A sweeping overhaul of Alberta’s political map has left a long list of MLAs facing uncertain futures as the Electoral Boundaries Commission proposes merging, redrawing, or renaming dozens of ridings ahead of the next election.The interim report, released this week, adds two new constituencies to reflect population growth in Calgary and Edmonton while carving up or erasing several rural ridings in the north and central parts of the province. The changes are already sparking concern among MLAs who could lose their home turf entirely.Among the hardest hit are those representing the vast rural north. Central Peace–Notley MLA Todd Loewen and Peace River MLA Dan Williams would see their seats merged into a new constituency called Peace River–Notley, effectively forcing the two to compete for the same territory.The new map also introduces a fresh Mackenzie riding, carved from parts of Peace River and Lesser Slave Lake. That leaves independent MLA Scott Sinclair without a direct replacement for his current seat, which disappears under the proposal..Sinclair has sharply condemned the move, calling it “an attack on democracy.” He argues the plan erases a vital northern voice in the legislature. “This report takes that same disregard for the North and turns it into an attack on democracy,” he said in a statement, adding that the new northern riding “is double the size of the old one and completely removes the Township of Slave Lake from it. It’s absurd.”He also questioned why the commission abandoned the principle of protecting large, sparsely populated ridings under section 15(2) of the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act. “Northerners are angry and worried,” Sinclair said. “The UCP chooses division and control over collaboration and solutions. Time and again, they create conflict instead of solving problems.”Further south, the restructuring of Athabasca–Barrhead–Westlock into multiple ridings — including Slave Lake–Westlock–Athabasca and St. Albert–Sturgeon — upends Glenn van Dijken’s long-time base. It’s a similar story for MLAs in the province’s foothills and mountain corridors, where population growth around Calgary has triggered a series of reconfigurations.Highwood MLA R.J. Sigurdson would see his constituency split between a new Calgary–Okotoks district and a rural High River–Vulcan seat. Premier Danielle Smith’s Brooks–Medicine Hat riding is also on the chopping block, replaced by Medicine Hat–Brooks and Medicine Hat–Cypress. The shift means Smith’s home base will no longer exist under its current name, and neighbouring MLA Justin Wright’s Cypress–Medicine Hat would be absorbed into the new design..Veteran MLA Jason Nixon’s sprawling Rimbey–Rocky Mountain House–Sundre riding would be dismantled and divided among three new constituencies.Jennifer Johnson’s Lacombe–Ponoka would also be split, merging with areas from Wetaskiwin and Maskwacis to create a reconfigured Wetaskiwin–Maskwacis–Ponoka seat.The changes ripple into the bedroom communities west of Edmonton, where Andrew Boitchenko’s Drayton Valley–Devon would be folded into a new Stony Plain–Drayton Valley–Devon riding. Searle Turton’s Spruce Grove–Stony Plain would be divided, creating separate Spruce Grove and Stony Plain–Drayton Valley–Devon constituencies.St. Albert’s Marie Renaud would see her riding sliced in two, with a second St. Albert–Sturgeon seat emerging to cover the city’s northern fringe. Morinville–St. Albert MLA Dale Nally’s district would vanish entirely, absorbed into that new configuration. Even Sherwood Park, long a stable seat, would face significant boundary adjustments spilling into Strathcona County and neighbouring St. Albert.Rural Alberta isn’t the only area affected. The addition of two new urban ridings forces reshuffles across Calgary and Edmonton, where multiple MLAs could find their boundaries — and their voter bases — shifted. Calgary gains the equivalent of an extra seat through the creation of ridings such as Nose Creek and Calgary–West Elbow Valley, while Edmonton adds a new district on the western edge around Enoch. In both cities, roughly half the constituencies will see modest tweaks to boundaries while others get entirely new names..In Calgary’s rapidly expanding south, seats like Calgary–Hays, Calgary–Elbow, and Calgary–West would be replaced or partially merged. Calgary–Elbow and Calgary–West MLAs Samir Kayande and Mike Ellis could see their districts rebranded under the new Calgary–West Elbow Valley map. Infrastructure Minister Ric McIver’s long-held Calgary–Hays is also redrawn, with pieces shifting into neighbouring ridings.The commission said the goal was to balance population disparities. Some rural ridings had fewer than half as many voters as urban ones. “The goal is to achieve fair and effective representation for all Albertans,” the interim report stated. That means rural areas, which once benefited from smaller constituencies due to vast geography, will now be consolidated, while Calgary and Edmonton each gain representation.The proposed changes also carry political implications. Many of the affected MLAs are members of the United Conservatives, who dominate the rural map but face tighter urban competition from the NDP. Merging two or more UCP-held ridings means at least one incumbent could be left without a seat to contest, potentially setting up nomination battles between sitting government members.In the Peace Country, that tension could be especially sharp. Loewen, who sits in cabinet, and Williams, another UCP MLA, both hail from regions slated to merge. Their potential overlap in the proposed Peace River–Notley district could ignite one of the most competitive rural nomination races in years..The NDP, meanwhile, faces its own challenges in the cities. While most Edmonton ridings keep their core intact, name changes like Edmonton Glenora–Riverview and Edmonton West Enoch could alter the political calculus. In Calgary, where the party currently holds a handful of seats, new boundaries could tilt some swing areas back toward the UCP or make others more competitive.Political observers say the shakeup is the most significant since the 2017 redistribution that cut 11 ridings and redrew almost every map in the province. “This one fundamentally rebalances the province around the growth corridors,” one longtime strategist said. “Rural MLAs are the biggest losers. The cities are the winners because that’s where the population is.”The redistribution also highlights a geographic divide that has dogged Alberta politics for years. In the north, some constituencies sprawl across thousands of square kilometres, while city MLAs represent areas that could be crossed in 10 minutes. The commission acknowledged that difficulty but said voter equality must remain the top priority.Despite the sweeping changes, not every MLA faces turmoil. Seats such as Fort Saskatchewan–Vegreville, Taber–Warner, Lethbridge East and West, and Drumheller–Stettler remain largely intact, with only minor adjustments to balance populations. Most of Calgary’s and Edmonton’s inner-city districts keep their general outlines, even if their names shift slightly. For those MLAs, the impact is expected to be low..The report also identifies several renamed ridings that reflect local identities or geographic markers, part of a trend toward simplification. Olds–Didsbury–Three Hills becomes Mountain View–Kneehill, and Innisfail–Sylvan Lake becomes Sylvan Lake–Innisfail. Others, such as Wetaskiwin–Maskwacis–Ponoka, combine communities to better represent Indigenous and rural populations in shared regions.The interim report is not final. The commission will hold public hearings through the winter and deliver its final recommendations by March 2026. The government must then decide whether to adopt the new map in full or modify it before the next election, expected in 2027.Still, the writing is on the wall for many current MLAs: several will soon find themselves competing for new turf — or out of a job altogether. The reshuffle will test the United Conservatives’ ability to manage internal rivalries and the NDP’s capacity to adapt to newly drawn battlegrounds in the cities.For now, Alberta’s political class is poring over the maps and calculating the odds. “Every redistribution creates winners and losers,” said one senior UCP source. “This one just happens to create more losers than usual.”The commission’s maps and detailed constituency boundaries are available on the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission’s website. Public submissions are open until early 2026, giving voters a chance to weigh in before the new ridings are finalized.
