MP Jim Eglinski could soon begin popping up in satellite offices across the Yellowhead riding, including in Jasper, as the government gears up for a federal election slated for the fall.
The news comes after Elections Canada redrew all 28 of Alberta’s electoral boundaries to accommodate the addition of six new ridings in the province. The purpose of the redistribution is to try to ensure each riding represents roughly the same amount of people and takes into account constitutional requirements.
The changes mean the Yellowhead riding will no longer include towns as far north as Whitecourt, Swan Hills and Barrhead.
Instead the riding will now include towns further to the south and east, such as Caroline, Rocky Mountain House, Warburg and Breton.
“Our intentions are to try a satellite service throughout the riding,” said Eglinksi, to the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce, last week.
“There are 11 major communities, 150 community halls that we need to get around to and visit and I think some of the places are not getting the service as well as they possibly could.”
The idea has been used by a couple of other MPs who represent large ridings, he explained.
“To give you the drastic difference, there are members of parliament that can walk their whole riding in 45 minutes.”
In contrast it takes Eglinski nearly nine hours to drive the entire riding from north to south.
His current office, which is located in Edson, will remain open during the next election, while the Whitecourt office will remain open until the election is called.
“I should technically close [the Whitecourt office], but I am going to leave it open until the writ is dropped,” he said.
Eglinski said he expects the election will be called in early September—because it’s scheduled for Oct. 19, although the prime minister could call an election before then.
“When we close the office in Whitecourt our intentions are to try a satellite service throughout the riding.”
Eglinski said he intends to open a satellite office in Jasper for a day to allow people to meet him and ask questions they may have, before moving the office to another community the following month.
Across the country, the total number of seats in the House of Commons will jump from 308 to 338, with Alberta and British Columbia each picking up six new seats, Ontario scooping up 15 seats and Quebec adding three.
There are now 34 federal ridings in Alberta.
Paul Clarke
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