Image Credit: Province of B.C.

By Noah Rishaug

Electoral Boundaries Commission

Changes to B.C. Interior electoral boundaries leave residents disappointed

Apr 26, 2023 | 4:11 PM

KAMLOOPS — Some British Columbians are facing changes to their provincial representation after a decision to alter electoral boundaries in the Fraser-Nicola region. The communities of Savona, Cherry Creek and Tobiano are currently lumped in with the rest of Kamloops-South Thompson, but will now join the Cariboo-Chilcotin riding, leaving residents concerned about their access to local representatives.

Mike Grenier, TNRD District ‘J’ director and co-founder of the Tobiano community, expressed concerns about the difficulty of reaching their local representative, who is likely to be hundreds of kilometers away.

Meanwhile, residents in Cache Creek and Ashcroft will also be changing to the Cariboo-Chilcotin riding from Fraser-Nicola.

Ashcroft is home to Fraser-Nicola’s current MLA Jackie Tegart, who is being zoned out of her own riding.

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Ashcroft residents are used to having access to their representative through Tegart’s office in Ashcroft. However, the changes mean the MLA’s office in Williams Lake will now be more than a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.

Ashcroft Mayor Barbara Roden expressed disappointment at the changes which leave residents feeling disconnected from their representatives.

Tegart believes that the final version of the changes will pass through the BC legislature. However, residents are left concerned about the potential impact on their ability to engage with their representatives in the future.