Quebec federal electoral map proposal

Summary#

This is a proposal (published August 20, 2022) from the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Quebec to redraw federal riding boundaries in Quebec. It keeps Quebec at 78 seats, moves populations between many ridings (creating one new district in the Laurentians while removing a seat in Gaspésie), proposes some name changes that add Indigenous references, and opens a public consultation with hearings in September–October 2022.

What it does#

• Proposes new boundaries for all Quebec federal electoral districts while keeping the province’s seat total at 78 (as recalculated under the Preserving Provincial Representation in the House of Commons Act).
• Uses an electoral quota of 108,998 people per district as the planning target, with a usual goal of keeping districts within ±10% of that quota and a statutory maximum allowed variance of ±25%.
• Creates one new riding called Les Pays-d’en-Haut in the Laurentians and removes one seat in the Gaspésie area.
• Proposes boundary changes to about 60 existing districts and leaves 16 essentially unchanged.
• Recommends changing the official names of 12 districts to include references to local Indigenous communities or geographic features (examples in the proposal include additions such as —Manawan, —Listuguj, —Kitigan Zibi, —Atateken, —Odanak, —Kawawachikamach).
• Explains the Commission’s reasons (population shifts since 2011, efforts to improve parity between votes, and recognition of Indigenous presence).
• Begins a public comment stage: written notices were to be sent by August 31, 2022, and public hearings were scheduled between September 6, 2022 and October 13, 2022 (some in-person, some virtual).

Who's affected#

• Voters across Quebec. The biggest changes are in fast-growing or fast-shrinking areas such as the Laurentians, Montréal, Montérégie, Outaouais, Saguenay—Lac‑Saint‑Jean, and Gaspésie—Les Îles‑de‑la‑Madeleine.
• Indigenous communities in districts where names would be changed or where reserves are explicitly named (examples: Manawan, Listuguj, Kitigan Zibi, Odanak, Kawawachikamach). The Commission contacted several communities before publishing; some supported changes and others did not, and consultation is ongoing.
• Members of Parliament and local officials, because the new boundaries determine which voters and communities they would represent.
• Anyone planning to make a submission to the Commission (the proposal launched a formal public consultation and hearings).

Why it matters#

• The proposed map affects which riding you live in and therefore which MP represents you. Small boundary shifts can move towns or neighbourhoods into different ridings.
• The changes are meant to reduce vote-size imbalance caused by population growth and decline. The Commission estimates the measure of inequality (Loosemore–Hanby index) would fall from 0.0415 to 0.0198 under its plan — meaning the map would be more equal across districts.
• Adding Indigenous references to some riding names is meant to reflect the presence of Indigenous nations in Quebec and to raise their visibility on the federal electoral map. The Commission says name changes do not imply any position on land claims.
• This is a proposal, not final law. The map can change after the scheduled public hearings and after MPs raise objections. If you live in Quebec and care who represents your area, this is the time to read the maps and make a submission.