Federal electoral districts redistribution 2022

Additional Reasons for Final Names and Boundaries Following Public Consultation

Names of the Electoral Districts

In its Proposal, the Commission considered it appropriate to change the names of 5 of the 10 districts. Only three submissions opposing proposed name changes were received; two of those were from current members of Parliament.

The Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal objected to the proposed name of Fundy Royal—Riverview. Although approximately 50% of the population of the town of Riverview was already in this riding, given that the Commission was transferring to it the remainder of Riverview, it thought that the proposed name was more suitable. In his letter, the Member argued that no change was necessary since Riverview is in Albert County and "Royal" encapsulates the counties of Kings, Queens and Albert (named for Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria). He submitted that the current name achieved a fine balance of fair representation of all communities in the riding. Considering the Member's arguments and the fact that the Commission had sought to retain the current riding names wherever appropriate, it is now satisfied that no name change is necessary for this riding.

There was also opposition to the proposal that the electoral district of New Brunswick Southwest should be renamed Saint John—St. Croix. The Commission heard a presentation in Saint Andrews from the Member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest and received a written comment from another concerned citizen. Both argued that the current name should be maintained. The Member stated that he thought that Saint John—St. Croix was a lovely name and, when arguing for the inclusion of the community of McAdam in this district, noted that McAdam was a starting point for the St. Croix River. However, he submitted that the proposed name was not an entirely accurate geographical description because many of the communities do not lie next to the St. Croix River and the name does not capture all the communities included in this riding. He also noted that the changes required to reflect the new name would result in needless expenditures. Nevertheless, the Commission remains convinced that the name Saint John—St. Croix better reflects the new electoral district's culture, history and geography.

The Commission reaffirms the proposed names of all the electoral districts, except for the proposed electoral district of Fundy Royal—Riverview, which reverts to Fundy Royal.

Boundaries of the Electoral Districts

This section deals with the boundaries of the electoral districts. For each district, it provides an overview of what the Commission had recommended, the suggestions received from the public, the Commission's final decision and the reasons therefor. These reasons are in addition to the reasons detailed in the Proposal since the Commission has adopted, as final, several of the boundaries suggested in its Proposal.

Acadie—Bathurst

During the advance public consultation, two writers, including the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Tracadie-Sheila, asked that the small part of Tracadie that was situated in the current riding of Miramichi—Grand Lake be transferred to Acadie—Bathurst where the rest of that municipality is located. The Commission accepted this request and incorporated this change into its Proposal. Several participants applauded this move. It is the only change that the Commission proposed for this district.

At the public hearing held in Fredericton, two presenters suggested that the Francophone communities of Alnwick and Neguac, which are in the proposed district of Miramichi—Grand Lake, should be assigned to Acadie—Bathurst, grounded mostly on community of identity based on language, but also community of interest. No such suggestion or request was received from these communities or from anyone identifying as a resident of these communities.

Neguac is included in the Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission, while Alnwick is included in the Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission. During the virtual public hearing, the Mayor of Miramichi told the Commission that the Village of Neguac had asked to be part of the Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission, but its request had been denied. He noted that Miramichi and Neguac were included in the provincial electoral district of Miramichi Bay—Neguac. He was of the view that the people from Alnwick and Neguac were happy being in the riding that encompassed Miramichi and added that the City of Miramichi would be disappointed if those communities were to be removed from the proposed electoral district of Miramichi—Grand Lake. The Commission heard the same thing in Miramichi from the executive assistant to the member of Parliament for Miramichi—Grand Lake. He stated that this area was serviced by the Miramichi hub, and he believed that these communities were happy to be in this riding.

If these communities were to be assigned to Acadie—Bathurst, it would decrease the population of Miramichi—Grand Lake by approximately 5,300 people. That adjustment would bring the population of Miramichi—Grand Lake to approximately 30% below the electoral quota. The arguments put forward did not convince the Commission that the communities of Alnwick and Neguac should be removed from the proposed district of Miramichi—Grand Lake and assigned to Acadie—Bathurst.

The Commission adopts the electoral district of Acadie—Bathurst as proposed.

Beauséjour

Several suggestions received touched on the neighbouring electoral districts of Miramichi—Grand Lake and Beauséjour, and significantly impacted both ridings. Therefore, this section will deal with both districts. Additional comments concerning Miramichi—Grand Lake can be found in the section dealing with that riding.

In its Proposal, the Commission suggested that the current electoral district of Beauséjour be adjusted slightly so that the entire city of Moncton would be included in the proposed district of Moncton—Dieppe. No other changes were proposed for this riding. For Miramichi—Grand Lake, the Commission suggested adding population by extending the riding south toward the Grand Lake area. The Commission did not suggest any transfer of communities between Beauséjour and Miramichi—Grand Lake.

Transferring Communities from Miramichi—Grand Lake to Beauséjour

At the hearing in Shediac, the Commission heard from the Chair of the Kent RSC, who is also the Mayor of Rogersville. She repeated the request the Kent RSC had made during the advance public consultation, asking that all communities that are part of the Kent RSC be included in the electoral district of Beauséjour. Several of these communities are in the riding of Miramichi—Grand Lake, including Rogersville, Carleton, Huskisson, Acadieville, Harcourt, Weldford and part of Hardwicke. These communities have been in the same riding as the city of Miramichi for at least 10 years, and some have been there for more than 20 or 30 years.

In support of its position, the Kent RSC invoked communities of interest and identity, asserting that the communities included in its commission worked well together on common projects and that it would be easier if it had to deal with only one member of Parliament. It also stated that most of the communities that would be transferred are predominantly Francophone and would be joining the riding of Beauséjour, where a majority of the population is Francophone. Other than Rogersville, the only other community that communicated with the Commission was Carleton, and it specified that it did not want to be transferred to Beauséjour, as requested by the Kent RSC.

There are 12 regional service commissions in New Brunswick and only 10 electoral districts. The population included in each commission varies greatly, from less than 22,000 to more than 177,000. Only three regional service commissions will have all its communities within one riding. While some commissions are divided into two or even four ridings, most are spread out in three ridings. The only other regional service commission that asked the Commission to consider including all its communities in one riding was the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission. The Commission accepted that request. In that instance, only one community was involved (namely, McAdam), that community had asked to be transferred and the impact on the populations of both affected ridings was acceptable.

The Kent RSC further suggested that the southern part of the Beauséjour riding, including the communities of Sackville, Dorchester, Port Elgin and surrounding areas, be removed from Beauséjour and assigned to a new riding to be called Albert—Tantramar. It also suggested far-reaching changes to several of the other ridings. It acknowledged that this would result in a major restructuring of the electoral map of the province, including the disappearance of Miramichi—Grand Lake, Fundy Royal, Tobique—Mactaquac and New Brunswick Southwest, and the creation of Central New Brunswick, Albert—Tantramar, Western Valley—Charlotte and Kings—York.

In Fredericton, the President of the Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick (AFMNB) was heard. He commended the Commission for its Proposal, except for the part dealing with the communities from the Kent RSC. He stated that the AFMNB supported the request from the Kent RSC to transfer communities from Miramichi—Grand Lake to Beauséjour so that all communities included in that commission would be in the electoral district of Beauséjour. The Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick made a presentation in Moncton and applauded the Commission for the totality of its Proposal. However, it asked the Commission to reconsider the request from the Kent RSC, to see whether it would be possible to include all its communities in Beauséjour, while acknowledging the pitfalls that moving the boundary between Beauséjour and Miramichi—Grand Lake could have.

In its presentation, the AFMNB did not suggest any other changes to Beauséjour, Miramichi—Grand Lake or the rest of the province. If the changes requested by the Kent RSC were accepted without any other adjustment, the population of the electoral district of Miramichi—Grand Lake would be at least 33% below the provincial electoral quota, well below the allowable variance of plus or minus 25%.

The AFMNB suggested that the situation of Miramichi—Grand Lake should be tolerated on the basis of "extraordinary circumstances," as provided for in section 15(2) of the Act.

The term "extraordinary circumstances" is not defined in the Act. However, in New Brunswick, the Commission knows of no instances where a commission suggested in its final report an electoral district that had a variance of more than or less than 25% of the electoral quota. In 2012, in its final report, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the province of New Brunswick stated:

[...] research indicates that the allowance of a variance exceeding 25% of the electoral quota on the basis of "extraordinary circumstances" under the Act has been applied sparingly throughout the country over decades. In essence, the use of that special provision appears to have been reserved, at least at the federal level, for extreme cases where the vastness of the territory or geographical character of a given area simply makes it impossible for it to be joined with any other electoral district despite its very low population base. Such is the case, for example, for the electoral district of Labrador in Newfoundland and Labrador, which has a population of 27,000 and a variance of –62%. The territory covers some 270,000 square kilometres, compared to New Brunswick's 74,000 square kilometres. The electoral district of Kenora in northern Ontario has a variance of –47% and also covers an area larger than the entire province of New Brunswick. The Commission is therefore under a legal obligation to effect a redistribution that increases voter parity and ensures that no district is beyond the 25% variance. [p. 14]

The Commission shares this view.

While the Act directs the Commission to look beyond the principle of representation by population, and while the Commission accepts that vast sparsely populated northern regions of New Brunswick will have smaller populations than other New Brunswick electoral districts, it continues to be of the view expressed in its Proposal that there is no justification to make use of the extraordinary circumstances rule for any riding in New Brunswick.

To allow the electoral district of Miramichi—Grand Lake to exist on the basis of extraordinary circumstances, with such a highly negative variance, could bring about its disappearance as a riding.

Although the Commission reconsidered the request of the Kent RSC, it was unable to adopt it because of the effect it would have on the population of Miramichi—Grand Lake and on many other districts.

Transferring Communities from Beauséjour to Miramichi—Grand Lake

Other than the scenario explained above, which entailed the transfer of communities from Miramichi—Grand Lake to Beauséjour, another completely opposite scenario emerged. At least six participants, including the Mayor of Miramichi and a former member of Parliament, spoke to Miramichi—Grand Lake's low population and suggested that the most logical expansion to acquire population would be to extend part of its eastern boundary across part or all of Kent County, which is situated in Beauséjour.

This change would mean transferring from Beauséjour to Miramichi (a riding that could be called Northumberland—Kent, Miramichi—Kent or Miramichi—Beauséjour, depending on whom you listen to and how far south you go) the communities of Saint-Louis, Saint-Charles, Saint-Louis de Kent, Richibucto, Rexton and Indian Island 28. Some participants would go further and also transfer to Miramichi—Grand Lake the communities of Saint-Paul, Sainte-Marie, Wellington, Bouctouche and Saint-Antoine. At least one presenter would transfer all of Kent County, noting that this would respect the Kent RSC's wish to keep its boundaries whole in one riding.

The proponents invoked geographical proximity and community of interest, but also the principle of relative population, or voter parity, noting that Miramichi—Grand Lake has a population that is 23% below the provincial electoral quota, while the population of Beauséjour is 14.09% above it. Some contended that the wide discrepancy in population in the riding of Miramichi—Grand Lake, compared to others, compromised the concept of representation by population.

The possibility of better representation for the minority linguistic community in Miramichi—Grand Lake was also raised. As per the linguistic data, 54.4% of the population of the proposed district of Beauséjour indicate French as the language most often spoken at home, while 58.4% indicate French as their mother tongue. Therefore, this is a predominantly French-speaking electoral district. In contrast, in the proposed riding of Miramichi—Grand Lake, only 15.1% of the population indicate French as the language most often spoken at home, and 18.6% indicate French as their mother tongue. If the northern part of Kent County were to be transferred, these percentages for Miramichi—Grand Lake would increase to approximately 20.9% and 24.4%, respectively. If all of Kent County were to be transferred to Miramichi—Grand Lake, the percentages would further increase to approximately 31% and 34.4%, respectively.

These figures, at first glance, seem to support the position of those who submit that the transfer of part or all of Kent County to Miramichi—Grand Lake could increase the Francophone population to a point where it would reach a significant number, or critical mass, thereby giving the minority linguistic community better representation.

A similar conclusion reached by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for New Brunswick in 2003 was rejected by the Federal Court in Raîche v. Canada (Attorney General) (FC), [2005] 1 F.C.R. 93, [2004] F.C.J. No. 839. At issue in Raîche was the boundary between Miramichi (then a majority-Anglophone district, but with an influential Francophone minority of 33%) and Acadie—Bathurst (then an 85% majority-Francophone district). The commission had previously moved some Acadians from Acadie—Bathurst to the Miramichi district in order to move closer to population parity and the 10% variation target that the commission had set.

Opponents of the revised map claimed that by moving Francophone residents into Miramichi, the commission had failed to comply with its statutory obligations under the Act to respect communities of interest and identity. The commission explained that it considered the Francophone minority in the new riding of Miramichi to be sufficiently large that its voice would be heard and its interests represented.

The Court found that the commission had acted unreasonably. Among its reasons, it concluded there was no evidence that the minority would be adequately represented in the Miramichi riding even if it reached a critical mass. It stated:

[...] the Court believes that forming communities of interest and increasing a community's political power depend on a large number of factors, and they do not occur simply because a community achieves a critical mass. Adding other members of the community to the electoral district, in the hope that effective representation will follow, is something of a gamble. That position is not consistent with the spirit of the Readjustment Act. [para. 81]

As a result, a new commission was established, and the Francophone communities were returned to the electoral district of Acadie—Bathurst.

There are also several suggestions for Dieppe, which the Commission reviews in the section dealing with Moncton—Dieppe. They range from including the entire city in Beauséjour, once most of Kent County has been transferred to Miramichi—Grand Lake, to removing it from Beauséjour and using it to configure new ridings.

One presenter heard in Fredericton suggested that all the predominantly Francophone communities presently in the Miramichi—Grand Lake district should be transferred to Acadie—Bathurst or Beauséjour and that all predominantly Anglophone communities and First Nations from Kent County, currently included in Beauséjour, should be transferred to Miramichi—Grand Lake. Oromocto would be added to Miramichi—Grand Lake to increase its population.

None of the communities in Beauséjour have asked to be transferred to another riding. Defining electoral boundaries is not simply a numbers game or a question of language. The Commission is expected to use its knowledge and experience in applying the principles contained in the Act to the establishment of boundaries.

The next commission, 10 years from now, may have to reconsider the status quo in light of population trends, but, for now, the Commission believes that Beauséjour should retain its proposed boundaries. The Commission was able to add communities to increase the population of Miramichi—Grand Lake without violating the principle of community of interest or community of identity or making changes that would result in a major reconfiguration of New Brunswick's electoral map.

The Commission remains of the view that the proposed boundaries respect the spirit and intent of the Act, while achieving effective representation for the populations of the neighbouring ridings of Beauséjour and Miramichi—Grand Lake.

The Commission adopts the electoral district of Beauséjour as proposed, subject to adjustments made to the boundaries of this riding to reflect the territorial limits that will be effective on January 1, 2023, for Moncton.

Fredericton—Oromocto

During the advance public consultation, the Commission received a request from the City of Fredericton, asking that there be one electoral district comprised of the entirety of the city of Fredericton (as per its expected new territorial limits), the town of Oromocto, the village of New Maryland, St. Mary's First Nation and Oromocto First Nation. The Commission agreed to proceed as requested and recommended that the new riding be named Fredericton—Oromocto.

The Commission's proposal for this electoral district was well received. The only different suggestions received concerned Oromocto. A couple of writers suggested that it should be removed from this riding and assigned to Miramichi—Grand Lake or Gagetown—Kennebecasis (with Rothesay and Quispamsis) and that Hanwell should join Fredericton instead of Oromocto. At the public hearing in Fredericton, the City of Fredericton, through its Deputy Mayor, reiterated its request, arguing that Oromocto was better aligned with this riding than Hanwell. It also stated it agreed with the Commission that this electoral district should be renamed Fredericton—Oromocto, given the new geography of the district.

The Commission adopts the electoral district of Fredericton—Oromocto as proposed, subject to adjustments made to the boundaries of this riding to reflect the territorial limits that will be effective on January 1, 2023, for Fredericton and Oromocto.

Fundy Royal

Approximately 50% of the population of Riverview was already in the current riding of Fundy Royal. The Commission proposed that the rest of the town be added to this riding. It also proposed that Quispamsis be assigned to Saint John—Kennebecasis and Waterborough to Miramichi—Grand Lake.

Other than the comments received from the four participants who suggested complete provincial boundary changes, the only negative comments received concerning this district were from the Mayor of Riverview and four of its residents, who asked that Riverview, in whole or in part, remain part of the riding of Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe. The Commission deals with these suggestions when discussing the electoral district of Moncton—Dieppe.

As previously noted, the Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal wrote to express his objection to the proposed change of name. However, he did not object to the new configuration proposed for his riding.

The Commission adopts the proposed electoral district of Fundy Royal—Riverview (now renamed Fundy Royal), subject to adjustments made to the boundaries of this riding to reflect the territorial limits that will be effective on January 1, 2023, for Moncton, Saint John, Rothesay and Quispamsis.

Madawaska—Restigouche

As a result of suggestions received during the advance public consultation, the Commission proposed the addition of the parish of Grand Falls, the town of Grand Falls, the parish of Drummond, the village of Drummond and the rural community of Saint-André to this electoral district. These communities are situated in the northern part of the current electoral district of Tobique—Mactaquac.

In a letter addressed to the Commission before the publication of its Proposal, the municipalities of Grand Falls, Drummond and Saint-André asked that their communities be included in the Madawaska—Restigouche riding. The Mayor of Grand Falls participated in the public hearing in Saint-Quentin as designated spokesperson for the three municipalities to express support for the Proposal.

The Commission apprised the mayor of a request received from a resident of Tobique—Mactaquac (a former member of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly), during the public hearing in Woodstock, asking that the community of Four Falls remain in Tobique—Mactaquac. There are approximately 500 people who reside in this area, which is situated at the southern tip of the proposed Madawaska—Restigouche district. With this minor adjustment, the population of Madawaska—Restigouche would decrease from 71,099 to 70,597, and the variance would increase from –8.33% to –8.98%. Four Falls was described as a largely Anglophone community. It will be part of the new municipal entity to be called Grand Falls and is included in the Northwest Regional Service Commission. However, participants at the Woodstock hearing told the Commission that most of its residents shop, work and have their primary linkages with Aroostook and Perth-Andover. Based on communities of interest and identity, they argued that Four Falls would be better aligned with Tobique—Mactaquac. The Mayor of Grand Falls was of the view that this request should be accepted. The Commission agrees.

The Commission also heard from a spokesperson for the Madawaska—Restigouche Federal Liberal Association. Although she stated that the association welcomed the addition of the communities proposed by the Commission, she expressed concern regarding the resulting increase in the geographical size of this proposed electoral district. She submitted that the added travel times and distances would make it more challenging for a member of Parliament to adequately represent all constituents.

The proposed changes will see the size of this riding increase from approximately 11,900 square kilometres to approximately 13,200 square kilometres. It is the third largest in terms of geographical size, after Miramichi—Grand Lake, which covers a land area of approximately 18,900 square kilometres, and Tobique—Mactaquac, which covers approximately 15,300 square kilometres.

At the beginning of the redistribution process, the population of this electoral district was 22.40% below the provincial quota—therefore, a variance that was very close to the allowable limit of plus or minus 25%. Notwithstanding the additions made to the riding, its population will still be 8.98% below the provincial electoral quota.

The Commission recognizes that it is more difficult to represent large, rural districts than small, urban districts. This warrants lower population numbers in the three vast, rural districts that are sparsely populated. However, the Commission is satisfied that, despite their size, effective representation can occur within these electoral districts. The Internet, social media and changing methods of electronic communication have made personal contact easier, more frequent and more cost-effective. Hopefully, technological advancement will continue to ease the communications challenges being experienced in these ridings.

The Commission adopts the electoral district of Madawaska—Restigouche as proposed, subject only to the exclusion of the community of Four Falls, which will revert to Tobique—Mactaquac.

Miramichi—Grand Lake

The Commission proposed to transfer to Acadie—Bathurst that small part of Tracadie that was in the riding of Miramichi—Grand Lake. It also proposed to add population to this electoral district by extending it south toward the Grand Lake area to include Sheffield and those parts of Maugerville and Canning, which were in the current electoral district of Fredericton, and Waterborough, which was in the current electoral district of Fundy Royal.

All who attended the Miramichi public hearing supported the Proposal, except for a former member of Parliament, who suggested that the Commission should transfer part of Kent County to this riding and transfer the communities from the Grand Lake area elsewhere. His comments, as well as the other suggestions for change received for this district, were reviewed when discussing the district of Beauséjour. The Commission will now review the positive support received for the proposed district of Miramichi—Grand Lake.

The Member of Parliament for Miramichi—Grand Lake had provided a written submission during the advance public consultation, wherein he had encouraged the Commission to keep the current boundaries intact as far as possible. He suggested that, if additions were necessary, the Commission should consider adding to it other specific communities, some included in the current riding of Tobique—Mactaquac. After the publication of the Proposal, he wrote back, stating that he supported it and thought that the proposed electoral district of Miramichi—Grand Lake would receive widespread acceptance from the residents of his riding.

The Commission heard from the President of the Miramichi—Grand Lake Conservative Electoral District Association. He described himself as a person who had been born in Miramichi and lived there all his life. He had also provided written comments during the advance public consultation. Although the Proposal was somewhat different from what he had suggested, he attended the public hearing in Miramichi and affirmed that, having read the Proposal and the reasons given for the suggested changes, he was happy to accept what was being proposed for this riding.

The Chair of the local service district of Carleton, who was present in Miramichi, had sent a letter to inform the Commission that Carleton supported the Proposal. Carleton had been included in this riding for many years, and it did not want to be transferred to Beauséjour, as requested by the Kent RSC.

The executive assistant to the current member of Parliament appeared at the hearing in Miramichi on his own behalf and endorsed the Proposal. He was of the view that, despite its size, the proposed district could be effectively represented by a member of Parliament and its constituents could be well served. He stated that constituents were using technology more and more every day to carry out their affairs, including communicating with their member of Parliament. He believed that the people from Kent County were more likely to gravitate to Dieppe and Moncton for their services and needs than to Miramichi. He added that good connections had been established from the Harcourt area down to the Grand Lake area.

The Commission is of the view that it has found an appropriate way to increase the population of Miramichi—Grand Lake and keep the deviation within the allowable variance. It remains convinced that the southern communities are an appropriate fit and thinks that this boundary change is the most reasonable way to adjust the population of Miramichi—Grand Lake at this time. It is also of some significance that no objections to the Proposal were made by the residents of the southern communities.

The Commission has not been persuaded that changes should be made to the proposed electoral district of Miramichi—Grand Lake. It therefore adopts the electoral district of Miramichi—Grand Lake as proposed, subject to adjustments made to the boundaries of this riding to reflect the territorial limits that will be effective on January 1, 2023, for Fredericton and Oromocto.

Moncton—Dieppe

The population of the electoral district of Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe was outside the allowable limits of plus or minus 25% when the Commission began its deliberations. Therefore, adjustments were required. In its Proposal, the Commission recommended transferring the remainder of Riverview to the proposed district of Fundy Royal—Riverview. The rest of the riding, remaining relatively unchanged, would comprise Moncton and part of Dieppe.

During his presentation in Moncton, the Mayor of Riverview asked that the Commission maintain the existing boundaries of Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe. Given that the population of the current district is more than 30% over the provincial electoral quota, the Commission is unable to accommodate this request. In the alternative, the Town of Riverview requested that some portion of it be kept in the riding so that the three communities would be represented by a unified voice. The mayor argued that, when it came to federal issues, Riverview was more closely aligned with Moncton and Dieppe than with the communities in Fundy Royal. He expressed concern that the issues important to Riverview may not receive proper attention because they were very different from the issues that concerned the other communities in Fundy Royal. Although Riverview is a predominantly English-speaking community, he stated that the Town had been working tirelessly with Moncton and Dieppe to create an inclusive, diverse and equitable community and region. Riverview was now worried about the negative implications of being segregated from Moncton and Dieppe based on linguistic data. The mayor thought that the broader impact of the decision may have been overlooked by the Commission and stated that the decision should not be based solely on population numbers and linguistics.

The Commission also received written comments from four other individuals, residents of Riverview, asking that all of Riverview be included in the electoral district of Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe.

The Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport was included in the electoral district of Beauséjour before the redistribution, and, as per the Proposal, it is to remain in the proposed district of Beauséjour. However, at least three presenters, including the City of Moncton and the Town of Riverview, asked that the airport be included in the same riding as Moncton.

In correspondence received from the City of Moncton during the advance public consultation, the City had stated that its preferred option was a riding that coincided with Moncton's current municipal boundaries. At the hearing in Moncton, the Mayor of Moncton reaffirmed the City's preference and asked that the city's boundaries be adjusted to reflect the territorial limits expected to come into effect on January 1, 2023, as a result of local governance reform. This adjustment would result in an increase of population of 628 for this riding.

In its Proposal, the Commission stated that transferring the remaining portions of both Dieppe and Riverview to other ridings would require major changes to several other ridings. Among the writers who suggested redrawing the provincial boundaries (none identified as a resident of this riding), each put forward a different scenario for this electoral district.

  • In order to keep Moncton by itself, one presenter recommended the creation of one riding called Dieppe—Westmorland, which would comprise Dieppe and a part of Westmorland. Riverview and the Grand Lake area would be part of the electoral district of Fundy Royal.
  • Another presenter suggested that Moncton remain by itself and that all of Dieppe be included in the riding of Beauséjour, after most of Kent County had been transferred from Beauséjour to the riding of Miramichi. Riverview would join a riding to be called Albert—Petitcodiac—Kings.
  • One writer suggested that the Commission should divide Moncton into two parts but keep Dieppe together. Dieppe would join east Moncton, while west Moncton and Riverview would join Fundy Royal.
  • Another presenter suggested that the Commission should divide both Dieppe and Moncton. Part of Dieppe would join most of Moncton and be called Moncton—Dieppe, while a small part of north and west Moncton would be included in a riding that would contain Albert County (including Riverview) and part of Westmorland County and be called Albert—Tantramar.

The Commission heard presenters in Shediac, Moncton and Fredericton who wholeheartedly supported the proposed reconfiguration of this riding. Among them were the Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick, the Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick and the Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe Federal Liberal Association.

New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province, and Moncton is Canada's only officially bilingual city. Dieppe is the largest predominantly Francophone city in Canada outside Quebec. The language data from the 2021 Census reveal that there has been a decrease in the percentage of Francophones in Moncton. Only 20.4% of the population of Moncton give French as the language spoken most often at home, while 27.2% indicate French as their mother tongue. These percentages increase to 24.6% and 31.3%, respectively, when considering the population of the proposed riding of Moncton—Dieppe.

There is a substantial Francophone institutional network located within the Moncton urban area. As the percentage of Francophones in Moncton continues to decline, it becomes more difficult for the Francophones to attract the attention of their member of Parliament regarding the fate of their institutions and the role of Parliament and the federal government in the future of these crucial institutions for the preservation and vitality of the Francophone community.

When a French-speaking community represents an important percentage of an existing electoral district, its representation should not be significantly diluted or diminished by the redistribution process. The linguistic profile of this riding as a bilingual riding (the only one in New Brunswick) is maintained in the proposed district of Moncton—Dieppe.

In its Proposal, the Commission concluded that the factors found in section 15 of the Act, especially the community of interest factor, as well as fair representation for New Brunswick's linguistic minority, militated in favour of keeping part of Dieppe in the same riding as Moncton. The reasons detailed in the Proposal for keeping Moncton and part of Dieppe together in the proposed district of Moncton—Dieppe remain applicable.

However, the Commission is of the view that the City of Moncton's request to readjust its municipal boundaries as per local governance reform is reasonable. With this adjustment, the electoral district of Moncton—Dieppe would have a population count of 91,961 and be 18.57% above the provincial quota—therefore, still within the 25% range of deviation permitted by the Act.

The Commission was not satisfied that the transfer of the Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport from Beauséjour to Moncton—Dieppe would result in more effective representation for New Brunswickers. The population count for this area is negligible. The Commission was not convinced that a change was warranted.

With Riverview constituting roughly 28% of the population of the electoral district of Fundy Royal, the Commission is satisfied that the Town of Riverview should be able to convince its member of Parliament to advocate for issues important to Riverview.

After further analysis, the Commission adopts the electoral district of Moncton—Dieppe as proposed, subject to adjustments made to the boundaries of this riding to reflect the territorial limits that will be effective on January 1, 2023, for Moncton.

Saint John—Kennebecasis

The Commission recommended the addition of Quispamsis to the current riding of Saint John—Rothesay and the transfer of that part of Saint John that lies west of the Saint John River and Saint John Harbour to the proposed riding of Saint John—St. Croix.

Although this section examines the proposed riding of Saint John—Kennebecasis, it would be difficult to do so without also dealing with the neighbouring proposed riding of Saint John—St. Croix. Many of the comments received opposed the division of the city of Saint John between these two ridings. Additional comments concerning Saint John—St. Croix can be found in the section dealing with that riding.

At the hearing in Rothesay, the Member of Parliament for the current riding of Saint John—Rothesay argued that the city of Saint John should not be divided between two electoral districts. He stated that he had grown up in west Saint John and lived in Saint John all his life, except for four years, when he lived in Charlotte County. He had also worked in Charlotte County for 15 years. He did not agree with the mixed urban-rural district of Saint John—St. Croix as he believed the issues for west Saint John were very different from those for Charlotte County. He opined that the first thing the Commission should have done was start by not breaking up the three major cities in this province and then work around that. He argued that Saint John was growing and thriving and needed one member of Parliament to focus on it. He asked that the existing boundaries remain the same, with Saint John kept intact in the current riding of Saint John—Rothesay, and that a new riding be created from the outlying communities of Grand Bay-Westfield, the Kingston Peninsula, the parish of Rothesay and Quispamsis.

No one from the City of Saint John appeared at a public hearing, nor did the Commission receive any written submission advising it of the City's position concerning the Commission's recommendation to divide Saint John between two ridings. However, the mayor's special advisor made a presentation in Rothesay. He specified that he was a political appointee rather than staff. He informed us that he was appearing before the Commission as a result of a resolution passed by the City of Saint John that read as follows: "Resolved that the matter be referred to the Mayor's Special Advisor to further consult with regional stakeholders to create a proposal to be presented to the Federal Boundary Commission so that our region would have two Federal Members of Parliament." He asserted that the region already had two members of Parliament—namely, the members for Saint John—Rothesay and Fundy Royal. He concluded his presentation by asking the Commission to keep Saint John as a whole, in one electoral district. However, there is no indication that the City of Saint John had passed a resolution to that effect.

At least a dozen other individuals expressed concerns, either in writing or during the public hearings, about the division of Saint John between two electoral districts. Some stated that having one member of Parliament focusing on Saint John would be better than two members of Parliament representing different parts of the city. Some argued that there should not be any mixed urban-rural ridings. Others added that the proposed changes could dilute the representation of the population of west Saint John.

Those who recommended that Saint John should remain in one electoral district and proceeded to suggest provincial boundary changes had different suggestions for how the population in the southern part of New Brunswick could be balanced.

  • One suggested that Grand Bay-Westfield, Musquash, part of Simonds and Saint John be kept together. The current riding of New Brunswick Southwest would no longer exist. In its stead, there would be a riding called Kings—York, which would include Rothesay and Quispamsis, while Charlotte County would be included in a riding named Charlotte—Western Valley, which would start in Denmark and end in Grand Manan.
  • The second suggested that Saint John and Simonds be kept together, while Quispamsis, Rothesay and Grand Bay-Westfield be kept together in the riding of New Brunswick Southwest.
  • The third suggested that the current riding of Saint John—Rothesay be maintained and a new riding, to be called Charlotte—Kings, be created, which would include Quispamsis and Grand Bay-Westfield.
  • The fourth suggested that Saint John and Grand Bay-Westfield be kept together, a riding called Gagetown—Kennebecasis (which would include Oromocto, Quispamsis and Rothesay) be created and a part of Tobique—Mactaquac be joined to Charlotte County in a riding to be called Carleton—Mactaquac—Charlotte.

A presenter at the Rothesay public hearing suggested that the Commission should keep Saint John, Rothesay and Quispamsis together and call the riding Saint John—Kennebecasis. This option would bring the population of this riding to over 100,000 and push its deviation, at more than 29% above the provincial electoral quota. The Commission is unable to support a variance for this riding that is outside the statutorily permitted plus or minus 25% range. As previously noted, the Commission is of the view that there is no justification to make use of the extraordinary circumstances rule for any riding in New Brunswick. This certainly applies to the three contiguous southern electoral districts that border the Bay of Fundy, where there are historical ties, an obvious and long-shared community of interest, a significant community of identity based on the English language and a relatively compact geography. In such circumstances, the dividing lines can more easily be moved in order to balance populations between the ridings, while respecting the spirit and intent of the Act.

Not all comments received were negative. A few individuals asked that the Commission proceed with the changes recommended in the Proposal. It was noted that this would effect a desirable and fair distribution of the population between the two ridings, allow Charlotte County to be part of a riding with approximately enough population and keep Quispamsis and Rothesay together with Saint John. Some thought that having two members of Parliament would result in increased advocacy for Saint John.

The Commission received a letter from the Mayor of Quispamsis, stating that the Town of Quispamsis was on record as supporting the Commission's proposal to move Quispamsis from the Fundy Royal riding to the proposed riding of Saint John—Kennebecasis as the Town was of the view that it shared more commonalities with the communities of the latter.

In its written submission, the Town of Grand Bay-Westfield, which is currently in the riding of New Brunswick Southwest but would be part of the proposed district of Saint John—St. Croix, applauded the Commission's endeavours to achieve equitable and fair federal representation for all New Brunswickers. It believed that Grand Bay-Westfield was better aligned with the Greater Saint John region as a whole.

The Member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest made a presentation in Rothesay in addition to the one he made during the public hearing held in his riding in Saint Andrews. He informed the Commission that he did not dispute the reconfiguration of the two ridings and that, if the Proposal were maintained, he looked forward to representing west Saint John. He submitted that dividing middle-sized cities was not unusual in this country and it could be advantageous to have multiple lawmakers representing a municipality. However, he added that a member of Parliament must first represent individuals—namely, his or her constituents. Reviewing and rejecting the four alternative provincial boundary changes suggested to the Commission, which he posited would lead to some unwieldy and unfair ridings, he expressed great concern about the significant impact on his riding if west Saint John were now removed from it.

There was no specific request to align Saint John with its expected new territorial limits. However, since the Commission took into consideration local governance reform for the other two urban ridings, it is appropriate to also adjust this riding to reflect the territorial limits for Saint John, Rothesay and Quispamsis that will be effective on January 1, 2023.

The population of the current riding of Saint John—Rothesay is 5.72% above the provincial electoral quota, while the population of New Brunswick Southwest is 12.61% below the provincial quota. The Proposal results in populations for both Saint John—Kennebecasis and Saint John—St. Croix that are above the provincial quota. Furthermore, the final redistribution results in the three southern ridings having deviations that are within 6% of the provincial average: Fundy Royal will stand at 5.17% below the provincial electoral quota, while Saint John—St. Croix and Saint John—Kennebecasis will stand at 3.39% and 5.64%, respectively, above the quota.

The proposed changes have the added benefit of resulting in a more manageable geographical size for the riding of Saint John—St. Croix, acknowledging that Charlotte County has residents living on at least three islands, a situation that presents unique travel and representation challenges.

Both the urban and the rural populations of Saint John—St. Croix are significant. Therefore, the elected representative will have to attend to the interests of both, and the Commission is satisfied that neither the urban nor the rural voices will be lost.

Having regard to its particular facts, the statutory criteria, the population numbers and the available alternatives for creating an electoral map for the province, the Commission remains of the view that the changes proposed for these two ridings provide effective representation for the population of Saint John and, overall, better representation for New Brunswickers. Redistribution is directed at ensuring fair federal representation for all citizens, not at creating preferred electoral districts for some.

The Commission adopts the electoral district of Saint John—Kennebecasis as proposed, subject to adjustments made to the boundaries of this riding to reflect the territorial limits that will be effective on January 1, 2023, for Saint John, Rothesay and Quispamsis.

Saint John—St. Croix

The Commission proposed to transfer from the current riding of New Brunswick Southwest to the proposed district of Tobique—Mactaquac the villages of Harvey and McAdam; the parishes of Dumfries, Kingsclear, McAdam, Manners Sutton and Prince William; most of the rural community of Hanwell; and the Kingsclear Indian Reserve No. 6. It also proposed the addition of the parish of Burton and that part of the city of Saint John that lies west of the Saint John River and Saint John Harbour.

The transfer of west Saint John to this riding was dealt with in the previous section. The other proposed boundary changes were well accepted, except that the community of McAdam asked to be kept in the riding to be renamed Saint John—St. Croix instead of relocated to Tobique—Mactaquac along with the other communities from York County. The present section will explain why the Commission accepted this request.

At the public hearing in Woodstock, the participants were apprised of the request received from McAdam. They told the Commission that although it was no surprise that McAdam would want to be assigned to the proposed district of Saint John—St. Croix, they would prefer that the communities of McAdam and Harvey remain together in the proposed district of Tobique—Mactaquac. They noted that McAdam was in York County rather than Charlotte County. While community of interest was argued, it was acknowledged that the matter could be argued both ways.

Leaders from Charlotte County wrote to the Commission, and some appeared before it in Saint Andrews or during the virtual public hearing, to argue that the community of McAdam should be part of Saint John—St. Croix. They included the Member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest, the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saint Croix, the Mayor of McAdam (who is also the Chair of the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission), the Mayor of Saint Andrews, the Deputy Mayor of McAdam and a former principal of the McAdam Elementary School.

The different participants made similar arguments, including the following:

  • Economically and culturally, the interests of McAdam are twinned with communities near the St. Croix River (St. Stephen, Saint Andrews, Blacks Harbour, St. George, Grand Manan, Campobello). McAdam is the starting point for the St. Croix River; therefore, it would be appropriate that it be included in a riding that contains St. Croix in its name.
  • McAdam is included in the provincial riding of Saint Croix. The Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saint Croix asked that McAdam be included in Saint John—St. Croix, the federal riding where all other communities from her provincial riding are situated.
  • Although McAdam is in York County, its local economy is closely linked to the communities in Charlotte County. Residents of McAdam travel regularly to Charlotte County, most often St. Stephen, for their goods and services. Both the Member of Parliament and the Member of the Legislative Assembly have offices in St. Stephen, which is a 50-minute drive from McAdam. The Saint Croix Courier (a local newspaper) covers stories from across Charlotte County and McAdam. The historic McAdam Railway Station is linked to other tourist attractions found in Charlotte County.
  • Although the Port of Saint John is located in the city of Saint John, the primary rail network (with direct access to the port) runs through McAdam, and significant economic ties are growing among McAdam, Charlotte County and the Port of Saint John because of the railway industry.
  • McAdam is the only community that is part of the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission, which is not included in the proposed electoral district of Saint John—St. Croix.
  • The Village of McAdam passed a resolution on August 2, 2022, asking that McAdam be included in the proposed electoral district of Saint John—St. Croix.
  • The Town of Saint Andrews asked that McAdam be kept in the same riding as it.

The community of McAdam has a population of approximately 1,200. Therefore, with the addition of McAdam, the population for Saint John—St. Croix would increase from 1.81% to 3.39% above the electoral quota.

The Commission is satisfied that the community of McAdam (including the village and the parish) has more in common with the communities in Charlotte County than it does with those in Tobique—Mactaquac and considers it appropriate that the community of McAdam be located in the electoral district of Saint John—St. Croix.

The Commission adopts the electoral district of Saint John—St. Croix as proposed, subject to the addition of the community of McAdam and the adjustments made to the boundaries of this riding to reflect the territorial limits that will be effective on January 1, 2023, for Saint John, Fredericton, and Oromocto.

Tobique—Mactaquac

The Commission proposed to transfer, from Tobique—Mactaquac to Madawaska—Restigouche, the parish of Grand Falls, the town of Grand Falls, the parish of Drummond, the village of Drummond and the rural community of Saint-André. It also proposed to transfer to Fredericton—Oromocto all parts that were within the proposed new limits of Fredericton. To increase the population of Tobique—Mactaquac, the Commission proposed to extend the southwesterly boundary of the district to include the villages of Harvey and McAdam; the parishes of Dumfries, Kingsclear, McAdam, Manners Sutton and Prince William; most of the rural community of Hanwell; and the Kingsclear Indian Reserve No. 6, all of which are in the current district of New Brunswick Southwest.

At the public hearing in Woodstock, several leaders from the area were heard, including the Member of Parliament for Tobique—Mactaquac, the Mayor of Canterbury, the President of the Tobique—Mactaquac Conservative Electoral District Association and two former members of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly.

They generally agreed with the Proposal. The only request for change heard at the hearing concerned the community of Four Falls. In the section discussing the riding of Madawaska—Restigouche, the Commission explained why it accepted to keep Four Falls in Tobique—Mactaquac, as requested. The only other change to the Proposal is the removal of the community of McAdam, which was explained when discussing the proposed district of Saint John—St. Croix.

The community of McAdam has a population of approximately 1,200 and the community of Four Falls approximately 500. As per the Proposal, the electoral district of Tobique—Mactaquac had a population of 64,664 and was 16.63% below the provincial quota. These changes will result in a net decrease in the population of Tobique—Mactaquac. With all adjustments made, Tobique—Mactaquac will have a population of 64,088 and a variance of –17.37%.

The Commission adopts the electoral district of Tobique—Mactaquac as proposed, subject to the following changes: the community of Four Falls will be located in the reconfigured riding of Tobique—Mactaquac; the community of McAdam will be situated in the new riding of Saint John—St. Croix; and adjustments will be made to the boundaries of this riding to reflect the territorial limits that will be effective on January 1, 2023, for Fredericton.