The group tasked with redrawing the province’s electoral map has released an interim report.
The Electoral Boundaries Commission had to consider how to balance minority representation for Nova Scotians of African and Acadian descent, account for a shift in population away from rural areas into the city and consider the geography of the region.
The commission has come up with four alternatives: keep the exiting boundaries, move to 55 districts and reinstate the four formerly protected seats, 55 districts with a dual member from Inverness to allow 56 seats or 56 districts.
Norbert LeBlanc, interim president of Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE) tells CJLS News they have a preference for one of the scenarios.
“We want to be perfectly clear that we are looking at the 4th recommendation, the one that includes 56 seats, returning the protected ridings of Clare, Argyle, Richmond, and we would like to see a new electoral riding for the people of Cheticamp”
Argyle-Barrington MLA Chris d’Entremont tells CJLS News the report is a good start.
“I think the commission came out with a decent report today. It represents I believe, what the people in Argyle have been saying, what the people in Clare have been saying, which is a return to the protected constituencies prior to that change in 2012. There’s a lot more work to be done”
The details of the report have been posted online.
Another round of public consultations will begin in January.
The commission needs to present a single set of boundaries to the House of Assembly by April 1.