St. Albert

St. Albert is a city of roughly 66,000 people located immediately northwest of Edmonton, consistently ranked among Canada's best places to live. The riding encompasses the entire city, a self-contained community with its own commercial core, extensive trail network, and distinct civic identity centred on the Sturgeon River valley. St. Albert was one of only a handful of suburban Edmonton seats the NDP held after the 2015 election, with Marie Renaud defeating the long-time PC incumbent. Heading into 2019, the riding attracted a record seven candidates, reflecting its competitive suburban profile as Jason Kenney's United Conservative Party sought to win back seats on Edmonton's periphery.

Candidates

Marie Renaud (NDP) --- Winning her seat in 2015, Renaud brought academic credentials including a university certificate in counselling women from the University of Alberta and a diploma in community disability studies from MacEwan University. Her pre-political career centred on executive leadership of the St. Albert-based Lo-Se-Ca Foundation, a non-profit that provides housing and supports for people with developmental disabilities. She also contributed to the Women's Economic and Business Solutions Society and taught for seven years as an instructor at MacEwan University.

Jeff Wedman (United Conservative) — An Edmonton Police Service officer who spent most of his career as a pilot in the Canadian Forces. Wedman holds a bachelor of arts from Royal Roads Military College and served overseas in Bosnia and Afghanistan before retiring from the military in 2011 to start a career in policing. He formerly served as president of the local Progressive Conservative constituency association and then as interim president of the St. Albert UCP constituency association.

Barry Bailey (Alberta Party) — A St. Albert business owner and resident of more than 20 years. A graduate of NAIT's radio and television arts program, Bailey built a career at Shaw Communications as a producer/director, eventually serving as program manager for the community channel. In 2002, he founded Bailey Event Management. He is the former 2015 chair of the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce.

Kevin McLean (Liberal) --- McLean carried the Liberal banner as the party's nominee in the constituency.

Cameron Jefferies (Green Party) — The Green Party candidate in the riding.

Sheldon Gron (Alberta Independence) — The Alberta Independence Party candidate in the riding.

Don Petruka (Alberta Advantage) — The Alberta Advantage Party candidate in the riding.

Local Issues

The twinning of Ray Gibbon Drive was a long-awaited infrastructure priority. In February 2019, the NDP government announced provincial funding for the project, with the province and the city each contributing $27.1 million toward the $54.2-million cost. St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron said she hoped any incoming government would honour the commitment. The agreement was structured as a contract between the province and the city rather than a budget promise, in an effort to make it durable through a change in government. Residents had pressed for the twinning for years, citing increasing congestion on the north-south arterial that serves as St. Albert's primary connection to Edmonton's northwest.

The future of light rail transit to St. Albert was another significant concern. St. Albert's transportation master plan included a seven-kilometre LRT that would run from the planned terminus of Edmonton's Metro Line north extension up St. Albert Trail, but that vision depended on Edmonton building the northern leg through Castle Downs first. The timeline for Edmonton's Metro Line Northwest extension remained uncertain, and St. Albert residents worried about when—or whether—rail transit would reach the city.

The city also lobbied for a Parent Link centre, noting that St. Albert was one of the few mid-sized Alberta cities without one. Other priorities highlighted by city council for provincial candidates included stable and predictable municipal funding, accessible housing options, and a cannabis revenue-sharing agreement following legalization in October 2018.