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Which riding do you live in — Chilliwack or Chilliwack-Kent?

Understanding one small and condensed riding vs. one large and sprawling riding
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Part of the riding map showing Chilliwack-Kent electoral district, courtesy of Elections BC.

Before you know who to vote for, you have to know what your options are.

And that can cause confusion for some in Chilliwack, as there are two electoral ridings that cover the city. Electoral areas were redistributed in 2015 to balance out population numbers.

For new voters in the riding, here is a guide to which riding you could live in. For those living along borders of the ridings, a searchable database is also available through Elections BC (click here).

The Chilliwack riding is physically small at 146 km2, but encompasses some of the most populated areas of the city. It begins in Yarrow and reaches all the way to the far ends of Fairfield Island. Border roads on the east include Lickman, Vedder, Prest, Reeves and Jesperson. The riding has been a BC Liberal stronghold for the past three decades, with John Martin as the most recent MLA, serving since 2013.

By contrast, the Chilliwack-Kent riding is enormous at 3,186 km2. It begins at the U.S. border near Cultus and Chilliwack Lakes, includes Garrison and Promontory, and skirts to east of the Chilliwack riding and includes the communities of Rosedale, Bridal Falls, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs and Sts’ailes, ending near the far end of Harrison Lake. Hope is included in a third riding, the Fraser-Nicola Electoral District.

The Chilliwack-Kent riding has also been a stronghold for the BC Liberals since Barry Penner was elected in 2001 (He was the Chilliwack MLA before that). The NDP briefly held the riding from 2011 to 2013, with Gwen O’Mahony as MLA.

BC Liberal Laurie Throness has served the riding since 2013.

The Elections BC ‘Find Your Riding’ tools include maps for the whole province, and an Electoral District Explorer where you can input your address.

Elections BC will be releasing a finalized list of candidates for all ridings in B.C. on Oct. 2. Follow this website for full election coverage.

22863397_web1_200930-CPL-Which-Riding-Are-You-In-maps_1
The riding map showing Chilliwack electoral district, courtesy of Elections BC.
22863397_web1_200930-CPL-Which-Riding-Are-You-In-maps_2
The riding map showing Chilliwack-Kent electoral district, courtesy of Elections BC.


Jessica Peters

About the Author: Jessica Peters

I began my career in 1999, covering communities across the Fraser Valley ever since.
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