The Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission is proposing sweeping changes to how Albertans are represented in the legislature, recommending the creation of two new ridings in Calgary and others on Edmonton’s edges while merging several sprawling rural and northern constituencies.In its interim report released this week, the commission said Alberta’s explosive population growth — driven mostly by migration into Calgary, Edmonton, and nearby communities — requires an increase from 87 to 89 electoral divisions. The report calls for new seats in north and east Calgary, as well as in southeast and west Edmonton, which would include the Enoch Cree Nation and adjacent parts of Parkland County.To balance the numbers, several rural areas would lose representation. .Six constituencies in central and western Alberta, including Banff-Kananaskis, Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin, and Lacombe-Ponoka, would be consolidated into five. Seven northern ridings, such as Peace River, Lesser Slave Lake, and Grande Prairie-Wapiti, would shrink to six.The commission noted the fast-growing communities of Cochrane and Airdrie, where a new seat north and west of Calgary is proposed. Edmonton’s downtown ridings would be reduced from six to five because of slower population growth.Justice Dallas Miller, the commission chair, said the proposals aim to balance “effective representation” with Alberta’s urban-rural divide. .“Absolute parity of voters is impossible,” the report stated, emphasizing that rural MLAs face unique challenges due to distance, travel, and communication barriers.The commission also recommended renaming some ridings to better reflect geography or population centres and proposed that the successor to the Lesser Slave Lake constituency, to be called Mackenzie, remain protected under law due to its sparse population and size.Albertans have until December 19 to submit feedback before the final report is tabled in March 2026. Public hearings will be held across the province in January.If adopted, the changes would reshape Alberta’s political map ahead of the next election — tilting representation slightly toward the fast-growing cities while leaving rural voters with larger, harder-to-reach constituencies.
