of public consultations beginning
The commission says it will now start a final round of public consultations before its final report which must be released by April 3, 2023.
Two virtual public hearings for all regions are set for Oct. 21 and Nov. 8 at 5 p.m.
An in-preson public meeting will also take place on Nov. 2 at 9:30 a.m. in New Westminster at Inn At The Quay in the Hyack Room (900 Quadside Dr.).
More information on public hearings can be found on the commission website.
