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!