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Resolute 14 · 09-02-2009, 04:55 PM

Got a flyer today promoting the public consultation upcoming for redrawing Alberta's political boundaries. Specifically, the increase from 83 seats to 87. Based on the numbers they provided, it is possible that all four new seats end up in metro Calgary.

Given a provincial population of 3,290,350 (2006 census), they want the seats to all be within 25% of a provincial average population of 37,820 per riding.

At present, these are the ridings that fall out side of that +/-25% range:

Code:

Dunvegan-Central Peace     23,649 -37.5%
Lesser Slave Lake          26,943 -28.8%
Calgary-Lougheed           47,456 +25.5%
Calgary-Hays               47,599 +25.9%
Calgary-Foothills          48,056 +27.1%
Calgary-MacKay             50,307 +33.0%
Calgary-McCall             51,524 +36.2%
Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo 52,658 +39.2%
Airdrie-Chestermere        53,646 +41.8%
Calgary-West               55,571 +46.9%
Edmonton-Whitemud          56,596 +49.6%
Calgary-Northwest          60,511 +60.0%

Dunvegan is a special district, and likely wont be changed all that much. They could shift the borders for Wood Buffalo and Lesser Slave Lake to balance those ridings. Airdrie probably forms a riding itself, pushing the rural population into other ridings.

When you get right down to it, two of the new seats will almost certainly be in NW Calgary and another in SE Calgary. The fourth could go to NE Calgary, or it could go to SW Edmonton, which is the only other place in the province with a cluster of overpopulated ridings.

Now, the fun part, and where we get into conspiracy territory - Do they do this by the numbers? Or does Farmer Ed and the anti-Calgary brigade rig things so that the growth of Calgary's power is severely blunted? I can't see any way, short of gerrymandering, that all four ridings aren't placed in the two major cities, and no less than three here.

09-02-2009, 04:55 PM	#1
Resolute 14 In the Sin Bin Join Date: Jan 2003 Exp:	Alberta Redistricting Got a flyer today promoting the public consultation upcoming for redrawing Alberta's political boundaries. Specifically, the increase from 83 seats to 87. Based on the numbers they provided, it is possible that all four new seats end up in metro Calgary. Given a provincial population of 3,290,350 (2006 census), they want the seats to all be within 25% of a provincial average population of 37,820 per riding. At present, these are the ridings that fall out side of that +/-25% range: Code: Dunvegan-Central Peace 23,649 -37.5% Lesser Slave Lake 26,943 -28.8% Calgary-Lougheed 47,456 +25.5% Calgary-Hays 47,599 +25.9% Calgary-Foothills 48,056 +27.1% Calgary-MacKay 50,307 +33.0% Calgary-McCall 51,524 +36.2% Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo 52,658 +39.2% Airdrie-Chestermere 53,646 +41.8% Calgary-West 55,571 +46.9% Edmonton-Whitemud 56,596 +49.6% Calgary-Northwest 60,511 +60.0% Dunvegan is a special district, and likely wont be changed all that much. They could shift the borders for Wood Buffalo and Lesser Slave Lake to balance those ridings. Airdrie probably forms a riding itself, pushing the rural population into other ridings. When you get right down to it, two of the new seats will almost certainly be in NW Calgary and another in SE Calgary. The fourth could go to NE Calgary, or it could go to SW Edmonton, which is the only other place in the province with a cluster of overpopulated ridings. Now, the fun part, and where we get into conspiracy territory - Do they do this by the numbers? Or does Farmer Ed and the anti-Calgary brigade rig things so that the growth of Calgary's power is severely blunted? I can't see any way, short of gerrymandering, that all four ridings aren't placed in the two major cities, and no less than three here.