Rob Merrifield’s days as Barrhead’s federal representative are numbered.
The long-time Conservative MP said last week he will run again in Yellowhead at the next election – a constituency no longer including Barrhead.
After electoral district boundary changes last year, Barrhead moved into the new Peace River-Westlock riding. So too did Merrifield’s home town, Whitecourt,
It is not a development that pleased Merrifield. In fact, he fiercely opposed the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission decision.
Speaking last Wednesday from the House of Commons in Ottawa, he said the redrawing of Yellowhead was a “terrible mistake” and defied reason.
He viewed towns like Barrhead and Whitecourt as valued members of the Yellowhead family.
“I am very, very upset,” he said.
Merrifield said he had “agonized” over the decision where to run at the next election.
“It is so frustrating to have Barrhead ripped out of your riding,” he said. “It has been a very, very difficult decision to make.”
In a parliamentary report by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, Merrifield’s objection to the proposed boundary changes to Yellowhead and adjacent districts was recorded.
The report said the objection was based on communities of interest and identity and historical patterns.
“Mr. Merrifield informed the Committee that the town of Whitecourt does not belong to the proposed electoral district of Peace River-Westlock as its economic and cultural associations are to the south and east, not to the north,” the report stated. “Mr. Merrifield also explained that a natural geographical gap of forest and farmland separated Whitecourt from the next nearest town to its north, Valleyview, which lies almost 200 kilometres away.”
The report added the boundaries commission stated that the southern counties in the electoral district of Peace River-Westlock were desirable to increase representation in the northwest.
“Mr. Merrifield informed the Committee that contrary to this logic, Whitecourt, Barrhead and Westlock are in fact so large, in comparison to the communities of the northwest, that they would dominate the riding,” the report said.
Last week Merrifield said he could see no rationale for the commission’s decision.
Nevertheless it was something he had to live with.
“It is what it is,” he said, pledging to continue to represent Barrhead until the next election.
Merrifield also vowed to work with Barrhead’s new MP, informing him or her about the area.
“I will be a mentor to make sure Barrhead gets the best representative possible,” he said.
Merrifield was first elected to the House of Commons in 2000 and was reelected in 2004, 2006 and 2008. In 2011, he entered his fifth term in parliament after winning 77 per cent of the vote.
In 2008, Merrifield became Minister of State for Transport, a post he held until May 2011.
Before the ministerial job, he served as chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee for Finance and chair of the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Association. He had previously served on the Health Committee.
Currently he is chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade and a member on the board of Internal Economy, which is governing body of the House of Commons.
Merrifield has also served as chair of the Whitecourt School District Board of Trustees, trustee on the Whitecourt/Fox Creek Hospital Board, a member of the Aspen Regional Health Authority and on the Northern Gateway Regional Division No. 10 School Authority. He was an elected member of the Woodland County Council.
He was raised on a dairy farm outside of Whitecourt and later took over the family farm after meeting his wife Brenda at college.
