BC, Ontario, Alberta Largely Underrepresented in National Politics, Study Finds

Establishing a 350-seat Parliament would address longstanding imbalances in the House of Commons that have historically left Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. with less representation than other provinces, a new report suggests.

The three provinces are underrepresented not only in the House of Commons, but in the Senate as well, while all other provinces are comparatively overrepresented, according to a study by the Calgary-based Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy.

Three provinces have increased their share of Canada’s population since 1949, the study said. Ontario’s population share has risen from 32.6 percent in 1949 to 39 percent in 2025; British Columbia has grown from 8.3 percent to 13.8 percent; and Alberta is up from 6.6 percent to 11.9 percent. Yet that change has never been reflected in either federal chamber.

“Currently, a vote cast in Prince Edward Island is worth three times the vote cast in Alberta in terms of parliamentary representation, while a vote cast in Quebec is worth 1.1 times that of an Albertan,” the study authors said. “The reality is that whether a small number of MPs such as in PEI or a much larger number in Quebec, those imbalances add up, and to the detriment of proper representation in Ontario, BC, and Alberta.”

House of Commons Representation

The report says Alberta has the least House representation among the provinces, with one member of Parliament for every 135,057 residents, based on 2025 population figures. British Columbia has one MP for every 133,077 citizens and Ontario has one MP for every 132,645.

Atlantic Canada, meanwhile, is overrepresented in the federal legislature, the report said. Prince Edward Island has one MP for every 44,820 residents, Newfoundland has one representative for every 77,940, New Brunswick has one parliamentarian per 85,896 and Nova Scotia has one for every 98,148.

Saskatchewan also fares much better, with an MP for every 89,351 people. Manitoba has one representative per 107,430 residents and Quebec has one for every 116,816.

“Political representation in Canada at present is not representative of the actual populations in each province,” the report said, emphasizing that more equitable representation could help to alleviate frustration in some provinces. “One partial remedy to selected Western discontent is to expand the House of Commons to 350 seats but with a permanent cap at that number and regular, strict redistribution by population.”

The report emerges as economic and political grievances have fuelled separatist movements in Canada in recent years, particularly in Alberta. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced a referendum in October that will ask, among other questions, whether Alberta should conduct a binding provincial referendum on separating from Canada.

House Redistribution

​​The study analyzed representation since 1974 and found that under-representation in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. has remained consistent over the decades.

If voters in all provinces were to elect MPs according to population figures, and if the number of MPs from each province were at least equal to its percentage share of Canada’s population, Canadians would have elected 350 MPs in 2025, according to the report. Ontario would gain 12 new seats, British Columbia would receive five more, and Alberta an additional four.

In a House of Commons that aligned more closely with population representation, the number of seats would increase by seven—from the current 343 to 350 seats.

Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta would be given more power in this scenario, gaining 21 seats in total, while the other provinces would lose 14.

“Together, those three provinces in a population-balanced House of Commons would have sent 223 MPs to Ottawa instead of 202,” the authors wrote. “All other provinces would have sent fewer MPs to Parliament, with every Atlantic province and Quebec losing two MPs each, Saskatchewan losing three, and Manitoba one.”

Senate Representation

British Columbia had the lowest representation in the Senate in 2025  relative to its population, with a ratio of 953,720 individuals per senator. Alberta was the next lowest at 826,683 per senator, followed by Ontario at 674,277.

P.E.I., by comparison, had one per 44,820 people, while New Brunswick had one for every 85,896 residents, and Newfoundland and Labrador had one for every 90,930. Nova Scotia had one senator per 107,963, Saskatchewan had one per 208,485, Manitoba had one for every 250,671 citizens, and Quebec had one per 379,651 people.

This means that Western Canada’s senators represent 6.3 times the number of people than that of Atlantic Canadian senators, the report said, adding that reforming the system at that level would be far more difficult.

“The near-unreformable Senate thus makes the case for lower-house reform even stronger,” the authors said, suggesting that Canada should follow the example of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia which “hew closely to the principle of representation by population in their main elected national body.”

‘Meaningful Reform’

The authors concede that decreasing representation for several provinces is “not a middle reform,” but also said it could be crucial for calming the frustrations of Western separatists.

“In a national and constitutional crisis—should separatism soar in one or more Western provinces or revitalize in Quebec—fairness in parliamentary representation should be on the negotiating table,” they wrote.

The study also noted the results of a Leger poll commissioned by the institute. It found that 66 percent  of Canadians thought each MP should represent roughly  the same number of people.

Aristotle Foundation president and lead author Mark Milke said the survey showed that the majority of Canadians are open to “meaningful reform to preserve Canada.”

“If representation is to remain legitimate, it must more closely reflect demographic realities,” he said in a press release.

Retired diplomat and B.C. politician Gordon Campbell said in the report’s foreword that a true democracy is built on the principle of “one person, one vote,” but noted that Canada has gradually strayed from this idea.

The country has experienced considerable democratic advancements since confederation, like extending the vote to women, said Campbell, who was the 35th mayor of Vancouver and the 34th premier of British Columbia. But he added that the distribution of voting power has become imbalanced, favouring a limited number of provinces.

“That founding principle of democracy has been severely eroded in Canada today,” he wrote. “Different citizens in different parts of the country have different rights—whether they are indigenous or non-indigenous, or are considered ‘privileged’ or ‘oppressed.’ When Canadians go to the ballot box and cast a vote, more inequality results: the weight of their vote differs by province, with some worth more and others worth less.”