I was wondering who draws the area a riding encompasses? Is it as badly gerrymandered as districts in the US?
Gerrymandering hasn't been a problem in Canada since redistricting is carried out by regional independent commissions operating under the auspices of Elections Canada. The public gets a say in how ridings are drawn. House Of Commons seats are redrawn once decade and the House adds a couple of more seats due to population growth. However, no province can be left with fewer seats than they had under the British North America Act. So that's why no party can have a real lock on permanent power, unlike in the U.S gerrymandered system. It helps to hold Canada's political parties responsive to the voters.