St. Albert—Sturgeon River

St. Albert—Sturgeon River is a new federal riding created by the 2022 redistribution, uniting the city of St. Albert—Alberta's sixth-largest city—with Sturgeon County and most of Lac Ste. Anne County to the northwest. With a population of approximately 121,300, the riding stretches from the Edmonton metropolitan fringe west to Sangudo, east to Redwater, and north to Legal, encompassing a mix of affluent suburban, small-town, and rural communities.

The riding includes the towns of Morinville, Bon Accord, Gibbons, Legal, Onoway, and Redwater, as well as the village of Alberta Beach and numerous summer villages around Lac Ste. Anne. The area has historically francophone roots, particularly in communities like Morinville and Legal, reflecting the Oblate missionaries who established St. Albert in 1861 as the oldest non-fortified settlement in Alberta.

Candidates

Michael Cooper (Conservative) has represented the area since 2015 and was seeking a fourth consecutive term. A graduate of the University of Alberta with both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws earned with distinction, he practised as a civil litigator at a leading Edmonton law firm before entering politics. A lifelong St. Albert resident, he has been a vocal advocate for victims of crime and has sponsored legislation including Wynn's Law and Brian's Bill.

Lucia Stachurski (Liberal) was running for political office for the first time after a 25-year career as an accountant within the federal government, working with departments including Health Canada, the Department of Finance, and the Treasury Board.

Dorothy Anderson (NDP) is a Métis woman born in the Gift Lake Métis Settlement. She studied business administration with a marketing focus in Grande Prairie and has lived in St. Albert since 2008.

Brigitte Cecelia (People's Party) ran as the PPC candidate, having previously contested the St. Albert—Edmonton riding for the party in both 2019 and 2021.

Jeff Willerton (Christian Heritage Party) ran as the Christian Heritage Party candidate in the riding.

About the Riding

St. Albert anchors the riding as a prosperous, well-educated city with an average household income roughly 18 percent above the Edmonton regional average. The city has a reputation for strong schools, extensive green spaces, and a vibrant arts community centred on venues like the Arden Theatre. Many St. Albert residents commute to Edmonton for work, giving the city a bedroom-community character despite its own substantial commercial base.

Beyond St. Albert, the riding transitions into a largely rural landscape. Sturgeon County and Lac Ste. Anne County are home to mixed farming operations, acreages, and small service towns. Morinville, the largest town in Sturgeon County, has experienced significant growth as a northern bedroom community for Edmonton. The summer villages around Lac Ste. Anne draw seasonal populations for cottage recreation.

The riding's francophone heritage remains visible in community names, parish churches, and local institutions, though the proportion of French speakers has declined over the decades. The area's Métis history is also significant, with connections to the broader story of western Canada's Indigenous and settler communities.

The 2025 campaign in St. Albert—Sturgeon River reflected the concerns of both its suburban and rural populations. Affordability and housing costs in the Edmonton metropolitan area, healthcare access in rural communities, the impact of U.S. tariffs on Alberta's trade-dependent economy, and federal energy policy were all prominent issues. The riding's mix of affluent suburbanites and rural agricultural communities created a constituency with diverse but overlapping priorities.