Canadian gerrymandering is at the expense of urban voters
Recent changes in Canadian electoral boundary processes have raised concerns about gerrymandering, particularly affecting urban voters. In Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith's government rejected an independent commission's recommendations to favor rural ridings over urban ones. Similar trends are observed in Quebec and Ontario, where political maneuvering has led to the preservation of rural representation at the expense of urban populations.
- ▪Alberta's Premier Danielle Smith dismissed an independent commission's proposal to consolidate rural seats and add urban ones.
- ▪In Quebec, a lawsuit was necessary to challenge the government's decision to pause changes recommended by an independent commission.
- ▪Ontario's Premier Doug Ford decided to use outdated electoral boundaries from 2018 for the upcoming election, limiting urban representation.
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Open this photo in gallery:Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in the chamber after the throne speech in Edmonton in October, 2025.AMBER BRACKEN/The Canadian PressShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountTim Querengesser is a journalist and writer in Edmonton. In 1964, Ottawa passed the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act to prevent gerrymandering, shifting the work of electoral mapmaking from parliamentarians to independent commissions. The provinces largely followed suit. Fast-forward to today, however, and some provinces are working to jettison or restrict independent commissions. That means partisan gerrymandering could re-enter the chat.
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