Electoral boundary commission appointed to consider representation for Chéticamp

Michael Gorman · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 25, 2025 4:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: 15 minutes ago

The 9 members of a committee tasked with creating dedicated practice successful the Nova Scotia Legislature for Chéticamp were announced Friday.

Despite concerns astir colonisation maturation successful different parts of the state creating imbalances successful electoral representation, the commission's terms of notation bounds members' enactment to focusing connected the accepted Acadian region.

The all-party prime committee announced that Kenneth Deveau of Comeauville volition seat the commission. Joining him volition be:

• Mark Bannerman, Hammonds Plains.

• Glenn Graham, Southside Harbour.

• Gwen LeBlanc, Wedgeport.

• Martin Chaisson, Cheticamp.

• Armand Paul, Sydney.

• Jason MacLean, Middle Sackville.

• Natalie Robichaud, New Edinburgh.

• Rohini Bannerjee, Halifax.

• Jill Houlihan of Halifax volition service arsenic an alternate.

The committee was struck successful effect to a Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruling successful November that recovered the deficiency of a protected territory for Chéticamp following a 2019 boundaries reappraisal was a breach of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Although astir of the 55 electoral districts successful Nova Scotia are drawn to bespeak considerations for effectual practice and elector parity, varying nary much than 25 per cent supra oregon beneath the estimated mean fig of electors, determination are 4 exceptions to supply protected practice for reasons of past and culture.

• Work to redraw Nova Scotia's electoral representation begins

The Nova Scotia Legislature already has protected seats to admit the accepted Acadian districts of Argyle, Clare and Richmond, and the historical Black territory of Preston. The fig of electors for those seats is overmuch little than successful the different 51 districts.

Now the committee volition look astatine however to see Chéticamp successful that database of protected areas.

The presumption of notation released Friday amusement that that could beryllium accomplished respective ways, including done the usage of non-contiguous districts.

Changes indispensable beryllium acceptable for authorities adjacent year

The commission's interim study is owed by Aug. 29, with a deadline for the last study of Jan. 20, 2026. The committee tin petition an hold but their enactment indispensable beryllium finished successful clip for the authorities to beryllium capable to present a measure successful the legislature to instrumentality the recommendations earlier July 15, 2026.

The radical volition clasp nationalist hearings earlier preparing each of its reports and volition besides judge written submissions.

The preliminary study indispensable see boundaries for 55 districts and 56 districts. The last study tin lone see 1 proposal for the fig of seats successful Province House.

Although determination person been arguments for a broader look astatine the territory boundaries and the fig of seats successful the legislature successful bid to relationship for the increasing colonisation successful Halifax Regional Municipality, this committee volition not bash that work.

The group's last word of notation stipulates that it cannot urge changes to "any electoral territory not located connected Cape Breton Island unless the committee considers it indispensable to support effectual representation."