An updated proposal from an electoral boundaries commission could see Burnaby have a presence in four federal ridings during the next election.
In May 2022, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for BC recommended the creation of new ridings while making changes to others, mainly due to a rise in the provincial population.
It has been mandated to provide 43 electoral districts, which is an increase of one compared to the last allotment due to the increased population in the province.
The Canadian constitution requires the re-configuring of electoral district boundaries every 10 years after the decennial census is completed.
Currently, Burnaby is divided into Burnaby South (represented by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh), Burnaby North-Seymour (Liberal MP Terry Beech) and New Westminster-Burnaby (NDP MP Peter Julian).
Original proposal not supported by Burnaby mayor
In its first round of recommendations, the commission's proposal would have seen Burnaby be involved in six ridings:
- Burnaby North-Seymour
- Burnaby South
- Vancouver South
- Vancouver Kingsway
- Port Moody-Coquitlam
- New Westminster-Bridgeview
In Burnaby North-Seymour, the committee proposed moving the current boundaries northward, while New Westminster-Burnaby would have its boundaries moved eastward and would incorporate an area east of the Pattullo Bridge.
The riding could also have seen its name changed to New Westminster-Bridgeview.
But Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley came out strongly opposed to the proposal, saying he didn't believe the plan served local residents.
"Tonight, I spoke against a proposal to carve up Burnaby's existing federal electoral districts," he wrote in a social media post on June 28, 2022.
"The proposal would fracture Burnaby neighbourhoods and attach them to adjacent ridings in Metro Vancouver cities. The plan doesn't serve our residents, and it doesn't have my support."
Hurley noted that the two Vancouver ridings Burnaby would have been incorporated into would have seen population shares of less than eight per cent.
If a section of Burnaby had been included in Port Moody-Coquitlam, the population share would have been 11.3 per cent.
Burnaby in fewer ridings under new recommendations
On Feb. 8, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for BC submitted its potential constituency realignment to the House of Commons, which is now set for debate and possible objections.
The commission's report will be reviewed by the standing committee on procedure and house affairs between now and May.
"Presentations and submissions urged the commission to reconsider the number of electoral districts it had previously proposed for lands in the City of Burnaby," the report said.
"Presentations and submissions in neighbouring municipalities also questioned some of the boundaries set out in the proposal.
"In response to this public input, the commission now proposes to significantly redraw the electoral district boundaries affecting Burnaby and surrounding municipalities."
Under the updated proposal, Burnaby would be included in four ridings: Burnaby Central, Burnaby North-Seymour, Vancouver Fraserview-South Burnaby and a reconfigured New-Westminster-Burnaby riding that would have its name changed to New Westminster-Burnaby-Maillardville.
The commission said the riding of Burnaby Central would be created largely from the current electoral district of Burnaby South and an area presently within New Westminster-Burnaby.
- with files from Kyle Balzer, Tri-City News
