Prior to 2012, the redistribution rules for increasing the number of seats in the House of Commons of Canada was governed by section 51 of the Constitution Act, 1867, as last amended in 1985. As early as 2007, attempts were made to reform the calculation of how that number was determined, as the 1985 formula did not fully take into account the rapid population growth being experienced in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.[2]
The revised formula, as originally presented, was estimated to have the following impact:
Allocation of seats in the House of Commons (2010 proposal)[3]
Province/territory
Current seats
Projected seats after the 2011 census
Under the 1985 formula
Under the new formula
British Columbia
36
38
43
Alberta
28
29
33
Saskatchewan
14
14
14
Manitoba
14
14
14
Ontario
106
110
124
Quebec
75
75
75
New Brunswick
10
10
10
Nova Scotia
11
11
11
Prince Edward Island
4
4
4
Newfoundland and Labrador
7
7
7
Yukon
1
1
1
Northwest Territories
1
1
1
Nunavut
1
1
1
Total
308
315
338
Three successive bills were presented by the Government of Canada before its final form was passed by the House of Commons and Senate in 2011.[4]
The expansion of the House from 308 seats to 338 seats is pursuant to the Fair Representation Act, which came into force on December 16, 2011.[5] In introducing the bill, the government's stated aims were:[6]
allocating more seats to better reflect population grown in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta;
maintaining the number of seats for slower-growing provinces; and
maintaining the proportional representation of Quebec according to population.
Divide the estimated population of a province by a determined electoral quotient (initially set at 111,166).
If the number of members determined is less than what a province had in 1985, increase its seat count to that number (the "grandfather clause").
If a province's population was overrepresented in the House of Commons at the completion of the last redistribution process, and would now be under-represented based on the calculations above, it will be given extra seats so that its share of House of Commons seats is proportional to its share of the population (the "representation rule").
Add one seat for each of the territories.
The 1985 minimum has two components:
No province can have fewer MPs than it has senators (the "senatorial clause").[8]
Otherwise, the calculation determined in 1985 under the Constitution Act, 1985 (Representation) will govern the amount.
Allocation of seats in the House of Commons (electoral quotient of 111,166)[9]
Province/territory
July 1, 2011 population estimate
Initial seat allocation
Senatorial clause
Grandfather clause
Representation rule
Total seats
British Columbia
4,573,321
42
–
–
–
42
Alberta
3,779,353
34
–
–
–
34
Saskatchewan
1,057,884
10
–
4
–
14
Manitoba
1,250,574
12
–
2
–
14
Ontario
13,372,996
121
–
–
–
121
Quebec
7,979,663
72
–
3
3
78
New Brunswick
755,455
7
3
–
–
10
Nova Scotia
945,437
9
1
1
–
11
Prince Edward Island
145,855
2
2
–
–
4
Newfoundland and Labrador
510,578
5
1
1
–
7
Yukon
34,666
n/a
1
Northwest Territories
43,675
n/a
1
Nunavut
33,322
n/a
1
Total
34,482,779
338
The addition of three seats in Quebec marked the first time since the adoption of the 1985 electoral redistribution formula that any province besides Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia gained new seats.
The allocation of seats to the provinces and territories was based on rules in the Constitution of Canada as well as population estimates made by Statistics Canada based on the 2006 census (in particular, the allocation is based on an estimate for the population as of July 1, 2011, "based on 2006 Census population counts adjusted for census net undercoverage and incompletely enumerated Indian reserves").[9][10]
A final report was tabled October 2013, with the changes proclaimed to take effect as of the first dissolution of Parliament occurring after May 1, 2014.[11] The names of some ridings were changed when the Riding Name Change Act, 2014 came into force on June 19, 2014.[12]
In a report issued in 2014 Elections Canada noted: "While some administrative tasks remained to be done after that point, Elections Canada's role of supporting the federal electoral boundaries commissions, which had worked for up to 18 months in their respective provinces, was complete." The report concluded that "the process for the 2012 redistribution of federal electoral boundaries was a success."[13]
Banff—Airdrie: Created mostly out of the southern portion of Wild Rose and a small part of Macleod south of Cochrane. Contains the Highway corridor west of Calgary to the B.C. border as well as Calgary's northern exurbs.
Battle River: Created out of the southern half of Vegreville—Wainwright and the northern half of Crowfoot and a small part of the eastern part of Red Deer. Contains much of rural Central Eastern Alberta. Named for the Battle River which flows through it.
Bow River: Created out of the eastern half of Macleod, the northwestern corner of Medicine Hat and the southwestern quadrannt of Crowfoot. Contains the Highway 1 corridor east of Calgary past Brooks. The riding also includes Vulcan and the Highway 2 corridor roughly between Nanton and Fort Macleod. Named for the Bow River which flows through it.
Calgary Centre: This riding shifts eastward, moving the western boundary to 37 St SW and moving the eastern boundary to the Bow River.
Calgary Confederation: Created mostly from Calgary Centre-North, except losing the area north of McKnight Blvd and John Laurie Blvd. It also takes in the part of Calgary West north of the Bow River and east of Nose Hill Drive and Stony Trail. Named for Confederation Park.
Calgary Forest Lawn: Created mostly from parts of Calgary Northeast and Calgary Southeast and newly annexed territory of the City of Calgary that is now in the riding of Crowfoot. The riding takes in the part of Calgary Northeast south of a line following McKnight Blvd to Falconbridge Blvd to 32nd Ave and takes in the part of Calgary Southeast north of a line following the Bow River to 32 Ave SE to the CNR to 17 Ave SE. Riding named for the neighbourhood of Forest Lawn.
Calgary Heritage: Created mostly out of Calgary Southwest, except a few small parts of Calgary Southeast caused by adjusting the eastern boundary of the riding to follow Macleod Trail. The southern boundary of the riding is also adjusted compared to Calgary Southwest, as it would follow 24 St SW to Spruce Meadows Trail to James McKevitt Rd. The riding is likely named for Heritage Park.
Calgary McCall: Created almost entirely out of Calgary Northeast except for newly annexed territory of the City of Calgary now in the riding of Wild Rose. The riding would contain all of Calgary Northeast not in the proposed riding of Calgary Forest Lawn. The riding is likely named after the McCall Industrial Park or the provincial riding of the same name.
Calgary Midnapore: Created mostly out of Calgary Southeast but also contains parts of Calgary Southwest, Calgary East and newly annexed territory by the city of Calgary in the current riding of Macleod. The riding follows the Bow River to Glenmore Trail to Macleod Trail to James McKevitt Rd. The riding is named after the Midnapore neighbourhood.
Calgary Nose Hill: Apart from losing the emdash in the riding name, this riding loses all of its territory north of Stoney Trail and west of Sacree Trail and John Laurie Blvd. However, the riding also gains some territory from Calgary Centre-North. This is the area north of a line following John Laurie Blvd to McKnight Blvd. The riding name most likely comes from Nose Hill Park.
Calgary Shepard: This riding is created out of parts of Calgary East and Calgary Southeast as well as newly annexed parts of the city of Calgary now in Crowfoot. The riding would be bounded on the west by the Bow River and on the north by a line following 26 Ave SE to the CNR to 17 Ave SE. The riding is named after the former hamlet of Shepard, which was annexed by Calgary in 2007.
Calgary Signal Hill: This riding is mostly created out of Calgary West, except for newly annexed parts of the City of Calgary now in Macleod and that part of Calgary Centre west of 37 Ave SW. The riding would contain all of Calgary Southwest south the Bow River. The riding is named after the neighbourhood of the same name.
Calgary Rocky Ridge: This riding is created mostly out of Calgary—Nose Hill except for some new areas contained in newly annexed territories of the City of Calgary now in Wild Rose and the part of Calgary West not contained in Calgary Signal Hill or Calgary Confederation. The riding would consist of all of Calgary—Nose Hill not in the new riding of Calgary Nose Hill. The riding name comes from the neighbourhood of Rocky Ridge.
A commission was not required for the Northwest Territories since the territory is a single electoral district[22] and under an amendment to the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act it is using the name Northwest Territories again, instead of Western Arctic.