Edmonton Manning (Alberta) 92/338

 Edmonton Manning (Alberta)

Today we're in northeast Edmonton with Edmonton Manning!

Edmonton Manning has existed as a riding since the 2012 redistribution, created from Edmonton East, Edmonton—Sherwood Park, and Edmonton—St. Albert. The population of the riding was 121,048 in 2016. The riding contains the neighbourhoods of McConachie, Belvedere, and Lake District. The riding has grown 14% between censuses, which is actually behind the Edmonton city growth of 14.8%.

Politically, this seat isn't as safe as it once was. Back in the 2000's, this seat would get upwards of 55% to vote Conservative. It changed a little in 2008 and 2011 when Independent James Ford ran and got around 30%, but that was an anomaly, the rest of the city was still reliably Conservative. However, in 2015 and 2021, the Conservatives have won with a plurality, with the Liberals 18 points behind in 2015 and the NDP 10 points behind in 2021. The seat is currently represented by Conservative MP Ziad Aboultaif.

While the riding is named for Manning Drive that runs through it, by extension it is named after Ernest Manning. Ernest Manning was the eighth Premier of Alberta and was the second and longest serving Premier of the Social Credit Era. His seat for most of his years in the legislature was in Edmonton (at large for 19 years), and then he served in modern day Edmonton Strathcona. In 2019, this seat was 7/34 in Alberta and 273/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 8.2/10 - Not generally a fan of politician named ridings, but this one also has a road, so I guess its forgivable.

Shape: 6.4/10 - Not awful, it follows the municipal lines, but still its gross.

Individuality: 6.1/10 - Cool swings, but still a pretty typical Edmonton riding.

Total: 20.7/30 (69%)

See you on Monday with Edmonton Mill Woods!

Edmonton Griesbach (Alberta) 91/338

Edmonton Griesbach (Alberta)

Today we're one riding northeast with Edmonton Griesbach!

Edmonton Griesbach has existed as a riding since the 2012 redistribution, created from Edmonton West and Edmonton—St. Albert. The population of the riding was 112,287 in 2016. The riding contains the neighbourhoods of Griesbach, Dickinsfield, and Beverly. The riding is 10.1% Indigenous, almost double the Edmonton total (5.5%). 

Politically, this seat has been strongly Conservative since 1997, only being under a 5 point margin in 2015 (when now MLA Janis Irwin was the NDP candidate) and 2021. Since 2008, the NDP have been in second place in the riding, never quite getting enough support to take the riding. That was, of course, until this election. This election, the NDP was able to mobilize support and take the riding by a mere 3.4%. The riding is represented by NDP MP Blake Desjarlais.

Back in 1988, this was the first NDP seat in Alberta federally, won by MP Ross Harvey. Harvey would go on to become the leader of the Alberta NDP after his federal defeat in 1993, but would resign his position before facing an election. Harvey would be the only NDP MP elected for 20 years, when Linda Duncan won her seat in Edmonton Strathcona. In 2019, this seat was 5/34 in Alberta and 238/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 7.2/10 - I appreciate the effort, but Griesbach is a pretty small neighbourhood. Maybe a larger one like Montrose or Highlands would work better.

Shape: 6.2/10 - Pretty good, just really not a fan of the choice to give Strathcona Riverdale and the appendages are a little weird.

Individuality: 8.9/10 - Interesting trajectory from the first NDP seat in Alberta to a Conservative base to the second NDP seat in Alberta.

Total: 22.3/30 (74.3%)

Tomorrow we're northeast again with Edmonton Manning!

Edmonton Centre (Alberta) 90/338

 Edmonton Centre (Alberta)

Today we start our Edmonton adventure in Edmonton Centre!

Edmonton Centre has existed as a riding since 2004, previously existing from 1968-1979. The population was 109,941 in 2016. The riding contains the neighbourhoods of Downtown Edmonton, Queen Mary Park, and Woodcroft. The riding is in the city of Edmonton, the second largest city in Alberta, and the provincial legislature is in the riding.

Politically, this is the one of the most Liberal-friendly seats in Edmonton. From 1993-2006, it was held by Liberal MP and deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, winning narrowly over the Conservatives. This trend has continued with Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault, first elected in 2015 narrowly, losing by a larger margin in 2019, and winning narrowly in 2021. As such, this riding will be represented by Liberal MP and Minister of Tourism, Randy Boissonnault.

When elected in 2015, Randy Boissonnault was the first MP from Alberta to be out as gay. The parliament just elected has eight out MP's: two NDP, four Liberals, and two Conservatives. With the cabinet getting sworn in today, three of the four Liberals were given portfolios. Pascal St-Onge was given Sport, Seamus O'Regan was given Labour, and Randy Boissonnault was given Tourism. In 2019, this seat was 1/34 in Alberta and 85/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 10/10 - The riding is literally in the center of Edmonton.

Shape: 8.1/10 - It is very good, just not the biggest fan of some of the small nubs attached to it.

Individuality: 8.4/10 - A Liberal seat in Edmonton? What? And also the notable Anne McLellan helps this riding's case too.

Total: 26.5/30 (88.3%)

Tomorrow we're one riding northeast with Edmonton Griesbach!

Durham (Ontario) 89/338

 Durham (Ontario)

Today, we're in the Greater Toronto Area with Durham!

Durham has existed as a riding since 1904, barring 20 years between 1968 and 1988. The population of the riding was 130,872 in 2016. The population centers are Oshawa (159,458 in 2016, shared with Oshawa), Bowmanville (39,371 in 2016), and Port Perry (9,453 in 2016). This riding has grown 13.4% between censuses, going from 115,000 to 130,000 residents.

Politically, this seat is similar to a lot Greater Vancouver seats in the sense that it has been Conservative for the past 17 years, largely because of the lack of consolidation around one left-of-center party. In 2021, this seat had the second best performance for the NDP in the non-Toronto GTA, only second to neighbouring Oshawa. This seat is currently represented by Conservative Leader and MP Erin O'Toole.

Recognize that name? I thought you would. Erin O'Toole has been in Parliament since 2012, serving as Minister of Veterans Affairs from January to November 2015. In opposition, he was on the front bench, serving in several Shadow Cabinet portfolios. In 2017, he finished third in the Conservative Leadership race. In 2020, he won the leadership, leading the party into their second post-Harper election. In 2019, this seat was 33/121 in Ontario and 93/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 8.8/10 - Again, a good name, pretty simple, but maybe a little too simple? I'd be happy with Scugog—Clarington.

Shape: 7.3/10 - It's a good shape, the lake is a little wonky, so it's knocked down a tad.

Individuality: 7.5/10 - It is interesting seeing this sort of lack of consolidation in Ontario, this is typically a western issue, and Erin O'Toole being from here is cool too.

Total: 23.6/30 (78.7%)

Tomorrow we're starting our Edmonton adventure with Edmonton Centre!

Dufferin—Caledon (Ontario) 88/338

 Dufferin—Caledon (Ontario)

Today we're in rural Ontario with Dufferin—Caledon!

Dufferin—Caledon has existed as a riding since 2004, created from Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey. The population of the riding was 128,237 in 2016. The population centers are Orangeville (28,900 in 2016), Bolton (26,378 in 2016), and Shelburne (8,126 in 2016). The riding grew 10% from 2011-2016, with the town of Shelburne growing almost 40%.

Politically, this seat has been safely Conservative since 2006, only really being close for the 2004 and 2015 elections. The Liberals held this riding from 1993-2004, due to the split between the Reform Party/Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives. The Liberals were only 1700 votes off from winning in 2004, largely because of their weakness in the northern, more rural part of the riding offset by their strength in Caledon. This seat is currently represented by Conservative MP Kyle Seeback.

Kyle Seeback has run in the past five elections, winning three times. He originally ran in Brampton West in 2008, losing by 231 votes after a judicial recount. He easily picked up the riding in 2011, but lost it by 17 points in 2015. He ran in Dufferin—Caledon after longtime MP and former MPP David Tilson retired. In 2019, this seat was 30/121 in Ontario and 88/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 9.4/10 - I really enjoy the Ontario ridings that are named after their respective counties, maybe Dufferin—Peel or maybe if the towns grow they could be in the name?

Shape: 8.7/10 - Again, it's good! Not a fan of the weird bump on the Brampton border and some county boundaries are weird.

Individuality: 3.8/10 - Typical rural Ontario riding. The growth is cool though!

Total: 21.9/30 (73%)

Tomorrow we're in a riding with a certain Conservative leader, Durham!

Drummond (Quebec) 87/338

 Drummond (Quebec)

Today we're in Quebec with Drummond!

Drummond has existed as a riding since 1968. The population of the riding was 103,397 in 2016. The population centers are Drummondville (75,423 in 2016), Saint-Germain-de-Grantham (4,917 in 2016), and Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover (4,723 in 2016). Similar to a few other Eastern Township ridings, the boundaries did not change in this riding in 2012.

Politically, this riding has been pretty safe for the Bloc for their entire existence, with the caveat of the 2011 and 2015 elections when the NDP held it. Provincially this seat has been bouncing around the past few elections, until ultimately settling on the CAQ in 2012 and sticking with it since. (Side note: Yves-Francois Blanchet represented the riding provincially for five years.) The riding is currently represented by Bloc MP Martin Champoux.

It should be noted that this seat was won by the Social Credit Party in 1972 and were only 13 votes from winning it in 1974. This was pretty consistent with the decline of the Social Credit Party. At this time, the party only held seats in Quebec and were holding the balance of power as the contrarian Quebec vote, but when 1974 came around, their relevance was put into question as the Pierre Trudeau's Liberals were given a majority government. In 2019, this seat was 56/78 in Quebec and 243/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 9.4/10 - I really love how the whole RCM fits into the riding, and as such the name is almost perfect. Maybe address the rural parts of the riding?

Shape: 8.9/10 - Again, I love that they use the municipal lines, but that doesn't mean I'm a fan of the lines.

Individuality: 5.7/10 - Cool swings every once in a while, but a pretty typical Eastern Township riding.

Total: 24/30 (80%)

Tomorrow, we're in rural Ontario with Dufferin—Caledon!

Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle (Quebec) 86/338

 Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle (Quebec)

Today, we're back in Montreal with Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle!

Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle has existed as a riding since the 2015 redistribution, created from LaSalle—Émard and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine. The population of the riding was 112,866 in 2016. The riding is comprised of Dorval (18,980 in 2016),  L'Île-Dorval (5 in 2016), and Montreal (1,704,694 in 2016, shared with 17 other ridings). 

Politically, this riding has been reliably Liberal since 1993, only voting for the NDP in 2011, but even then, the Liberals still held on with over 30%. This riding also is one of the last Conservative ridings in Montreal, voting in Progressive Conservative Bob Layton in 1988, and is still fairly Conservative, at least compared to the rest of the city. This riding is currently represented by Liberal MP Anju Dhillon.

Part of the riding was represented by Prime Minister Paul Martin for almost 20 years. While in office, he held two minister portfolios, notably he held the Finance Minister portfolio from 1993-2002. After placing second in the Liberal Party leadership in 1990, there was infighting within the Liberal Party between Paul Martin and Jean Chrétien, but it didn't impact their electoral chances, as the Liberals received three majority governments during this time. In 2019, this seat was 68/78 in Quebec and 281/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 6.0/10 - It's fine, the names are all relevant, I could do without the LaSalle, just a bit too long.

Shape: 4.2/10 - I know, I know, there are municipal lines, but it really is just gross.

Individuality: 3.8/10 - Paul Martin being from here is cool, but it really is just a standard Montreal seat.

Total: 14/30 (46.7%)

Tomorrow, we're not too far in Drummond!

Don Valley West (Ontario) 85/338

 Don Valley West (Ontario)

Today we're wrapping up our Don Valley adventure with Don Valley West!

Don Valley West has existed as a riding since 1979, created from the former Don Valley riding. The population was 102,508 in 2016. The riding contains the neighbourhoods of York Mills, Leaside, and Thorncliffe Park. The riding is one of the most Muslim in the country, with about 13.6% of the riding being Muslim.

Politically, you can guess the answer. However, this riding had a bit more of a Conservative history compared to the other Don Valley ridings. From 1972-1993, this riding was represented by Progressive Conservative MP's, including Speaker of the House John Bosley. The riding went Conservative in 2011 by just over 600 votes, but quickly flipped back to the Liberals in 2015. The riding is currently represented by Liberal MP Rob Oliphant.

Provincially, this riding is represented by Liberal MPP and former premier Kathleen Wynne. In her second election in the riding, she defeated Progressive Conservative leader and future mayor of Toronto, John Tory. Kathleen Wynne was the first female premier of Ontario and the first openly gay premier in Canada. She narrowly won the seat in 2018 by just 181 votes. In 2019, this seat was 96/121 in Ontario and 229/338 in Canada.

Rating:

Name: 8.9/10 - Harmless for the most part, it's a little too far west for me to be completely happy calling it Don Valley, but it's close enough.

Shape: 6.5/10 - It passes, but it just doesn't sit right with me, the river is very, well, riverous.

Individuality: 8.4/10 - I will say that it is interesting seeing how Conservative this riding was for two decades and how it turned around as soon as Chretien showed up.

Total: 23.8/30 (79.3%)

Tomorrow we're back in Montreal with Dorval—Lachine—Lasalle!

Don Valley North (Ontario) 84/338

 Don Valley North (Ontario)

Today we're one riding north with Don Valley North!

Don Valley North existed as a riding from 1988-1997 and was recreated in the 2012 redistribution. The population of the riding was 110,076 in 2016. The riding contains the neighbourhoods of Don Valley Village, Bayview Village, and Hillcrest Village. This riding is one of three in Toronto where Chinese is the most frequent ethnic origin (32.4%) and the most common ethnic group (31.3%).

Politically, this seat is basically the same as Don Valley East (using Willowdale as reference from 1997-2011. It had only voted in Liberals from 1993-2011 when the Conservatives took the seat by just 932 votes over Liberal Martha Hall Findlay, who, on a side note, finished in a distant third in the 2013 Liberal Leadership election, behind Joyce Murray and Justin Trudeau. The riding is currently represented by Liberal MP Han Dong. 

Han Dong, while first elected federally in 2019, had been a Member of Provincial Parliament in Trinity—Spadina from 2014, defeating longtime NDP MPP Rosario Marchese, to his defeat in 2018. Han Dong replaced retiring MP Geng Tan in 2019, who was the first MP of Mandarin-speaking heritage elected. In 2019, this seat was 57/121 in Ontario and 139/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 9.7/10 - Again, basically perfect. I'd like something a bit more specific than "north", maybe Bayview or Hillcrest.

Shape: 10/10 - I love it so much. Look at those major roads!!!

Individuality: 3.2/10 - The MP's are interesting, but I have to knock this riding down quite a bit for being very Toronto.

Total: 22.9/30 (76.3%)

Tomorrow we're rounding out our Don Valley excursion with Don Valley West!

Don Valley East (Ontario) 83/338

Don Valley East (Ontario)

Today we're starting our mid-week jaunt into Don Valley with Don Valley East!

Don Valley East has existed as a riding since 1976. The population was 94,579 in 2016. The riding contains the Don Mills, Parkwoods, and Bermondsey neighbourhoods. The riding is on the easternmost edge of Toronto proper, bordering Scarborough. 

Politically, this seat has been pretty typical for a Toronto suburb: solidly Liberal except for 2011 and maybe the Mulroney years. 2011 particularly this race was tighter than expected. While the Conservative Joe Daniel won with just 37% of the vote, with Liberal Yasmin Ratansi finishing just behind with 35%, and the NDP finished with 25% of the vote. This was one of five races in Toronto where all three parties received at least 25% of the vote. The riding will be held by Liberal MP Michael Coteau.

Yasmin Ratansi, the former MP, was the first Muslim woman elected to Parliament in 2004, although her first run for Parliament was in 1988, finishing less than 3,000 votes behind cabinet minister Alan Redway. Ratansi used public funds to employ her sister for at least nine years while in office. After the findings, she resigned from the Liberal caucus and sat as an independent until the end of the parliamentary session. In 2019, this seat was 115/121 in Ontario and 282/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 9.5/10 - I love neighbourhood names, especially in cities this large.

Shape: 7.6/10 - It's mostly non-offensive, not a huge fan of following a river in this scenario.

Individuality: 4.2/10 - Cool how close it was in 2011, but yeah it's very Toronto, which isn't a good thing.

Total: 21.3/10 (71%)

Tomorrow we're back in Don Valley North!

Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River (Saskatchewan) 82/338

Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River (Saskatchewan)

Today we're in Northern Saskatchewan with Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River!

Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River has existed as a riding since 1997. The population of the riding was 70,891 in 2016. The population centers are Meadow Lake (5,344 in 2016), La Ronge (2,688 in 2016), and La Loche (2,372 in 2016). The riding contains communities with the "Northern Village", "Northern Town", and "Northern Hamlet" distinction, which is unique to Saskatchewan and Quebec.

Politically, this seat has gone through some wild swings as of late. In 2011, the swung 26 points to second in the riding. The next election, the Liberals swung 28% into second. However, in 2015, the three major parties were almost within 4 points of each other, so the Conservatives gained 12% in 2019 to take the riding. The riding is currently represented by Conservative MP Gary Vidal.

You might be thinking: why is this riding so Conservative, isn't it NDP provincially? That is partially true, there are southern provincial ridings that went pretty hard for the Saskatchewan Party. However, the issue for the non-Conservative parties is that with the Liberals and NDP fighting over the north, the Conservatives can swoop in with the southern communities that typically vote Conservative and cut through the split. Add on the fact that the current MP is the former mayor of Meadow Lake, the largest community in the riding, it will be tough for the other parties to win. In 2019, this seat was 2/13 in Saskatchewan and 130/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 6.4/10 - I was searching for 30 minutes on the first two names, so I'm not sure how to rate it. All I will say is that it is too long and could easily just be Athabasca—Cumberland or something like that.

Shape: 7.9/10 - This is really good! Granted, three of the edges are provincial borders. Also, it's a bit lower because of the odd boundaries in the south, but again, not awful.

Individuality: 8.7/10 - We love a good old swing.

Total: 23/30 (76.7%)

Tomorrow we're back in Toronto with Don Valley East!

Delta (British Columbia) 81/338

 Delta (British Columbia) 

Today we're in the Lower Mainland with Delta!

Delta existed as a riding from 1988-1997 and was recreated in 2012, from Newton—North Delta and Delta—Richmond East. The population was 103,064 in 2016. The riding is made up of the district municipality of Delta (102,238 in 2016), which contains the communities of North Delta, Ladner (22,193 in 2016), and Tsawwassen (21,588 in 2016). The riding borders the town of Point Roberts, Washington, which was given to the United States when the Canada/US border was determined to be the 49th parallel, despite the peninsula being less than 5 square miles. 

Politically, this seat had been held by a conservative MP from 1972-2015, voting in line with the rest of the southern Lower Mainland. However, that streak was broken in 2015 when the Liberals won their majority and won more than half the seats in the Lower Mainland. Despite the Liberals falling out of favour in 2019, they still won this seat by 41.2%, still 8.2% more than the Conservative candidate. This seat is currently held by Liberal MP and minister of employment, workforce development and disability inclusion, Carla Qualtrough.

Carla Qualtrough was born in Calgary and raised in my hometown of Langley, British Columbia. She is visually impaired and won three bronze medals from her time at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Paralympics for swimming. She served as a human rights lawyer, specifically with the BC Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Her human rights work netted her the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. In 2019, this seat was 19/42 in BC and 83/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 10/10 - Perfect. Why can't all municipalities have the perfect boundaries for electoral districts?

Shape: 10/10 - Read above.

Individuality: 8.6/10 - I love how it led us on by staying conservative until 2015 hit and hasn't really been close since.

Total: 28.6/30 (95.3%)

Tomorrow we're in northern Saskatchewan with Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River!

Davenport (Ontario) 80/338

 Davenport (Ontario)

Today we're in Toronto with Davenport!

Davenport has existed as a riding since 1935. The population was 108,473 in 2016. The riding contains the neighbourhoods of Junction Triangle, Dovercourt Park, and Davenport. The riding is in the city of Toronto (2,731,571 in 2016, shared with 24 other ridings). The riding is one of the most Portuguese riding in the country, at 22.7%.

Politically, this riding has been very tight in the past three elections. In fact, it has been the closest in Toronto in those three elections, going from a 1,441 vote difference in 2015 to a 76 vote difference in 2021. The interesting part of the riding being so NDP compared to the rest of the city is in 2011, the other ridings that were over 50% NDP were Toronto—Danforth and Trinity—Spadina, Jack Layton and Olivia Chow's ridings. This riding is currently represented by Liberal MP Julie Dzerowicz.

While this riding has only gone NDP once federally, it has been NDP provincially 27 of the past 45 years (using Dovercourt as the former riding). However, there really wasn't a federal NDP appetite until 2004 when they surged 20 points to get 34% of the vote. They declined in 2006 and 2008 until they surged another 20 points to win the riding in 2011. In 2019, this seat was 8/121 in Ontario and 26/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 8.6/10 - For a city so large, it's nice that the redistribution commissions have kept this name and neighbourhood intact.

Shape: 7.8/10 - Pretty good, I know you have to follow roads, but it just seems a little off on the edges, especially the east side.

Individuality: 9.2/10 - It's really interesting how NDP it has been provincially but didn't catch on federally until 2011.

Total: 25.6/30 (85.3%)

Tomorrow we're back in BC with Delta!

Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa (Manitoba) 79/338

 Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa (Manitoba)

Today we're back in Manitoba with Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa!

Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa has existed as a riding since the 2012 redistribution, created from Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, Brandon—Souris, and Portage—Lisgar. The population was 87,527 in 2016. The population centers are Dauphin (8,547 in 2016), Neepawa (4,609 in 2016), and Swan River (4,014 in 2016). The town of Neepawa grew 27% between 2011 and 2016, going from 3,629 people to 4,609 people.

Politically, this seat has been held by a conservative since 1997. It actually went Liberal in 1993, which is much more recently than most other prairie seats who haven't changed affiliation since the 40's or 50's. The 1993 and 1997 elections were particularly interesting in this riding: In 1993, the four major (non-Quebec) parties got over 15% of the vote, and in 1997, all four got 20% or more. This seat is currently held by Conservative MP Dan Mazier.

The former MP, Inky Mark, has quite a story. Before federal politics, he served as the mayor of Dauphin. He served in the House of Commons, changing party affiliation five times, starting as a Reform MP, then to Alliance, then to Democratic Representative Caucus (protest to Stockwell Day's leadership), then to Progressive Conservative, then ultimately to Conservative. He resigned in 2010 to run for mayor of Dauphin again, but lost this time. He ran in 2015 as an independent, only getting about 8% of the vote. In 2019, this seat was 12/14 in Manitoba and 307/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 6.8/10 - I appreciate the effort, and it isn't all bad, but naming population centers really doesn't work in a riding so rural.

Shape: 5.7/10 - The combination of the lakes and the southern municipal boundaries knocks this down quite a bit. Props to the clean lines on the north and west.

Individuality: 4.7/10 - I love how chaotic it was in the 90's, but other than that, it really isn't too different from the other rural prairie ridings.

Total: 17.2/30 (57.3%)

No post tomorrow, going to a friend's place in rural Ontario (wish me luck). Also this gives the judicial recount some extra time, because the next time I talk to you, we'll be in Davenport!

Dartmouth—Cole Harbour (Nova Scotia) 78/338

 Dartmouth—Cole Harbour (Nova Scotia)

Today we're in Nova Scotia with Dartmouth—Cole Harbour!

Dartmouth—Cole Harbour has existed as a riding since 2004. The population was 92,301 in 2016. The riding consists of the Dartmouth and Cole Harbour communities of Halifax (403,131 in 2016, shared with 3 other ridings. This riding is the second smallest in Atlantic Canada, second only to Charlottetown.

Politically, this seat has typically been a Liberal seat, however it isn't unheard of it for it to go to the NDP. Specifically, it was NDP from 1997-2004 and from 2011-2015. From 1997-2004, Alexa McDonough was the NDP leader, who held her seat in Halifax. From 2011-2015, this was the extra seat the NDP got after the Liberal collapse. This seat is currently held by Liberal MP Darren Fisher.

Provincially, this seat is split between the Liberals, NDP, and Progressive Conservatives. The smallest margin was 4.3% in Dartmouth East, which the Progressive Conservatives won. It was this type of seat where the Progressive Conservatives won their majority. 6 seats that the PC's won were by less than 5 points, seats that, if flipped to the second place Liberals, would provide a 25-23-6-1 PC minority. In 2019, this seat was 9/11 in Nova Scotia and 169/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 9.7/10 - Basically perfect. Dartmouth is most of the riding, but I understand why they added in the Cole Harbour there.

Shape: 7.1/10 - Municipal boundaries are mostly followed, although I'm not a huge fan of the little part at the top, and the municipal boundaries are pretty gross, so they could've been smoothed out.

Individuality: 6.5/10 - Pretty typical urban seat: held by Liberals except for 2011 and maybe once more before that. 

Total: 23.3/30 (77.7%)

Tomorrow, we're back in Manitoba with Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa!

Cypress Hills—Grasslands (Saskatchewan) 77/338

 Cypress Hills—Grasslands (Saskatchewan)

Today we're in southwestern Saskatchewan with Cypress Hills—Grasslands!

Cypress Hills—Grasslands has existed as a riding since 1997. The population was 68,353 in 2016. The population centers are Swift Current (16,604 in 2016), Kindersley (4,571 in 2016), and Assiniboia (2,389 in 2016). The riding is named for two parks in the riding, Cypress Hills which stretches across the AB-SK border, and Grasslands National Park located just outside Val Marie.

Politically, this riding has been some flavour of Conservative since 1958, only really getting close to flipping in 1968 and 1993. 1993 in particular there were only 825 votes separating the Reform Party and the Liberal Party. The last time a non-conservative got over 20% in the riding was 2011 for the NDP and 1997 for the Liberals. The riding is currently represented by Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer.

Quick fun facts: Despite not running a campaign or a local candidate, the Liberals still got second place in a polling division in Gravelbourg, which is thanks to the loyalty of elderly French-Canadians to the Liberals. While Saskatchewan is the birthplace of CCF/NDP, Swift Current has only elected a CCF MP once, in 1945 when the party swept the province. In 2019, this seat was 13/14 in Saskatchewan and 329/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 8.4/10 - I appreciate ridings named after geography/parks I guess. Maybe something regarding the towns? 

Shape: 9.2/10 - Very good, but whoever put that little hook in the southeast, I don't care if it follows municipal boundaries, I still don't like you.

Individuality: 3.6/10 - It is interesting how close it was in those two elections, but at this point with our polarization, the riding is grouped in with the rest of the rural prairie seats.

Total: 21.2/30 (70.7%)

Tomorrow we're in Nova Scotia with Dartmouth—Cole Harbour!

Cumberland—Colchester (Nova Scotia) 76/338

 Cumberland—Colchester (Nova Scotia) 

Today we're in Nova Scotia with Cumberland—Colchester!

Cumberland—Colchester has existed as a riding since 2004. The population was 80,590 in 2016. The population centers are Truro (12,261 in 2016), Amherst (9,413 in 2016), and Bible Hill (8,913 in 2011). This riding has the only land border in Nova Scotia, connecting the province to New Brunswick.

Politically, this riding typically defaults to Conservatives, however it is easily swayed in wave years, going Liberal in 1993, 2015, and 2019. This was one of two flips in Nova Scotia in 2021, getting very close to flipping in 2019, just 453 votes separating the Liberals and Conservatives. The former MP Lenore Zann was an NDP MLA for Truro from 2009-2019. The riding will be represented by Conservative MP Stephen Ellis.

This riding cannot be mentioned without mentioning Bill Casey. Bill Casey represented the riding from 1988-2019 (with some gaps where he lost re-election or resigned). He was elected under four different banners: Progressive Conservative, Conservative, Independent, and Liberal. He voted against the 2007 budget while part of the governing caucus, which is virtually unheard of. In 2019, this seat was 1/11 in Nova Scotia and 8/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 9.4/10 - I like that it's named after the counties, a smidge long, but the words are there on purpose.

Shape: 8.2/10 - Again it follows the counties, but here I'll give it a bit of flack, not a huge fan of the southwest corner, not generally a fan of river borders.

Individuality: 8.6/10 - Bill Casey is a prime example of why local candidates matter. Especially in the Atlantic.

Total: 26.2/30 (87.3%)

See you tomorrow in Saskatchewan with Cypress Hills—Grasslands!

Cowichan—Malahat—Langford (British Columbia) 75/338

Cowichan—Malahat—Langford (British Columbia)

Today we're still on Vancouver Island with Cowichan—Malahat—Langford!

Cowichan—Malahat—Langford has existed as a riding since the 2012 redistribution, created from Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca and Nanaimo—Cowichan. The population was 108,052 in 2016. The population centers are Langford (35,342 in 2016), North Cowichan (29,676 in 2016), and Duncan (4,944 in 2016). The riding itself has grown by 8.9% from 2011-2016, with Langford experiencing 20.9% growth.

Politically, it is pretty similar to Courtenay—Alberni in the sense that it had been a reliable NDP seat up to 1993, staying in the hands of conservatives until 2004/2011 (depending on which riding you look at). In 2015 and 2019, all four major parties had over 15% support in the riding, which is a testament to how diverse the political landscape is within this riding. The riding is currently represented by NDP MP Alistair MacGregor.

Quick fun facts: Former Premier Dave Barrett represented this seat federally, which is interesting because all of his provincial seats were in the Lower Mainland. Additionally, Premier John Horgan and Green Leader Sonia Furstenau both hold their provincial seats in this riding. Cowichan means the “warm land” in local hul'qumi'num language, and the Cowichan First Nation is the largest first nation in British Columbia. The riding is also the epicenter for the Fairy Creek Old Growth protests. In 2019, this seat was 22/42 in BC and 97/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating: 

Name: 9.2/10 - I actually really like the name, there aren't too many other names it could take. It just is a bit wordy, but not awful.

Shape: 7.4/10 - Pretty good, mostly coastal. Not a huge fan of the suburban Victoria boundaries.

Individuality: 8.8/10 - It's really interesting how diverse the riding is politically, especially 2015. And the notable names are impressive too.

Total: 25.4/30 (84.7%)

Tomorrow we're in the Maritimes with Cumberland—Colchester!

Courtenay—Alberni (British Columbia) 74/338

 Courtenay—Alberni (British Columbia) 

Today we're on Vancouver Island with Courtenay—Alberni!

Courtenay—Alberni has existed as a riding since the 2012 redistribution, created from Vancouver Island North and Nanaimo—Alberni. The population was 114,647 in 2016. The population centers are Courtenay (25,599 in 2016), Port Alberni (17,678 in 2016), and Parksville (12,514 in 2016). Not as populous, but on the west coast of the riding are the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet, which only have about 1,800 people a piece, and are beautiful vacation destinations.

Politically, this seat has been reliably NDP since 2015, but before then, both ridings that this one was created from had been reliably conservative (Reform/Alliance/Conservative), except for when the NDP broke through in 2006, but it was taken back by 2008. Since the NDP took this seat, they have increased their vote share. This seat is currently represented by NDP MP Gord Johns. 

After the NDP collapsed in 1993, they didn't get a seat on Vancouver Island until 2004, which, looking at the map now, you wouldn't think. On the provincial level, this riding is entirely NDP, but they had this riding had the last BC Liberal on Vancouver Island, in the riding of Parksville—Qualicum, which is generally the more Conservative part of the federal riding. In 2019, this seat was 17/42 in BC and 78/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 8.9/10 - I really like the name! Two large municipalities is always a solid bet. I do like the provincial name of Mid Island-Pacific Rim, so I'd be fine with that.

Shape: 6.8/10 - Again, pretty good, but I have a particular issue with the Courtenay-Comox of it all. It is so squiggly, and they are pretty similar communities, so I really don't know why it is split.

Individuality: 6.7/10 - It is pretty crazy how everyone here decided: let's stop voting Conservative and vote NDP. But that is also typical for a lot of the Island.

Total: 22.4/30 (74.7%)

Tomorrow we're one riding south in Cowichan—Malahat—Langford!

Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam (British Columbia) 73/338

 Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam (British Columbia)

Today we're in Greater Vancouver with Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam!

Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam has existed as a riding since 2012, created from Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam. The population was 123,576 in 2016. The population centers are Coquitlam (139,284 in 2016, shared with Port Moody—Coquitlam), Port Coquitlam (58,612 in 2016), and Greater Vancouver A (16,133 in 2016). Greater Vancouver A is the classification of several unincorporated communities (UBC, Barnston Island, Pitt Lake).

Politically, this seat had been represented by a conservative MP from 1993-2015 (barring a by-election in 1998). However, in 2015, the Liberals swung the seat 27 points in their favour, winning by 3 points over the Conservatives. The race was tighter in 2019, just 390 votes separating the Liberals and Conservatives. In 2021, the Liberals had their best result yet, 38.5% above the Conservatives and their 30.3%. The seat is represented by Liberal MP Ron McKinnon.

This seat is a small example of the Liberals and their surge with Chinese communities this election. While this riding isn't as Chinese as Richmond, they still have a sizeable 21% of the population. The Liberals taking seats in Greater Vancouver in 2015 vs. 2021 had different trends: 2015 they made great headway in urban centers, while in 2021 they made very good headway in high Chinese populations, Richmond (which they hadn't won since 2006), Coquitlam, and the more Chinese ridings of Vancouver. In 2019, this seat was 2/42 in BC and 5/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 8.6/10 - It's very good, but it does feel a bit redundant, I guess I'm more annoyed with whoever decided to make the two have such similar names.

Shape: 7.6/10 - Again, it's good, I guess I'm more annoyed with the Electoral Area A part of the riding.

Individuality: 6.7/10 - It is pretty typical of Greater Vancouver to all vote one way, and this riding definitely follows the local trends.

Total: 22.9/30 (76.3%)

Tomorrow we're on Vancouver Island with Courtenay—Alberni!