Electoral boundary commission appointed to consider representation for Chéticamp

The nine members of a commission tasked with creating dedicated representation in the Nova Scotia Legislature for Chéticamp were announced Friday.

Despite concerns about population growth in other parts of the province creating imbalances in electoral representation, the commission's terms of reference limit members' work to focusing on the traditional Acadian region.

The all-party select committee announced that Kenneth Deveau of Comeauville will chair the commission. Joining him will be:

• Mark Bannerman, Hammonds Plains.

• Glenn Graham, Southside Harbour.

• Gwen LeBlanc, Wedgeport.

• Martin Chaisson, Cheticamp.

• Armand Paul, Sydney.

• Jason MacLean, Middle Sackville.

• Natalie Robichaud, New Edinburgh.

• Rohini Bannerjee, Halifax.

• Jill Houlihan of Halifax will serve as an alternate.

The commission was struck in response to a Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruling in November that found the lack of a protected district for Chéticamp following a 2019 boundaries review was a breach of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Although most of the 55 electoral districts in Nova Scotia are drawn to reflect considerations for effective representation and voter parity, varying no more than 25 per cent above or below the estimated average number of electors, there are four exceptions to provide protected representation for reasons of history and culture.

• Work to redraw Nova Scotia's electoral map begins

The Nova Scotia Legislature already has protected seats to recognize the traditional Acadian districts of Argyle, Clare and Richmond, and the historic Black district of Preston. The number of electors for those seats is much lower than in the other 51 districts.

Now the commission will look at how to include Chéticamp in that list of protected areas.

The terms of reference released Friday show that that could be accomplished several ways, including through the use of non-contiguous districts.

Changes must be ready for legislation next year

The commission's interim report is due by Aug. 29, with a deadline for the final report of Jan. 20, 2026. The commission can request an extension but their work must be finished in time for the government to be able to introduce a bill in the legislature to implement the recommendations before July 15, 2026.

The group will hold public hearings before preparing each of its reports and will also accept written submissions.

The preliminary report must include boundaries for 55 districts and 56 districts. The final report can only include one recommendation for the number of seats in Province House.

Although there have been arguments for a broader look at the district boundaries and the number of seats in the legislature in order to account for the growing population in Halifax Regional Municipality, this commission will not do that work.

The group's final term of reference stipulates that it cannot recommend changes to "any electoral district not located on Cape Breton Island unless the commission considers it necessary to maintain effective representation."