Kamloops to be split at federal riding level

It appears as though concerns about how Kamloops will be split up in a new federal electoral area map have fallen on deaf ears, with the eastern part of the city about to be part of a riding that stretches to the B.C.-Alberta border.

The final report by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for British Columbia has Kamloops split into two federal ridings.

The area of the city east of Sixth Avenue and Lansdowne Street, including the east part of downtown, Valleyview,

Juniper Ridge, Dallas, Barnhartvale and Campbell Creek, will be part of a new riding called KamloopsShuswap-Central Rockies.

That riding will also include Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, Golden and communities east to the B.C.-Alberta border.

The rest of Kamloops west of Sixth Avenue will be part of the new KamloopsThompson-Nicola riding, which will include the North Thompson area presently in the Kamloops-ThompsonCariboo district (including

Barriere and Clearwater) and areas west to Lillooet and south to Merritt and Lytton.

A public hearing on proposed changes to how a redrawn electoral map could affect Kamloops was held on June 16, 2022, at which 25 people attended and 11 spoke, all of whom called for the entire City of Kamloops to be part of one riding in any boundary alteration, with various options presented.

Maps of the proposed new ridings can be viewed online at kamloopsthisweek. com.