Beaumont mayor responds to proposed electoral boundary

BEAUMONT -- Beaumont Mayor Lisa Vanderkwaak is calling the province's proposed electoral boundary changes a win for the community.

Under the proposed changes, the current provincial riding of Leduc-Beaumont will be broken up into separate constituencies. This will see the City of Beaumont enter into the new riding of "Edmonton-Beaumont". The City will form the constituency alongside portions of the present Edmonton-Ellerslie riding south of 41 Street SW, and south of the Anthony Henday Boulevard and east of 66 Street.

Mayor Lisa Vanderkwaak says that while she would have liked to see Beaumont remain in a riding with Leduc, keeping the municipality united in a single riding is the next best thing.

"It's definitely the second-best outcome. Not the first outcome that we had hoped for, because of our historical ties, economically and with shared services with Leduc and Leduc County," said Vanderkwaak in conversation with 93.1 The One. "That would have been the best outcome to keep us as is." 

The Electoral Boundaries Commission's rationale for the split of the present riding of Leduc-Beaumont was that it would have become the most populous provincial constituency in the province. Mayor Vanderkwaak notes that she's pleased that the commission elected to ditch its previous plan to split Beaumont into two separate ridings east and west of 50 Street, and acknowledges that the change will see Beaumont well represented in the legislature. 

"We can be confident that the new MLA is still going to prioritize Beaumont in terms of having strong representation as a unique community," said Vanderkwaak.

She thanks Council, members of the community, and neighbouring municipalities for their advocacy in the recent months to help sway the Electoral Boundaries Commission from their original plans to split the City into two separate ridings. The provincial boundary changes will be voted on in the Alberta legislature this spring.