PoCofederalboundariestoremainthesame

Split would have created a ‘Frankenstein’ riding

KYLE BALZER

kbalzer@tricitynews.com

A proposal that could’ve split Port Coquitlam at the polls for the next federal election has been squashed

On Feb 8, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for BC submitted its potential constituency realignment to the House of Commons, which is now set for debate and possible objections

The commission’s report will be reviewed by the standing committee on procedure and house affairs between now and May

In its previous proposal, the City of Port Coquitlam would have been cut in half with the southern side joining Maple Ridge and Fort Langley, while the western portion remained in its current riding with Coquitlam

The original reasoning was to accommodate a growing east Metro Vancouver population

However, according to the commission’s decisions, the reconfiguration was heavily opposed by local residents and politicians

“This design did not find favour on either side of the Fraser River or Pitt River,” the decision report said

“After re-examining the