HALIFAX—Nova Scotia is redrawing the electoral map to restore four protected voting districts, which an independent commission recommended to improve representation of Black and Acadian voters.

With the restoration of the constituencies of Argyle, Clare, Richmond and Preston, the number of seats in the legislature will grow from 51 to 55. The changes follow recommendations made in the spring by the electoral boundaries commission, which was formed after the former NDP government controversially removed the four protected districts, attracting a provincial Supreme Court challenge from the Acadian community.

Attorney General and Justice Minister Mark Furey tabled the changes at Province House Wednesday.

He said government followed the commission’s recommendations “to the letter” because of the commission’s extensive public consultation — which included meetings in 24 communities in the fall of 2018 and winter of 2019 — and the high court’s findings.

“The courts have made it very clear that this is an area where government should not interfere in the recommendations of boundary review commissions,” Furey told reporters.

Furey said the changes balance voter parity with effective representation.

The new map will see two Halifax-area ridings divided. Bedford will become Bedford Basin and Bedford South, and part of the Cole Harbour riding will break off and become Cole-Harbour-Dartmouth. According to the commission’s 2019 report, those changes are necessary because of population growth.

Other changes that the government plans to adopt will impact the Queens-Shelburne riding, now set to have a distinct seat for Queens, with Shelburne returning to its more traditional boundaries.

A seat would be created for Guysborough-Tracadie, while Eastern Shore would be removed from the existing configuration and given its own seat. With the return of the Clare seat, the government will create a new district for Digby Annapolis.

The commission considered adding another seat for the Acadian community of Cheticamp in Western Cape Breton, which would have brought the total number of seats to 56. Despite dissenting opinions from four of nine commissioners, the final recommendations did not include a new exceptional seat for the small community.

Furey’s proposed legislation would also digitize electoral boundaries, which he said would bring Nova Scotia “into the 21 century” and ensure electoral information is accessible.

The commission described digital boundaries as a set of data points and lines that can be seen, with the right software, on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Currently, voters can only read a description of the boundaries.

The new electoral map will take effect for the next general election or by the end of March 2020 — whichever comes first.

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