A referendum that would have seen the city of Cranbrook, in B.C.'s southeastern Interior, double in size was defeated Saturday by just 35 votes.
A total of 5,000 people voted on the so-called Eastern Boundary Expansion plan, which would have added about 3,640 hectares by incorporating some private and Crown land east of town, effectively doubling the size of the city.
Proponents argued the city should have some say in how the land is developed, while those opposed said the community was already too large and unwieldy.
Sharon Cross, president of Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook and an opponent of the expansion plan, said she is pleased with the results.
"I'm so proud of our city, our citizens, for standing up and taking control back of the direction of their city."
Cross said she hopes citizens have learned a valuable lesson in defeating the proposal.
"There has been a huge awakening in our community and I think that the citizens are going to stand for what they want to see happen here, rather than just a handful trying to make those decisions."
According to the city's website, Cranbrook has a population of 18,500.
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