Concerns regarding the redrawing of election boundaries, shared by the town and county of Stettler, are becoming increasingly common among other stakeholders as well while the idea of including Paintearth county in the current riding keeps gathering all around support.
Concerns of the County of Stettler that the county could be split in the new provincial electoral boundaries were shared by several neighbours in communications with the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission.
While the public hearing in Stettler on April 28 was cancelled because of a spring snowstorm in central Alberta, the boundaries commission received several letters from Stettler and east central Alberta regarding plans to join the counties of Stettler and Paintearth to the east.
Although the entire county currently lies in the Drumheller-Stettler riding, the commission has proposed a new Stettler-Wainwright division.
“We believe that the commission should consider adding the County of Paintearth into the existing Drumheller-Stettler riding,” said Town of Stettler Mayor Dick Richards.
“Given our strong economic ties, shared transportation routes, and our existing long-term servicing commitment to many communities in the County of Paintearth, we strongly feel that the alignment of the County of Paintearth into our existing provincial riding will create more-effective, natural and responsible MLA representation while meeting the desires and expectations of citizens residing and voting in our area of east central Alberta.”
The County of Stettler believes that a better realignment would be the County of Paintearth joining the Drumheller-Stettler constituency “as opposed to drawing the boundary lines through our municipality,” Reeve Earl Marshall said in a letter to the commission.
The commission proposed in its interim report that the majority of County of Stettler north of Highway 594 would become part of the new Stettler-Wainwright riding with the County of Paintearth, areas of Big Valley, Endiang and Byemoor would shift to the new Brooks-Drumheller division.
In its commitment to keep the county territory intact, Stettler county was supported by the Town of Stettler, Village of Donalda and Clearview School Division.
“Like the County of Stettler, we strongly believe that the citizens of Stettler county and the included towns, villages and hamlets would be far better served if the county were no divided amongst two ridings,’ said Donalda Mayor Terry Nordahl.
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Serving the counties of Stettler and Paintearth, Clearview public school division also wants to prevent a disintegration of County of Stettler .
“The constant increase in the size of rural constituencies (which makes for increased traffic) and the resulting boundary changes (which disrupts established relationships ) make it ever harder for our rural MLAs to represent us effectively,” said Ken Checkel who chairs the board.
For equal representation, the commission has set a quotient of 40,880, with Stetter-Wainwright recording 41,678 and Brooks-Drumheller of 43,113.
With many boundary changes over the decades, the county wants to remain rooted in the current constituency.
“The County of Stettler has been the subject of many boundary changes and each time the boundaries are realigned, the County of Stettler seems to get bounced around to different MLAs, different geographic areas and the county is forced to realign their intter-municipal relationships,” said Reeve Marshall.
Battle River –Wainwright MLA Doug Griffiths also endorses the Stettler position to add the County of Paintearth to the current Drumheller-Stettller division.
“Careful consideration and extensive discussion with local municipalities has indicated that it would be more appropriate to leave the County of Stettler within the current constituency (Drumheller-Stettler) and add the County of Paintearth to that constituency as well to complete the Highway 12 trade-and-travel corridor from Consort to Stettler, rather than leaving it broken up,” said Griffiths.
That is also supported by the Battle River - Wainwright Progressive Conservative Constituency Association.
“Leave the County of Stettler with their original constituency of Drumheller-Stettler and add the County of Paintearth, thereby completing the Highway 12 trade-and-travel corridor of Consort through to Stettler,” said Ken Skoberg, association president.
“This proposal re-unites several communities of common interest that have in the past shared the same constituency and MLA.”
After wrapping up hearings around the province until April 30, the commission plans to present final recommendations and report this summer.
If adopted, the new boundaries would become effective in the next general provincial election.
Serving the counties of Stettler and Paintearth, Clearview public school division also wants to prevent a disintegration of County of Stettler .
“The constant increase in the size of rural constituencies (which makes for increased traffic) and the resulting boundary changes (which disrupts established relationships) make it ever harder for our rural MLAs to represent us effectively,” said Ken Checkel who chairs the board.
For equal representation, the commission has set a quotient of 40,880, with Stetter-Wainwright recording 41,678 and Brooks-Drumheller of 43,113.
With many boundary changes over the decades, the county wants to remain rooted in the current constituency.
“The County of Stettler has been the subject of many boundary changes and each time the boundaries are realigned, the County of Stettler seems to get bounced around to different MLAs, different geographic areas and the county is forced to realign their intter-municipal relationships,” said Reeve Marshall.
Battle River –Wainwright MLA Doug Griffiths also endorses the Stettler position to add the County of Paintearth to the current Drumheller-Stettller division.
“Careful consideration and extensive discussion with local municipalities has indicated that it would be more appropriate to leave the County of Stettler within the current constituency (Drumheller-Stettler) and add the County of Paintearth to that constituency as well to complete the Highway 12 trade-and-travel corridor from Consort to Stettler, rather than leaving it broken up,” said Griffiths.
That is also supported by the Battle River - Wainwright Progressive Conservative Constituency Association.
“Leave the County of Stettler with their original constituency of Drumheller-Stettler and add the County of Paintearth, thereby completing the Highway 12 trade-and-travel corridor of Consort through to Stettler,” said Ken Skoberg, association president.
“This proposal re-unites several communities of common interest that have in the past shared the same constituency and MLA.”
After wrapping up hearings around the province until April 30, the commission plans to present final recommendations and report this summer.
If adopted, the new boundaries would become effective in the next general provincial election.