On October 15, voters in seven Columbia Shuswap Regional District electoral areas will be going to the polls.
A key difference from the 2018 general local election is the addition of Electoral Area G, which includes the communities of Sorrento, Blind Bay, Balmoral and Notch Hill.
The regional district is waiting on final approval from the province for the creation of the new electoral area, which will consist of an area previously part of Electoral Area C/South Shuswap.
A new interactive election map is now available on the regional district’s website at csrd.bc.ca, under sections Inside the CSRD and Elections 2022. If you’re unsure which electoral area you’re in, you can type your address in a box on the map to find out.
With provincial approval, qualified electors in Area G will go to the polls in October to choose the electoral area’s first director. However, services provided to the area will be the same as those provided in Electoral Area C.
The creation of Electoral Area G and its boundaries was done through a lengthy incorporation study that led to two options: incorporation of a municipality to be called the District of Sorrento-Blind Bay with the remainder remaining Area C, or the division of Area C into two electoral areas, C and G.
In an April 30 referendum, eligible electors within the proposed municipality voted against incorporation (2,027 opposed, 272 in favour). As part of the referendum process, voters were informed that if incorporation wasn’t supported, the CSRD would proceed with the default option of dividing the South Shuswap into two separate electoral areas.
Latest census figures showed the population of Area C has grown since 2016 by 12.6 per cent, from 7,921 to 8,919.
Read more: Referendum results official, South Shuswap to be divided into two electoral areas
Read more: Regional district to vote on holding referendum on Sorrento-Blind Bay incorporation
lachlan@saobserver.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter