A man casts his vote in the 2011 federal election in Toronto on May 2, 2011.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
September 14, 2015 - 2:35 PM
ELECTION 2015 – Those who don't know the exact latitude of where they live may be confused by the Elections Canada description of the new electoral district of the Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.
Even the name is complicated.
Made up of areas from the former ridings of Okanagan-Coquihalla, Kelowna-Lake Country and the British Columbia Southern Interior, the new riding came into effect when the election was called Aug. 2.
At that time the number of electoral districts in Canada was increased to 338. Based on expanding population, six additional seats were distributed in Alberta and B.C.
The majority of the new riding, 66 per cent, was taken from the former electoral district of the Okanagan-Coquihalla, with another 25 per cent coming from Kelowna-Lake Country and 10 per cent from B.C. Southern Interior.
Cities and towns contained within the new riding also include all of West Kelowna, Summerland, Princeton, Keremeos, Logan Lake, Merritt and Peachland.
It gets a lot more complicated in Kelowna.
The Elections Canada website says the new district commences “at a point in Okanagan Lake located at the intersection of the westerly limit of said city with Highway No. 97; thence generally easterly along said highway and Harvey Avenue to Dilworth Drive; thence southerly along said drive to Springfield Road; thence generally easterly along said road to Ziprick Road; thence southerly along the southerly production of said road to the northerly bank of Mission Creek; thence generally southwesterly along said bank to the easterly shoreline of Okanagan Lake; thence due west across said lake to the westerly limit of said city; thence northerly along said limit to the point of commencement.”
WHAT THAT MEANS
The riding includes most of central Kelowna but excludes downtown, the North End, Rutland, Glenmore, Black Mountain, East and South Kelowna and the Mission. The line is particularly blurry around the Springfield/Spring Valley area and residents there will want to check their postal code at this website to be sure they know who will be on their ballot.
The 42nd General Election takes place Monday, Oct. 19 with advanced voting held Oct. 9, 10, 11 and 12.
The candidates include incumbent Conservative MP Dan Albas, Liberal Karley Scott, Green Party Robert Mellalieu and NDP Angelique Wood.
Elections Canada hasn’t yet announced where the polling stations will be, but information will be on voter information cards, which will be delivered by Oct. 1.
You don’t have to register beforehand to vote, but doing so can save time and ensure a speedy process on Oct. 19. Elections Canada has information on acceptable ID and how to register.
Image Credit: Elections Canada
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015