Fort McMurray—Cold Lake

Fort McMurray—Cold Lake spans the northeastern corner of Alberta, covering the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the city of Cold Lake, and Lac La Biche County. The riding contains most of the Athabasca oil sands—the largest bitumen deposit in the world—as well as CFB Cold Lake, one of Canada's busiest fighter bases. Fort McMurray, the riding's population centre, serves as the operational hub of Canada's oil sands industry and draws workers from across the country. Cold Lake, on the shore of Alberta's seventh-largest lake near the Saskatchewan border, combines military employment with conventional oil and gas production. Lac La Biche, one of Alberta's oldest established communities, has deep Métis heritage.

Candidates

Laila Goodridge (Conservative) is the incumbent, first elected in 2021. A lifelong Fort McMurray resident, Goodridge previously served as MLA for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche from 2018 to 2021 and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Francophonie under the provincial UCP government. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta's Campus Saint-Jean, is fluently bilingual, and spent several years working in the oil sands before entering politics.

Kaitlyn Staines (Liberal) is a MacEwan University graduate who worked in social media and communications for the Liberal Party of Canada in Ottawa. The party described her as having roots in Alberta and a commitment to improving life for families in the riding.

You-Ju Choi (NDP) is a community activist and labour advocate who works with leaders and organizers across Canada on labour disputes and human rights issues.

Alan Clarke (People's Party), Brian Deheer (Green Party), and Kulbir Chawla (Independent) also stood as candidates in the riding.

About the Riding

Fort McMurray—Cold Lake is defined by the energy industry. The Athabasca oil sands have made the region one of Canada's most economically productive areas, generating tens of billions of dollars in investment and attracting a transient, well-compensated workforce. Fort McMurray's population is younger and more mobile than most Canadian communities, with many residents working rotational schedules and maintaining homes elsewhere. The devastating 2016 wildfire, which forced the evacuation of nearly 90,000 people, remains a defining event for the community, and wildfire preparedness continues to shape local planning.

Cold Lake anchors the riding's eastern end, combining the economic activity of 4 Wing Cold Lake—a primary base for Canada's fighter aircraft fleet—with conventional oil and gas production in the surrounding area. The Cold Lake oil sands deposit, distinct from the Athabasca formation, supports in-situ extraction operations throughout the region. Lac La Biche County, between the two larger centres, includes one of Alberta's oldest Métis settlements and serves as an agricultural and service hub.

In 2025, the US trade dispute generated acute anxiety in a riding whose economy is almost entirely dependent on oil exports to American refineries. Pipeline capacity, market access, and the long-term future of oil sands investment dominated the riding's political conversation. Housing affordability—driven by the boom-and-bust cycle—healthcare access in remote communities, and Indigenous reconciliation with the numerous First Nations within the riding's boundaries were persistent local concerns.