TAMRMS#: B06
9.3
REQUEST FOR DECISION
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Provincial Electoral Boundaries Review
Presented by: Trevor Duley, Senior Manager, Government/Indigenous Relations and Environment
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RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
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That the Mayor be authorized to submit a letter on behalf of Council to the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission in support of the proposed provincial electoral boundaries for the geographical areas within the City of St. Albert.
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SUMMARY
The 2025-26 Electoral Boundaries Commission has released an interim report inclusive of proposed re-drawings of provincial electoral boundaries. City Administration’s analysis is that the proposal should provide the City with adequate Provincial representation, based upon the criteria the Commission is required to consider.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
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BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Every ten years, Provincial legislation requires that the Government of Alberta appoints an Electoral Boundaries Commission to review provincial electoral boundaries and recommend changes to boundaries based on criteria such as population growth and geographical consideration.
The Commission is composed of subject matter experts, holds public hearings and accepts submissions to solicit feedback as to how the boundaries should be re-drawn. An interim report is published first, then after feedback on the interim report is compiled, a final report is provided for approval in the Provincial Legislature (this final report will be delivered by March 26, 2026). The subsequent Provincial Election, scheduled to occur no later than October 18, 2027, will utilize the new electoral boundaries.
On October 28th, 2025, the Commission published an interim report that showcased proposed re-drawn boundaries across Alberta. In the report, the Commission justified their recommended new boundaries based on a variety of factors:
• Population growth - each electoral district should have a population between 41,198 and 68,662.
• Feedback provided through engagements with rural and urban populations.
• Geographical features, roads, and communities of interest.
For the City of St. Albert, the two proposed electoral boundaries changes are:
• St. Albert Constituency: City lands in recently annexed areas in the North-West have been moved from the Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland district to the St. Albert district. This can largely be considered “post-annexation cleanup,” given that the annexation of these lands occurred after the last Electoral Boundary Commission’s Report in 2016. Other than this, the district’s boundaries remain otherwise unchanged from current.
• St. Albert-Sturgeon Constituency: the Commission has recommended renaming this from its current name. St. Albert-Morinville, with the rationale that it better reflects the communities of Sturgeon County and other towns such as Redwater, Gibbons and Bon Accord. No changes to the border between the St. Albert-Sturgeon and St. Albert districts have been proposed; the border remains as all of Boudreau Road and St. Albert Trail north of Boudreau Road.
Maps comparing the current electoral boundaries with the proposed new boundaries are included as “Attachment 1: Current and Proposed Provincial Electoral Districts” to this report. If adopted as presented, the City would shift from having three Provincial Members of the Legislative Assembly to two.
City Administration has reviewed the proposed changes and recommends that Council support them in writing to the Commission. This assessment is based on the following:
• Given that St. Albert is a mid-sized City with a population larger than the target population for electoral districts, it is required that the City be represented by at least two districts.
o Consequently, ensuring that one of these districts is entirely within the City’s municipal boundaries ensures that St. Albert will have a provincial representative who solely represents St. Albert residents.
• St. Albert’s electoral districts and representation remain largely unchanged from the current structure, which should provide continuity and practicality for the City as well as residents.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
The Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission is accepting written submissions on their Interim Report until December 19, 2025.
IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
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Risks
The 2025-26 Electoral Boundaries Commission’s Interim Report is open for feedback and submissions until December 19th, 2025; this means that the proposed boundaries within their Interim Report could be modified prior to the Commission’s final report being delivered to the Government of Alberta on March 28, 2026.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
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ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
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IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
If Council does not wish to support the recommendation, the following alternatives could be considered:
ALTERNATIVE 1: If Council does not wish to support the proposed new electoral boundaries, Council may amend the motion to “not support” the proposed boundaries through a written submission to the Commission.
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Further discussion may be required with Council prior to December 19th to inform the content of the submission, suggesting changes to the Commission’s current proposal.
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ALTERNATIVE 2: Council may do nothing.
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Risks
Without writing a letter of support and providing feedback to the Commission, the Commission may be unaware and make further changes over the coming months as to how the City will be represented provincially in the future.
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Report Date: December 2, 2025
Author(s): Monty Killoh
Department: Government/Indigenous Relations & Environment
Department Director: Trevor Duley
Managing Director: N/A
Chief Administrative Officer: William Fletcher