The independent commission responsible for proposing the number, names and boundaries of electoral districts in the Yukon has suggested the overall number of ridings increase to 20.

Its 114-page final report, tabled in the legislative assembly Thursday, proposes a number of changes to the territory’s electoral district map that would see existing ridings disappear, new ones created, and some boundaries shift significantly.

“While the commission initially felt very strongly that 19 electoral districts achieved the goal of effective representation, and proposed maintaining that number in the interim report, information received during the consultation process demonstrated to the commission that an additional electoral district was justified, and indeed necessary,” the final report states.

Changes proposed by the Yukon Electoral District Boundaries Commission would essentially see the three existing districts of Pelly-Nisutlin, Mayo-Tatchun and Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes restructured into four new districts: Carmacks-Faro-Ross River, Mayo-Pelly, Carcross-Tagish-Teslin and Mount Lorne-Marsh Lake, with some boundary changes affecting neighbouring districts.

Liberal caucus chair Paolo Gallina, the MLA for Porter Creek Centre, released a statement this morning expressing concern over the proposed addition of a 20th riding.

“This proposal differs significantly from those in the interim report that was presented.

“A change of this scale and consequence will require careful consideration,” the statement said.

“The Liberal caucus MLAs plan to take the summer to speak with Yukoners about the commission’s proposed changes. This will come back to the legislative assembly for debate and our caucus looks forward to the discussion at that time.”

The commission released its interim report last November.

While it proposed a number of significant changes to rural and urban electoral districts, many of these did not carry over to the final report. Several new changes were introduced, including the proposal to raise the number of ridings by one.

The release of the interim report was followed by 12 public hearings in Yukon communities – where 63 presentations were made to the commission – and a public comment period that brought in more than 30 written submissions.

In proposing an additional rural electoral district, the commission addressed concerns from rural residents that “decisions affecting their livelihoods were disproportionately being influenced by the greater number of urban electoral districts,” it wrote.

“While the proportion of electors residing within the Whitehorse city limits is approaching three quarters of Yukon’s total, the city accounts for less than one per cent of the land mass.”

The commission also noted that travel to rural communities is time-consuming and often weather-dependent, affecting MLA capacity to serve electors in these areas.

MLAs who represent electoral districts that contain multiple small communities may also struggle with balancing “competing interests for assistance and resources,” the commission noted. Some communities may be more dependent on their MLA for help accessing services.

Urban ridings also have significant changes proposed in the final report.

The commission proposed the creation of a new Whistle Bend district, considering that the neighbourhood will accommodate “the vast majority of residential growth in the City of Whitehorse for the foreseeable future.”

It would be include much of what is now the Porter Creek Centre riding, which would no longer exist under the commission’s proposal.

A new Porter Creek riding would be created, approximately where Porter Creek South currently exists, and enveloping some portions of Porter Creek Centre and Porter Creek North, which is also proposed for replacement.

A new Whitehorse North riding would cover some of what is now Porter Creek North and Lake Laberge district territory. It would bring together the areas of Hidden Valley, MacPherson and Crestview, as well as MacKenzie, Kulan, and the northernmost part of Porter Creek.

The Lake Laberge district would have its boundary adjusted to follow the city boundary. That means it would lose the Hidden Valley and MacPherson neighbourhoods and gain sparsely-populated areas west of the city limits currently part of Porter Creek North and Takhini-Kopper King.

In the commission’s interim report, no change was proposed for Lake Laberge.

After reading what’s now been put forward for the riding, Yukon Party leader Stacey Hassard expressed concern in an interview with the Star today that Lake Laberge constituents weren’t given the opportunity to make their voices heard on these “significant changes.”

Caught unawares, they didn’t get the chance to discuss the proposal for their district in their own public meeting, Hassard said.

He also anticipates more public comments would have been submitted had the changes been proposed to Lake Laberge area residents in the interim report.

Hassard is the current MLA for Pelly-Nisutlin. Asked about the district restructuring proposed for the area, he said, “We’re never happy to see the costs associated with a 20th riding being added, but at the same time I think that this probably provides the best representation for the areas of Ross River and Faro and Carmacks, so in that regards it’s pretty hard to argue with.”

What the commission describes as “minor changes” have been proposed for the districts of Copperbelt North, Copperbelt South, Klondike, Takhini-Kopper King, and Whitehorse West.

The Kluane, Mountainview, Riverdale North, Riverdale South, Vuntut Gwitchin, Watson Lake, and Whitehorse Centre districts have no changes proposed to their current boundaries.

NDP Leader Liz Hanson provided the Star an emailed statement this morning.

“We have just started reviewing the report. It’s important to know that this boundaries commission has had an unprecedented level of participation by citizens.”

Hanson also noted that the commission’s membership is comprised of the Yukon’s chief justice, chief electoral officer, and an appointee from each of the three political parties represented in the legislative assembly.

They make recommendations based on extensive consultation with Yukoners from across the territory, she pointed out.

Along with public input, the commission’s proposals are guided by a number of other legislated considerations, like population density and growth rates, transportation patterns, and demographic information.

The Elections Act mandates that government introduce legislation to establish electoral districts for the next two territorial elections no later than the sitting following the tabling of the commission’s final report – i.e. the 2018 fall sitting.

The final report can be viewed at http://www.yukonboundaries.ca/reports.html.