New electoral boundaries for 2020

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This article was published 13/12/2018 (1959 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every electoral division but one will have its boundaries shifted, and 14 of the 57 will get new names, as a result of the final report from the 2018 Manitoba Electoral Divisions Boundaries Commission.

The report, which was prepared by a five-person, non-partisan group chaired by Manitoba Chief Justice Richard Chartier, was formally delivered Friday to Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon and legislature Speaker Myrna Driedger. Under the Electoral Divisions Act, the province must recalculate constituencies each decade to account for changes in population.

The adjusted borders will apply for Manitoba’s next provincial election, expected no later than Oct. 6, 2020. Any byelections before that will use the current divisions.

Winnipeg will gain an additional MLA to account for its growing population, raising its number to 32.

In northwest Winnipeg, the new riding of McPhillips will absorb the former West St. Paul.

Boundary changes will mean the Logan electoral division no longer includes Logan Avenue, so it will be renamed Union Station “to recognize the important role of the railway in the establishment of Winnipeg.” Likewise, Minto will be renamed Notre Dame, since it will no longer encompass the Minto Armouries.

In southwestern Winnipeg, the Fort Whyte riding will now include Linden Woods, Linden Ridge and Whyte Ridge. South Pointe and Bridgwater will become the electoral division of Waverley.

Other changes will result in St. Norbert becoming part of the Seine River electoral division. A new division called Lagimodière will “accommodate significant growth in Sage Creek,” according to the report. The electoral division formerly known as Kildonan will see its boundaries stretch eastward across the Red River and be renamed Kildonan-River East.

Brandon will be split into three electoral divisions, to reflect population growth.

In western Manitoba, population losses in Swan River, Dauphin and Riding Mountain “resulted in significant changes to the boundaries of these electoral divisions,” the report said. The former riding of Arthur-Virden will now be called Turtle Mountain.

Southern Manitoba locales including Morden and Winkler will have their boundaries changed, and much of the former electoral division of Morris will be merged into the division of Midland. The Rural Municipality of Headingley will join Winnipeg’s Roblin electoral division, and the adjusted division of Emerson will be known as Borderland.

Winnipeg Beach and the village of Dunnottar will become part of the Interlake-Gimli division.

Further east, growing populations resulted in boundary shifts in Dawson Trail, Steinbach, and La Vérendrye. The RM of Ritchot and part of Springfield will join with Niverville to become Springfield-Ritchot, with the remainder of Springfield joining Dawson Trail.

The RMs of East St. Paul and St. Clements will become a new division called Red River North.

In northern Manitoba, the four electoral divisions will all have their boundaries changed. Kewatinook will be shrunk, the division previously called The Pas will now be The Pas-Kameesak, and the Thompson division will include Nelson House, Gillam, Churchill and other communities.

“Under the new boundaries, the four electoral divisions in the north have better balanced populations, are more similar in size and respect travel patterns, as well as communities of interest,” the report said.

Portage la Prairie is the sole Manitoba electoral division whose boundaries will remain unchanged.

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sol_israel

2018 Boundaries Commission Report