Dear Editor:
Re: Proposed new Burnaby North - Seymour federal electoral district
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposal to merge Burnaby North and a part of the North Shore into a new federal electoral district called Burnaby North - Seymour.
I understand the need for voters to have proportional representation in the House of Commons, but I question how long the proposed new electoral district will meet that test. Burnaby will experience significant population growth in the coming years, with thousands of new residents coming to North Burnaby, especially near major transit hubs such as the Brentwood Town Centre. We are also undergoing a revitalization of the Hastings corridor with a number of new four-storey buildings (ground floor commercial space, upper floors residential condominiums). This will not occur over many years - it's happening today.
This means that in just a few short years, our electoral district will have to be reconfigured yet again, likely reverting back to a Burnaby North riding that no longer includes the North Shore.
Voters in both the North Shore and in North Burnaby have expressed strong opposition to the proposed new boundaries - we have different needs, different populations, different infrastructure and different issues.
As stewards of our tax dollars, I urge the commission to reconsider the proposed boundaries and to include that portion of the North Shore identified in the proposed Burnaby North - Seymour riding with the proposed North Vancouver and Coquitlam - Port Coquitlam ridings, both of which are comprised of voters with far more in common with their North Shore neighbours. Please avoid the unnecessary waste of tax dollars on a convenient but fundamentally flawed solution.
Peter Cech, Burnaby
