A New Federal Electoral Map is Taking Shape for Prince Edward Island

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, May 2, 2022 /CNW/ - The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Prince Edward Island has proposed a new electoral map for consideration at public hearings this spring. The map introduces changes to Prince Edward Island's federal electoral district boundaries and has been developed through an independent and non-partisan process.

"Public input in determining electoral districts is an exercise in participatory democracy which helps to ensure electoral fairness. We invite members of the public to read our proposal and provide comments in person and/or in writing," said the Honourable Justice John K. Mitchell, Chair of the three-member commission. Kerry Carpenter and Don Desserud are the other members of the Commission who are responsible for the readjustment of the province's federal electoral boundaries.

The proposal reflects Prince Edward Island's increase in population from 140,204 in 2011 to 154,331, as captured in the 2021 Census, and takes into consideration communities of interest or identity, and historic and geographic factors. The proposal can be found at redistribution2022.ca. It will be published in the Canada Gazette on May 7, 2022.

Under the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, the Commission's main aim in redrawing boundaries is to divide the province into four electoral districts that are as close to the electoral quota as reasonably possible, while taking into consideration the factors listed above. The electoral quota is calculated by dividing the population of the province by the number of electoral districts it has been allocated. In the case of Prince Edward Island, the quota for each electoral district is 38,582 (154,331 residents divided by 4 electoral districts).

Public hearings

The Prince Edward Island commission is holding 3 public hearings, in person and virtual, to gather comments and feedback on the proposed boundaries and electoral district names.

Location	Place of hearing	Date of hearing	Time of hearing
Summerside	Loyalist Country Inn & Conference Centre (Parlour Room) 195 Heather Moyse Drive	Tuesday, June 7, 2022	7:00 p.m.
Stanhope	Stanhope Place 2784 Bayshore Road	Wednesday, June 8, 2022	7:00 p.m.
Virtual hearing	The link will be provided to participants	Thursday, June 9, 2022	7:00 p.m.

Everyone is invited to attend. If you wish to make a presentation at a hearing, please send a notice of representation to the Commission no later than May 31, 2022. You can do so by:

• mailing it to the Commission's office
• emailing [email protected]
• filling out the Public Hearing Notice Form
• using the Interactive Mapping Tool

Notices of representation should include:

• your name, address and contact information
• the organization you represent (if any)
• the date of the public hearing you wish to attend
• a short overview of the issue(s) you intend to address
• your official language of preference
• any accommodations you may need

NOTE: If you wish to send comments and feedback to the Commission without attending a public hearing, you can do so by email, by mail or by using the Interactive Mapping Tool. To obtain a copy of the Commission's proposal or to learn more about the redistribution of federal electoral districts, visit redistribution2022.ca.

SOURCE The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Prince Edward Island

Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Prince Edward Island, Website: redistribution2022.ca, Email: [email protected], Mailing address: Ms. Tracey Olson, Commission Secretary, Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Prince Edward Island, PO Box 458, Cornwall, PE C0A 1H0, Telephone (toll-free): 1-855-726-4105, TTY (toll-free): 1-800-361-8935; Media enquiries: [email protected]