In a bold new exercise in cartographic absurdity, Alberta ministers have floated a proposal to redraw southwestern Alberta into four hybrid rural-urban ridings, effectively stapling together places that have nothing in common except mutual disdain. Picture it: ranchers in Pincher Creek and condo owners in Lethbridge forced to nod politely at each other while pretending they agree on anything beyond potholes.
Officials framed the move as a “creative solution to population balance,” though critics noted it looks more like a hostage-exchange program for voters. One proposed boundary would see a single MLA tasked with representing both downtown apartment dwellers and a herd of suspicious cattle.
Analysts warn democracy may not survive the ride. “It’s less representation and more psychological warfare,” sighed one political scientist. Still, the government insists it’s all about efficiency, after all, nothing screams efficiency like drawing electoral maps that look like a Rorschach test with abandonment issues.
