Here is my current federal electoral district:
People from Saskatchewan can probably see what is wrong with this picture. Saskatoon is a small city in Saskatchewan. There are approximately 300 000 people in Saskatoon, compared to about a million in the province. Yet our electoral district, as you can see above, consists of a huge 'pie piece,' extending from Saskatoon to include much of the surrounding area. That's more than 100km from Saskatoon. The other electoral districts in Saskatoon and in Saskatchewan's capital, Regina, are similar.
The logic at the time (in the 60s) was that Saskatoon mostly consisted of people with strong ties to their rural families. That may have been true at the time, but it would be hard to make that case now. Recent newspaper articles such as this one report huge growth in Saskatoon and Regina, from both national and international migration. That's in addition to the families who have been living in the province's major cities for 2 or 3 generations.
No matter your political affiliations, it is reasonable to assume that, on average, people in the city will share more issues and concerns with other people in the city than with people in the country. That is why I am happy that there are new electoral districts being considered for Saskatchewan:
People from Saskatchewan can probably see what is wrong with this picture. Saskatoon is a small city in Saskatchewan. There are approximately 300 000 people in Saskatoon, compared to about a million in the province. Yet our electoral district, as you can see above, consists of a huge 'pie piece,' extending from Saskatoon to include much of the surrounding area. That's more than 100km from Saskatoon. The other electoral districts in Saskatoon and in Saskatchewan's capital, Regina, are similar.
The logic at the time (in the 60s) was that Saskatoon mostly consisted of people with strong ties to their rural families. That may have been true at the time, but it would be hard to make that case now. Recent newspaper articles such as this one report huge growth in Saskatoon and Regina, from both national and international migration. That's in addition to the families who have been living in the province's major cities for 2 or 3 generations.
No matter your political affiliations, it is reasonable to assume that, on average, people in the city will share more issues and concerns with other people in the city than with people in the country. That is why I am happy that there are new electoral districts being considered for Saskatchewan:
These proposed boundaries would ensure that people who have more in common are voting together. Then, our nation's MPs can be elected knowing that they have been given a strong mandate to represent everybody in their electoral district as best they can.
If you are reading this and you agree, please share it. If you want to go a step further, please email your MP and request that they support this bill. My advice is to not mention anything about certain parties. The most important thing to note is that the proposed boundaries are more democratic, because they will allow the people in Saskatchewan to be better represented according to their concerns.
This website will help you find your MP's email address if you would like to email them. All you need is your postal code.
1 comment:
This is something I can definitely get behind. There is no reason a city like Saskatoon should consistently be stuck in the conservative voting loop.
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