Canada is a vast country. Federal ridings vary not only in terms of size and population, but also in terms of the views, concerns and needs of each constituency. Members representing large and geographically complex constituencies face unique challenges because of the distances they span, an often atypical population distribution, and limited transportation and communication networks. In some constituencies, reaching constituents requires hundreds of kilometres of travel.

Recognizing the needs of larger and more remote constituencies

Members representing large or remote constituencies may require additional resources to offer the same level of service as their counterparts. A Geographic Supplement is currently added to 158 Members’ operating budgets in acknowledgement of the special needs of larger ridings covering an area of 500 km² or more. Also, Members who represent areas of the country where the transportation and communication infrastructures may be limited (there are 35 such constituencies listed in Schedule 3 of the Canada Elections Act, including the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut ridings) receive an additional supplement.

• Learn more about the budgets and resources allocated to Members of Parliament in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual

Members can rely on the support of employees in their constituency offices to help them perform a number of functions, such as:

• providing assistance and advice to constituents regarding access to federal programs and services;
• advocating for local interest groups;
• communicating the party’s policies and priorities (where applicable);
• playing an active community role and attending community events; and
• gathering information about the needs of their region and communicating these needs to government.

Supporting heavily populated areas

Urban ridings have their own particular concerns, such as high housing costs, varied socioeconomic conditions, and immigration or settlement issues.

Representing ridings with dense populations and diverse needs can be a tall order for Members and their constituency office staff. A graduated elector supplement is accordingly added to a Member’s operating budget when there are 70,000 electors or more on the final lists of electors for that Member’s constituency, as published by the Chief Electoral Officer after an election.

Redistribution of ridings

As populations move and change, the boundaries of Canada’s constituencies are revised to reflect this. In accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, Canadian ridings are reviewed and adjusted after each decennial (10-year) census to reflect changes and movements in the population.

The last redistribution effort began in 2012, with data from the 2011 census, and resulted in a representation order that saw Canada’s total number of constituencies increase from 308 to 338. These new ridings came into effect in the first federal election called after May 1, 2014, the federal election of October 19, 2015. The next census is taking place in 2021.