Some voters will find themselves voting for a candidate in a new or renamed riding come federal election time.
Three ridings have been renamed: St. John’s South-Mount Pearl will be known as Cape Spear, Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame becomes Central Newfoundland, and Bonavista-Burin-Trinity will come under the name of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas.
The boundaries for the riding in central are no different, but the other two have been rejigged.
The Cape Spear riding will no longer stretch into Bay Bulls and Witless Bay, but will branch out to include Paradise. Parts of the southern Avalon including St. Mary’s Bay, which currently sits in the Avalon riding, will become part of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas.
MUN political scientist, Amanda Bittner, says there are a few reasons for the slight boundary change.
She says the province has not lost or gained any seats, but population growth in certain areas like Paradise and Conception Bay North prompted them to adjust the boundaries to accommodate the growth and put similar communities in the same riding.
The changes will come into effect once the next federal election is called.