Although the status quo is being urged, if changes to the Vernon-Monashee riding are made, they should also include the foothills. That was the suggestion made by BX-Silver Star director Mike Macnabb to the B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission Wednesday.
The commission has proposed to move part of the BX and Swan Lake area into the Shuswap riding to better distribute population.
“The people on one side of the street would go to the Shuswap and the others would go to the Vernon-Monashee,” said Macnabb, as Silver Star Road is the dividing line.
Macnabb says the move would only further confuse the electorate and complicate the provision of services.
That is further complicated by the fact that there is a chunk of property, the foothills, which is exempt from the proposal to move residents over to the Shuswap.
“If you’re going to go ahead with this then the foothills must be included,” said Macnabb, who was among a dozen people at Wednesday’s public hearing at the Prestige Hotel.
“Perhaps a very bold and strong line across might make it easier for people to understand.”
But he maintains that the current boundary should be left intact and the community should not be split up.
“You eat into the character of our area.”
Commissioner Keith Archer says the proposal came about as these two ridings, despite being neighbours, have disproportionate populations.
“If we do nothing and we end up with 87 electoral districts overall then we would have Vernon-Monashee at about 17 per cent over the provincial average and Shuswap at six per cent above average.
“How do you feel about that?” Archer asked Macnabb.
The local politician’s response was that there would be no issue with keeping the status quo.
“You can never get to an exact population distribution,” said Macnabb. “Part of that has to be the likeness of community aspect.”
Public input on the proposed changes can be made online at www.bc-ebc.ca or by email to info@bc-ebc.ca before May 26.
The commission must make a final report by Sept. 25.
