The challenges of rural representation a focus for MLA Ellis Ross as Legislature debates potential electoral boundary changes

Skeena MLA Ellis Ross outlined the expansive nature of Norther
ridings as part of Monday's legislature session

Some of the early debate in the British Columbia Legislature this week was focused on what will soon be the work underway towards a review of the current make up of constituencies in the House, with the government set to explore the prospects of electoral reform and perhaps even some redistribution for the seating chart.

We outlined some of the work ahead. for the project back in May, noting at the time how ridings such as those in the North with low populations could be on the list for potential merger or redistribution.

As part of the debate of Monday afternoon, the Skeena MLA made note of one of the key items of consideration with the review, that of an end of protection for some of the sparsely populated areas of the province including the Northwest.

I understand why we've got to change the boundaries in terms of representation. But specifically what we're talking about is to remove statutory protections to three regions: Cariboo-Thompson, Columbia-Kootenay and the north. 

And the north is such a general description of what we're talking about, what I've heard in this House — north of Hope. 

B.C. is an incredibly huge province, and diverse, very diverse. I've heard that a number of times. Very diverse. But ultimately, you know, what I think we're really getting at on this side of the House

And I've read some of the transcripts from past debates regarding this topic. I think what we're talking about, really, is quality of representation. And we're talking about quality of representation in terms of the urban representation as well as rural.

We've got to find that balance, because representation, in terms of democracy. 

I mean, that's a fundamental aspect of democracy — representation. I do understand the main point of the changes, actually changing the boundaries, the but representation seems to be the ultimate topic of about what we're debating here today.

Mr. Ross spoke to his own experience up and down his own constituency in Skeena and how it provides some access limitations for those who live and work in the communities of the region

I understand why we have to change the boundaries. It's understandable when we're talking about the representation of urban ridings versus rural. 

But I do have a question. 

When we're talking about representation in an urban riding, will more representation over a smaller geographical area equal, number one, quality representation? 

Number Two, will it answer some of the questions around housing affordability or even affordability in general? 

And I know there are not many people that can answer that right now. 

Right now I have a tough enough time representing Skeena. 

I mean, Skeena is…. I know the area quite well. I also know how hard it is to get across the riding of Skeena at the best of times. Skeena is actually, at a minimum, 32,000 people. 

And They're in different populations in Kitimat, Kitimaat Village, Terrace, Nisga'a, Kitsumkalum and Kitselas. 

They are approximately living in 23,500 square kilometres. When I'm going out there and trying to drive to these areas from my village, in Kitimaat Village, to the farthest extent, which is actually Gingolx, we're going to hit a lot of different areas along the way. 

We're going to hit a lot of bed-and-breakfasts. We're going to hit a lot of different tourism sites. And we've got to drive. I mean, it takes me if I did a straight run, it would probably take me 4½, 5½ hours just to get from one end to the other. That's with no stops. 

If it's wintertime, it takes even longer — if you're lucky, if you make it, if the roads don't get shut down, which happens a lot. If the roads are so treacherous, the Ministry of Transportation comes in and shuts them down. 

Or if you're unlucky, you get stuck on the highway in the middle of a blizzard, coming home from the Prince Rupert All-Native. 

And You're the lead car coming out, and there are 100 cars behind you, but you can't go any faster than 30 kilometres an hour. And Nobody wants to pass you on the road from Rupert to Terrace because it's a whiteout. 

So if we're talking about changing the boundaries to actually make them larger, then does this mean that a constituent maybe has to drive from Tahltan, in the north, down to Terrace to visit their MLA, especially an elder that doesn't have access to Internet?

It's a valid question. 

Mr. Ross even had some sympathy to share for North Coast MLA Jennifer Ross, noting that while his challenges were many in Skeena, to the west the geography was even more foreboding, perhaps one of the few things that the political polar opposites may ever agree on.

Right now we already see the difficulties. In one particular instance, I can see and have heard of the difficulties of representing North Coast. That's a tough riding. Not only do they have to represent Rupert, but they also have to take a plane or a boat to visit their riding, meaning Bella Bella, Haida Gwaii, Klemtu, Hartley Bay. 

That is a tough riding just in terms of transportation. But in the worst of times, when you're talking about a place like Wright Sound outside of Hartley Bay…. 

And If you don't know Wright Sound and Gil Island, that's the place where the ferry went down a few years ago, and the Hartley Bay people came out and actually saved the people on board. 

That is a really bad chunk of water — very bad. 

The north wind that hits that is…. I don't want to say treacherous. I just think it's dangerous. 

As a taxi boat operator on two occasions trying to come out of that area, going against the waves, two things happened. I thought I wasn't going to make it. On number two, I wanted to quit. Really bad areas. And even ferries going through there have a tough times crossing Milbanke Sound. 

Mr. Ross also spoke the level of representation that consituents should have and how for rural MLA's the challenge of a vast geography makes it that much harder to hear of the concerns from residents.

I've heard a lot about the diversity and the geography of B.C., but we haven't talked about what it means to be living in a coastal area where an MLA might have to travel out to talk to constituents, or even worse, the constituent has to come in to a town to actually get an issue addressed.

But It does come down to the quality of representation. I do understand we're getting more connected. But we haven't really resolved those connectivity issues today. We haven't resolved them yet. 

And Even if we do, the most my mother could do, rest her soul, was participate on Facebook. That's all she could do. She couldn't go online and type out a census form. Not that she needed ICBC renewal or anything like that, but she couldn't do stuff like that. 

Most of the time, when we knew there was something official, we had to bring a hard copy to her to get her through something, or we had to sit and type out stuff on the Internet for her, on the computer.  

So it will come down to the quality of representation, in my view. 

And it's an issue that I haven't really seen talked about in depth and in the debates I've heard here. I think this is why the Electoral Boundaries Commission itself had said that effective representation is not simply anchored to the equality of population. I think it's an important point.

His presentation to the Legislature provided more points on representation for the MLA's to consider as the look to potentially redraw the political map in BC, you can review the full overview from Ellis Ross here.

The House Video for the Monday Legislature session is available here, the Skeena MLA's presentation starts at the 4:45 point of the day's debate. 

The provincial government plans to announce the membership of the commission by late October, it has been directed to deliver an initial report within one year following its creation.

You can learn more on the Government's plans here.

For more items of note on his work at the Legislature see our archive page here.

A wider overview of provincial politics can be found from our political blog D'Arcy McGee.