maps of proposed new federal ridings in alberta.

As mentioned in a post earlier this week, a commission has been struck with the task of redrawing Alberta’s federal ridings for the next general election expected in 2015. The commission released maps of the proposed boundary changes for Alberta’s ridings yesterday and will be holding public hearings to gauge reaction to the new maps in September.

There are a number of notable changes proposed in these maps. The creation of six additional ridings will increase Alberta’s representation in the House of Commons from 28 to 34 Members of Parliament. The addition of new seats and redistribution in the proposed maps concentrate new ridings in the Red Deer corridor running north-to-south between the province’s two largest cities and the creation of a Grande Prairie regional riding in northwest Alberta.

The proposed maps also eliminate the “rurban” ridings that straddle Edmonton’s suburbs and regional communities in the currently existing boundaries in favour of purely urban ridings within Edmonton city limits. The one exception would be the proposed Edmonton-Wetaskiwin riding, which includes suburban communities in Edmonton’s extreme southern limits with a large rural area stretching towards the City of Wetaskiwin. Counting this riding, Edmonton would have nine ridings.

Calgary’s ridings remain within city limits and would increase from 8 to 10.

Below are the maps showing the current boundaries created after the 2002/2003 redistribution and the maps proposed by the current commission.