By proclamation dated April 16, 2002, an Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission was established for the Province of British Columbia. The task of the Commission is to propose readjustment of the boundaries of federal electoral districts in British Columbia based on the 2001 decennial census.

The 2001 decennial census established the population of the Province of British Columbia at 3,907,738. British Columbia's representation in the House of Commons will be increased to 36 from 34. Therefore, the province must be divided into 36 electoral districts. The population of the province divided by 36 gives an electoral quota, or quotient, for each electoral district in the province of 108,548. The Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act (the Act) mandates in section paragraph 15(1)(a) "... that the Commission "proceed on the basis that the population of each electoral district in the province as a result thereof shall, as close as reasonably possible, correspond to the electoral quota for the province".

Provision is made in the Act for a certain elasticity, in order that such considerations as history, geography and community of interest are given due weight. Thus subsection 15(2) permits the Commission to depart from subsection 15(1) but it must: "make every effort to ensure that, except in circumstances viewed by the commission as being extraordinary, the population of each electoral district in the province remains within twenty-five percent more or twenty-five percent less of the electoral quota for the province."

The Act further requires the Commission to draw up the boundaries as they think appropriate and publish them. Thereafter, the Commission is to conduct public hearings to discuss its proposals.

The substantial growth in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia compared to and corresponding shrinkage in population in the rest of the province, excluding Vancouver Island,interior has made the Commission’s task difficult. The object of the Act is, of course, to have all votes count equally no matter where the voter resides.

The Commission found Vancouver Island’s growth is consistent with the overall average growth of the province, therefore found no need to change its existing 6 electoral districts, except for a minor adjustment between Saanich–Gulf Islands and Esquimalt–Juan de Fuca, due to the reconfiguration of Douglas Street and the Trans-Canada Highway. The population in the 10 electoral districts in the interior of the province divided by the provincial electoral quota, indicated that that area was entitled to 8.8 electoral districts rather than 10. To meet its dictated responsibilities the Commission is proposing the interior receive 9 seats. This means the loss of one 1 seat in the North, namely Cariboo–Chilcotin. The Commission proposes Skeena–Chilcotin as one electoral district which is still 13% percent under the electoral quota. Kootenay–Columbia on the eastern side of the province will be 11.2% percent under the electoral quota. The remaining 7 electoral districts will be within single-digit percentages from the provincial electoral quota.

In the Lower Mainland, Burnaby has been redistributed into 2 electoral districts by combining the northern part of Burnaby to North Vancouver as it was in 1976. The Commission’s proposals also create the 2 new electoral districts of Guildford–Green Timbers and Surrey–Newton. The city of New Westminster city is joined to Surrey North, and Coquitlam joined to Port Coquitlam to form new electoral districts. Adjustments occur to other electoral districts in order to obtain a lesser variance of plus or minus 5 percent of the electoral quota.

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