Proposed changes to the territory's ridings have NDP Leader Todd Hardy concerned that rural Yukon's voice could be lowered in the legislature.

Members of the Yukon Electoral District Boundaries Commission released their interim report this morning, proposing 11 ridings in Whitehorse and eight in the communities.

Currently, there are nine ridings outside city boundaries and nine inside the capital city.

While Hardy praised the four-member committee for the work, he pointed to the potential in the proposal to have a majority government elected entirely of Whitehorse-based MLAs.

'That could happen very easily,' the Whitehorse Centre MLA said.

Among the changes proposed, the current Whitehorse West riding and parts of Copperbelt would combine into the Copperbelt North riding.

A new Copperbelt South riding would be made up of other parts of the current Copperbelt and Mount Lorne.

The remaining portions of Mount Lorne would join the Southern Lakes district under a new name of Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes.

New districts in Whitehorse would include Mountainview and Takhini-Kopper King.

The Mountainview riding would be made up of the McIntyre, Valleyview, Granger and Hillcrest subdivisions with Takhini-Kopper King taking on Takhini North, Takhini, Mountainview, Yukon College and the three trailer parks in the area.

No boundary changes are suggested for the ridings of Klondike, Kluane, Lake Laberge, Mayo-Tatchun, Pelly-Nisutlin, Riverdale North, Riverdale South, Vuntut Gwitchin, Watson Lake and Whitehorse Centre.

Hardy said the commission seemed to focus on urban ridings, though he noted he also understands there are constraints in dealing with the number of people.

The rural boundaries can make it difficult for MLAs to cover the distance in the ridings as well as represent varying interests that persist in the rural ridings.

He pointed out the Kaska, for example, are split between two ridings.

And while Teslin, Ross River and Faro are different communities dealing with various issues and views, the three communities all fall into one riding of Pelly-Nisutlin.

The commission also acknowledged the difficulty in dealing with the rural riding as well.

'Unfortunately, the Village of Teslin and the surrounding area is geographically removed from the remainder of the electoral district,' the report reads.

'However, the electoral population of that area has not yet grown to a number that would provide for it to have its own electoral district.'

Teslin and Ross River had traditionally been in the same riding except from 1974 to 1977, it was noted.

'The commission has carefully considered other options, but the electoral populations of these communities do not currently support a different option,' the report states.

While Liberal Leader and Copperbelt riding MLA Arthur Mitchell was still reviewing the documents this morning, he noted with the amount of growth in his riding, it was clear changes would be proposed.

'The increase in the existing electoral population of Copperbelt is an unacceptable 60.81 per cent above average,' the report notes, pointing out additional developments are planned in the area.

Mitchell is planning to study the document, making sure his constituents are aware of the proposals and seeking input on them.

Meanwhile, Premier Dennis Fentie, who serves as the MLA for Watson Lake, hadn't seen the report this morning, but said he will be reviewing it over the next few days.

'It's something we must do,' he said of reviewing the riding boundaries in the territory.

The review contributes to the governance of the territory, he said.

Public meetings will be set in the fall for input on the report. Following the meetings, the commission will submit a final report to the legislature.

The commission is made up of Yukon Supreme Court Justice Leigh Gower, who chairs the group; and former Yukon senator Ione Christensen, former Yukon Employees Union president Dave Hobbis, former MLA and current realtor Dan Lang, and Chief Electoral Officer Jo-Ann Waugh.