Edmonton—St. Albert

Edmonton—St. Albert was a federal electoral district that combined the City of St. Albert with a band of neighbourhoods in northwestern Edmonton. St. Albert, a prosperous satellite city of approximately 61,000 people in 2011, sat just north of Edmonton's city limits along the Sturgeon River, while the Edmonton portion of the riding took in communities such as Dunluce, Baturyn, Beaumaris, Griesbach, Calder, Rosslyn, and Lauderdale. The riding spanned the transition from Edmonton's mature inner northwest to the well-planned suburban environment of St. Albert.

Candidates

Brent Rathgeber (Conservative) — Rathgeber was a lawyer and Queen's Counsel who had won the Edmonton—St. Albert seat in the 2008 federal election with over sixty-one percent of the vote. Before entering federal politics, he served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Alberta Legislature for Edmonton-Calder from 2001 to 2004, when he was defeated by the NDP's David Eggen. Rathgeber was known for his independent streak and his emphasis on government transparency and accountability. In 2013, he would make national headlines by resigning from the Conservative caucus over what he called the government's lack of commitment to transparency, after his private member's bill on public sector salary disclosure was gutted in committee. He sat as an independent for the remainder of the Parliament.

Brian LaBelle (NDP) — LaBelle was a two-time federal NDP candidate who ran in Edmonton—St. Albert in both 2008 and 2011. He represented the NDP's effort to build support in the riding but finished a distant second in a constituency where the Conservatives held a commanding advantage.

Kevin Taron (Liberal) — Taron ran as the Liberal candidate in Edmonton—St. Albert, where the party had been in decline for years and faced particularly steep headwinds during the 2011 national Liberal collapse.

Peter Johnston (Green Party) — Johnston was the deputy leader of the Green Party of Alberta who ran federally as the Green Party of Canada candidate in Edmonton—St. Albert. He brought provincial Green Party experience to his federal campaign but had little prospect of a breakthrough in this heavily Conservative riding.

About the Riding

Edmonton—St. Albert was anchored by the City of St. Albert, one of the most affluent and highly educated communities in the Edmonton metropolitan area. St. Albert consistently ranked among the best places to live in Canada, with high household incomes, excellent schools, well-maintained parks and trails along the Sturgeon River, and a vibrant arts community. The city attracted young families and professionals who valued its small-city atmosphere while commuting to jobs in Edmonton's downtown core, government offices, or the University of Alberta.

The Edmonton portion of the riding presented a different character, with older, more working-class neighbourhoods in the Calder, Rosslyn, and Lauderdale areas dating from the mid-twentieth century, alongside newer suburban developments in Dunluce and Beaumaris. The former Canadian Forces Base Griesbach had been redeveloped into a large residential community, bringing new families and condominiums to the riding's southeastern corner.

Rathgeber won re-election in 2011 with more than sixty percent of the vote, a strong performance that reflected both his personal popularity and the Conservative Party's dominance across Edmonton's suburban ridings. The NDP finished second in the riding, as they did across most of Edmonton in 2011, but the margin was too wide for the Orange Wave to threaten. St. Albert's educated, affluent electorate had traditionally leaned Conservative, though the city also harboured progressive sentiments on social and environmental issues that would surface in later elections.

Rathgeber's 2013 departure from the Conservative caucus over transparency concerns was a notable political moment, as he became one of the few Conservative MPs to break ranks with the Harper government on principle. He was subsequently recognized by Maclean's magazine as the MP who best represented his constituents, an honour voted on by fellow parliamentarians. The riding was reconfigured in the 2012 redistribution into St. Albert—Edmonton, and Rathgeber ran as an independent in 2015, finishing third behind Conservative Michael Cooper.