By Geoff Smith (@smithco on Twitter)

Provincial electoral map could be redrawn for 2019

May 26, 2017 | 9:29 AM

EDMONTON – Some significant changes could be coming to the electoral map in southern Alberta.

The Electoral Boundaries Commission has released an interim report recommending the same number of ridings for the 2019 provincial election, but with Calgary and Edmonton each getting one more seat, plus an additional seat in suburban Calgary, to reflect in those areas.

But the report also calls for the number of electoral divisions to remain the same, at 87. As a result, the redrawn map would consolidate some rural ridings, affecting the current districts of Little Bow, Cardston-Taber-Warner, and Cypress-Medicine Hat.

In its report the commission cites a below-average rate of growth in that part of southern Alberta, which would drop from seven districts to six.

Surrounding Lethbridge would be a new riding, Cardston-Kainai, extending from Picture Butte in the north to the U.S. border. Waterton Lakes National Park would move into the existing Livingstone-Macleod riding.

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Another new district, Taber-Vulcan, would extend south of Medicine Hat to the Saskatchewan and U.S. boundaries. Brooks-Cypress would be north of Medicine Hat.

The two urban ridings in Lethbridge are roughly equal to the average population for a district, and as a result would be unchanged.

The Little Bow riding is currently represented by David Schneider of the Wildrose Party. Cardston-Taber-Warner is held by his Wildrose colleague Grant Hunter.