Horgan’s riding might change to Langford-Highlands, instead of Langford-Juan de Fuca

The BC Electoral Boundaries Committee has recommended a new Langford riding, to take effect in the next provincial election. It recommended four new ridings in the Lower Mainland and one in the Interior.

The current Langford-Juan de Fuca riding, held by Premier John Horgan, has an estimated population of 70,000 people putting it well above the goal of 54,000 people per riding. The committee proposes separating Langford and Highlands into their own new riding, which would have 49,114 people according to 2021 census numbers.

To make room for the new riding, and to accommodate the fast-growing South Island population, the committee has recommended shifting the boundaries of most other Greater Victoria ridings. It recommends adding Victoria West to the Esquimalt-Metchosin riding and renaming it Esquimalt-Colwood. The committee says it heard from the community that Victoria West is more aligned with its Gorge Waterway neighbours than with Victoria. That riding would have 58,000 people.

Metchosin would leave the riding currently represented by MLA Mitzi Dean and join Juan de Fuca, Sooke, Port Renfrew, and the Malahat area in a renamed Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding, including Shawnigan Lake, Mill Bay and Cobble Hill. It would have a population of 45,000. This means the Malahat area communities will leave the Cowichan riding to join the other small South Island towns.

According to legislation implemented last June, the committee must include a Supreme Court or Court of Appeal judge; BC’s current chief electoral officer; and a third member recommended by the Speaker of the House, the premier, and the leader of the opposition. In October last year the government appointed Justice Nitya Iyer, BC’s chief electoral officer Anton Boegman, and Linda Tynan, a local government advisor from the Kootenays.

Every two election cycles, the BC Electoral Boundaries Committee is tasked with reassessing the boundaries to ensure each riding has roughly equivalent population sizes. Their preliminary report was shared with the BC Legislature Monday afternoon. The committee wants public input—attend an in person meeting in Victoria on Oct. 31, or online meetings Oct. 21 and Nov. 8. Feedback from the public is due Nov. 22, after which the committee will hold meetings with members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). They will submit a final report with boundary recommendations on April 2, 2023.