Edmonton-Rutherford

Edmonton-Rutherford is a provincial riding in south Edmonton, named after Alexander Rutherford, Alberta's first premier. The riding encompasses a mix of established and rapidly developing neighbourhoods in the city's south end, including Rutherford, Ellerslie, Summerside, Blackburne, Callaghan, Allard, and portions of other communities south of Whitemud Drive. Created in the 1993 boundary redistribution, the riding had historically alternated between Liberal and Progressive Conservative representation. Heading into the 2015 election, the seat was open as the riding did not have an incumbent running under the same banner, with the NDP wave building across Edmonton.

Candidates

Richard Feehan (NDP) — Feehan held a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta, a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Calgary, and a Master of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University. Before entering politics, he worked in a variety of social service roles, including as the program director of the Edmonton Social Planning Council and vice-president of Catholic Social Services in Edmonton. His career in social work spanned decades of community service.

Chris Labossiere (Progressive Conservative) — Labossiere sought to hold the riding for the PCs in a challenging political environment.

Josef Pisa (Wildrose) — Pisa ran as the Wildrose candidate, seeking to build on the party's opposition status.

Michael Chan (Liberal) — Chan ran as the Liberal candidate in the riding.

Local Issues

Edmonton-Rutherford was one of the fastest-growing ridings in the province, with new suburban development pushing south toward Anthony Henday Drive and beyond. This rapid growth strained infrastructure, with residents in newer communities waiting for promised schools, community facilities, and road connections. Traffic congestion along major corridors such as 111 Street and Ellerslie Road was a daily frustration for commuters heading north toward employment centres.

The oil price crash of late 2014 hit many residents who worked in energy-related fields, and the broader economic uncertainty made the cost of living a central campaign issue. Prentice's budget, with its new tax brackets and health levy, drew particular scrutiny from young families in the riding's newer subdivisions who were already stretched by mortgage payments and the costs of establishing households in developing communities.

Health care access was also a concern, as the southern reaches of the riding were distant from major hospital facilities. Residents relied on the Grey Nuns Community Hospital and advocated for expanded urgent care and family physician services in south Edmonton. School overcrowding in newer neighbourhoods, where portable classrooms had become a common sight, was another issue that dominated conversations at the doorstep.