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Across British Columbia, according to the 2001 Canada census, 13.6% of residents are 65 years or older. But in five ridings, more than one-in-five residents are seniors, and in another eight ridings, more than one-in-six.
Seniors represent an ever greater proportion of the voting-age population, which includes those 18 years old and above. For example, 36,615 people were registered to vote in Penticton-Okanagan Valley in 2001. That same year, the riding’s seniors’ population was 14,170, or nearly 39% of registered voters.
On top of that, studies show that seniors are more likely to participate in elections than younger people, so it is likely that in almost two-dozen B.C. ridings, seniors represent between a quarter and half of all probable voters.
Health care, crime and other issues of special importance to B.C. seniors, may play a significant role in determining the outcome in ridings with a large seniors’ populations.
TABLE -- British Columbia’s 20 largest ridings in terms of proportion of seniors.
- 1. Penticton-Okanagan Valley — 14,170 seniors (25.1% of the total population)
- 2. Surrey-White Rock — 12,250 (23.2%)
- 3. Saanich North and the Islands — 11,475 (21.8%)
- 4. Oak Bay-Gordon Head — 10,055 (21.0%)
- 5. Nanaimo-Parksville — 11,230 (20.0%)
- 6. Kelowna-Mission — 10,690 (19.4%)
- 7. Victoria-Beacon Hill — 9,425 (19.1%)
- 8. West Vancouver-Capilano — 9,335 (19.1%)
- 9. Okanagan-Westside — 9,115 (19.1%)
- 10. Shuswap — 8,780 (17.8%)
- 11. Alberni-Qualicum — 9,040 (17.8%)
- 12. Powell River-Sunshine Coast — 7,730 (17.0%)
- 13. Okanagan-Vernon — 9,660 (17.0%)
- 14. Cowichan-Ladysmith — 8,260 (16.2%)
- 15. West Kootenay-Boundary — 7,175 (16.0%)
- 16. Comox Valley — 8,530 (15.4%)
- 17. Saanich South — 7,655 (15.4%)
- 18. Abbotsford-Clayburn — 6,870 (15.3%)
- 19. Yale-Lillooet — 5,695 (15.3%)
- 20. Kelowna-Lake Country — 8,615 (15.3%)
Check in daily for Battleground BC, Will McMartin’s voting predictions and analysis, exclusive to The Tyee. You can reach him with tips, insights and info at [email protected]