Lethbridge County shares concerns over interim electoral boundary report

Posted on January 15, 2026 by admin

By Kristine Jean
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Since the release of the province’s Interim Electoral Boundaries Report at the end of October, individuals, organizations and municipalities across the province – including those in Southern Alberta – have been considering the proposed changes and potential impact of the new boundaries and what it could mean for residents and the region.  

Under the changes, the local region could  see significant changes under a newly formed Livingstone-Macleod boundary area, that will potentially include such places as Pincher Creek, Fort Macleod, Nobleford, Nanton, Picture Butte, Coalhurst and Coaldale, among other municipalities in the electoral boundary.  

Many of these communities are currently served under the provincial ridings of Taber-Warner and Cardston-Siksika. 

The proposed electoral boundaries for this area include two options – Option A and Option B, according to maps depicting the proposed changes on the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission website http://www.abebc.ca. 

The Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission is an independent commission established under the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act to review the existing electoral boundaries, following “changes to provincial law in the Fall of 2024 increased the number of constituencies from 87 to 89 for the general election.” 

The proposed Livingstone-Macleod boundary is only one of nine electoral divisions that have the two map options providing different boundary lines.  

Some municipalities are sharing concerns with the proposed electoral boundary changes, including Lethbridge County. They recently discussed the proposed changes among councillors at a regular council meeting and Lethbridge County Reeve Tory Campbell is sharing his views, pointing out several pros and cons to the proposed boundary changes.  

“The proposed two options (A and B) both see Lethbridge County losing an MLA, which is obviously concerning to council, as we are currently represented by two MLAs,” said Campbell. “We feel closely aligned with the MD of Taber and the County of Warner, we share many of the same challenges and opportunities, so it’s unfortunate we will no longer be a part of the same riding,” he added, noting County council feels Option B is a more appealing option, as it covers a slightly smaller geographic area. “The larger the riding is geographically, the more challenging it becomes for the MLA to be present. We also feel it was a missed opportunity not going down the path of creating hybrid ridings for the City of Lethbridge, including a mix of urban and rural constituents.” 

Campbell said they recently shared their concerns with the Commission in a written submission. Submissions had to be received by the Dec. 19 deadline. 

In providing feedback on the interim report, Campbell noted several areas that stood out for him that he feels need to be addressed, moving forward.   

“There continues to be challenges bridging rural and urban municipalities in Alberta. Creating ridings that include both urbans and rurals could potentially help build unity and lead to greater collaboration, as opposed to building silos,” said Campbell. “While representing the uniqueness that is rural Alberta is important, it’s crucial that we find ways to connect and work together for the greater good.”