Commission recommends new Okanagan federal riding

Thanks to its growing population, the Okanagan may soon have a little more political clout on the national stage.

An independent federal electoral boundaries commission, which reviews the electoral map every 10 years, has recommended B.C.’s one new electoral area be placed in the Okanagan because the population per riding is high and growing.

The three-person commission suggested the creation of a new Vernon – Lake Country riding.

“We put it right smack dab in the middle of the dense population and then we have tried to spread out the effect of that over all of the other ridings around which is why…in the Southern Interior, I think every single riding will have some change made to it accommodate the growth and making a new riding,” said Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for B.C. chair, Justice Mary Saunders.

The proposed new riding would use parts of the North Okanagan – Shuswap riding and Kelowna- Lake Country riding. Along with parts of Vernon and Lake Country, the new riding would also include a substantial part of Kelowna north of Highway 97.

It also means the current North Okanagan – Shuswap riding shifts to include a larger area from Kamloops to Revelstoke.

“I personally think that it is kind of exciting to get a new riding in the Interior,” said Saunders.

So far local political leaders and riding associations seem hesitant to weigh in on the proposal, many either did not respond to requests for comment or sent non-committal statements.

Conservative MP Tracy Gray whose current Kelowna – Lake Country riding would be divided by the proposal said in an emailed statement she is looking forward to reviewing the map and receiving input on it.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Party’s electoral district association board for Kelowna – Lake Country said it is reviewing the changes and it anticipates “a healthy dialogue about the status of the composition of the ridings in the Okanagan going into the next federal election campaign.”

The public can give their feedback directly to the commission at hearings to be held in the Okanagan in June.

“We know that this is put out as a proposal and that people will have their thoughts on it and it may make sense to them. If it doesn’t. If they have some objections or they have better ideas we definitely want to hear from them that is why it is a proposal and not a done deal,” Saunders said.

The new electoral boundaries won’t take effect till at least 2024.