Final Report Released

The nine-member Provincial Electoral Boundaries Commission submitted its unanimous final report to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly today, Sept. 4.

Just Boundaries: Recommendations for Effective Representation for the People of Nova Scotia makes 27 specific recommendations regarding electoral boundaries and the process of electoral reform in Nova Scotia.

The commission carried out two rounds of public hearings, with 25 hearings held over 22 days. A total of 224 presenters appeared at the hearings, and 252 written presentations were submitted to the commission.

The commission estimates that its total expenditures will be about $285,000.

Major recommendations:

The commission recommends no change in the existing boundaries of 25 of the province's 52 constituencies.

In order to encourage minority representation, the commission recommends no change in the current constituencies of Clare, Argyle, Richmond and Preston.

The commission recommends the elimination of the constituency of Cape Breton The Lakes.

The commission recommends that the current constituency of Victoria be expanded to take in some of the rural area of Cape Breton The Lakes constituency, with its name to be changed to Victoria - The Lakes.

The commission recommends that the Town of Port Hawkesbury be part of the Inverness constituency.

The commission recommends that a portion of Halifax County be added to the Guysborough constituency, with the new constituency yo b called Guysborough - Sheet Harbour.

The commission recommend that the current constituency of Queen be expanded to include the southwest corner of the current constituency of Lunenburg West.

The commission recommends that one additional full seat be added to Halifax Regional Municipality, in the Fall River area. The commission recommends that the name of this new seat be Waverley

• Fall River.

The commission recommends a series of significant boundary changes in the Western portion of Halifax Regional Municipality.

The commission also makes recommendations about the timing and process of implementing the report.