Public Rally Precedes BC Electoral Boundaries Commission Hearing

By 250 News

This is it, the day the B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission comes to Prince George to hear your thoughts on the proposed changes to the electoral boundaries.

The Commission has produced a preliminary report which calls for the north to have one less MLA.  In particular, it would be Prince George that would lose that one MLA.  The new boundary creates a “Prince George” riding that would stretch from Blackburn Road to the Nechako River.  The rest of the City would be part of the Fraser Fort George riding, along with Mackenzie and Valemount.

The City of Prince George Director of Communications, Christine Russell says the City is preparing for at least 300 people to attend the rally that is scheduled to start in the Civic Centre Square at 5:00 p.m.  “There has been wide dissemination of information about the rally throughout the region” says Russell, "and we are preparing for about 300."   The rally is set for the Civic Centre Square and will get underway at 5:00, just an hour and a half before the actual hearing gets underway.

“We know there are a great many people who will not be able to stay for the entire event, so we will have forms on hand for them to sign” says Russell.  Those forms will express  support for the City of Prince George Council’s resolution which was supported unanimously at the last City Council meeting:

  “Reducing Northern electoral districts is proposed by the Commission. This reduction is considered to be counter to the significant contribution this portion of the province makes to the British Columbia economy. Unproductive legislation and regulations resulting from this move may serve to threaten the economic health of the province. For this reason it is recommended that council endorse a resolution to not support the Commission’s recommendation that we move from having eight (8) representatives to the seven (7).”

There are no special arrangements for parking, and with the Women’s International Fall Hockey Festival on at the Coliseum, parking in the area may be at a premium. 

So far, speakers lined up to address the crowd include, Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley, a representative of the North Central Municipal Association, and the President of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce.

The  public hearings  held by the  Electoral Boundaries Commission will  get underway next door at the Coast  Inn of the North at 6:30.

The  BC Electoral Boundaries Commission already has 23 presenters signed up ready to make a submission tonight, and expects there will be more added to the list before the hearing gets underway.

Wendy Stewart, spokesperson for the BCEBC says the time for each presentation has been scaled back from the initial ten minutes per presentation to five.  “That is an effort to fit in as many presentations as possible” says Stewart.  Will the Commission consider extending the hearing in Prince George?  Stewart says “No decision has been made at this point.” The Commission is scheduled to be in Burns Lake tomorrow and some set up time is required before the actual hearing gets underway at 6:30 p.m. in that community.

The Commission has already received 165 submissions which it has posted on it’s website (www.bc-ebc.ca ).  Anyone unable to attend the public hearing can still make a submission by filling out the survey on the website:

• email :  info@bc-ebc.ca 
• by fax: (toll free) 1-877-660-1207
• by mail:  British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission, P.O. Box 10073, Suite 601 – 700 West Georgia Street,  Vancouver, B.C   V7Y 1B6

The Commission  plans to have its final report  submitted to the government by mid February.

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