By: Pearl Lorentzen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader
Pearl Lorentzen
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Scott Sinclair MLA for Lesser Slave Lake and Town of Slave Lake Mayor Francesca Ward have made public announcements against proposed changes to the provincial electoral boundaries for the Lesser Slave Lake and Peace Regions.
On Oct. 27, the Electoral Boundaries Commission released its report, which includes the removal of the Lesser Slave Lake riding.
Sinclair in a statement emailed to The Leader says, “They’ll justify it with fancy legal language, but the fact remains: Lesser Slave Lake has existed as a riding since 1971 and this report would erase it.”
“As most people already know, I was removed from the UCP Caucus on March 7, 2025 for standing up for Northern Alberta and highlighting the obvious gap in resources and funding allocated to our area,” says Sinclair in his statement. “Now, this report takes that same disregard for the North and turns it into an attack on democracy.”
The area covered by the Lakeside Leader and South Peace News is currently in three provincial ridings – Lesser Slave Lake, Peace River, and Dunvegan – Central Peace – Notley.
Lesser Slave Lake includes all of the communities around Lesser Slave Lake, including High Prairie and Slave Lake, most of Big Lakes County and M.D. of Lesser Slave River, all of the M.D. of Opportunity, and most (if not all) of Northern Sunrise County, and the First Nations and Métis settlements within these borders. This extends north and includes two Tall Cree reserves south of Fort Vermillion.
Peace River, Nampa, and part of the M.D. of Peace are in the Peace River riding which goes all the way to the border with the Northwest Territories.
McLennan, Falher, and Donnelly are in the eastern edge of Dunvegan – Central Peace – Notley which goes west to the BC border.
Sinclair notes that the 2017 electoral boundaries review kept Lesser Slave Lake at the current size. “to protect effective representation in large, sparsely populated areas far from Edmonton.”
“Lesser Slave Lake covered more than 70,000 square kilometers which is two and a half times the size of the Netherlands,” says Sinclair. “This new northern riding they’ve drawn is double that size and completely removes the Township of Slave Lake from it. It’s absurd.”
Sinclair is referring to the proposed MacKenzie riding which includes part of Big Lakes County and the M.D. of Opportunity all the way to the border with the Northwest Territories. However, there is a large section missing, which is the M.D. of Lesser Slave River, Town of Slave Lake, and Sawridge First Nation. High Prairie and the western portion of Big Lakes County are sliced off the west into Peace River – Notley.
Under this new riding, a candidate or MLA would have to drive through the Slave Lake – Athabasca – Westlock riding, to get from Kinuso to Wabsaca.
Why cut a bite out of the bottom of the riding? Also, how is anyone supposed to canvas or support a riding of that size? This also removes most of the First Nations and all of the Métis settlements from High Prairie, Slave Lake, and Peace River, which is where the hospitals are.
Lesser Slave Lake is a region.
Five municipalities and five First Nations in the Lesser Slave Lake region have banded together to form an advocacy group called the Alberta North Central Alliance and the Slave Lake Region Tourism Society. The members are Big Lakes, High Prairie, Slave Lake, Opportunity, Lesser Slave River, Sawridge First Nation, Sucker Creek First Nation, Bigstone Cree Nation, Driftpile Cree Nation, and Swan River First Nation.
First Nations along Lesser Slave Lake have been part of the Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council, for over 50 years.
On October 28, Mayor Ward posted her concerns with the change on social media, saying “recent proposals by the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission signal that our riding is slated to be absorbed into larger northern ridings. I want to make one thing clear: the decisions being made today reflect a government preference for urban-centred policy. Our rural communities—our towns, First Nations, lakeshore communities, forests, and highways—matter just as much. When our riding is merged or diminished, that means fewer seats at the table. Fewer voices from the north. But the rights to our resources, the royalties heading south, the highways through our land—those don’t magically decrease. In fact, they often increase. We must ask: who is really listening when we are merged into larger units? When one MLA is responsible for an enormous geography, how many of our local concerns will be heard?
“This is about equity in representation. It’s about acknowledging that rural Alberta, and northern Alberta in particular, faces unique challenges. Distance, sparse population, infrastructure deficits, remote Indigenous communities—all of these demand tailored representation, not being swallowed into massive ridings where our voice gets lost.”
Sinclair is collecting letters of support for keeping Lesser Slave Lake riding. People can email them to scott.sinclair@assembly.ab.ca.
People can also submit feedback on the proposed boundaries on the Electoral Boundaries Commission’s website, which is https://abebc.ca/.
The proposed Peace River – Notley boundary goes from south of Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement to Fox Creek, and includes Manning, Peace River, High Prairie, Falher, Donnelly, McLennan, and many other communities. This is all of Dunvegan – Central Peace – Notley, a portion of Peace River (Manning to Peace River), and Grande Prairie Smoky. Including Peace River, Grimshaw and area in the same riding makes some sense, but not doubling the size of already large ridings.
The reason these areas are already so large is because of low populations, but there comes a point when a riding covers too much land to make sense. Both the proposed MacKenzie and Peace River – Notley are way too big. Slave Lake – Westlock – Athabasca is a similar size to Lesser Slave River, but it makes no sense for a chuck of the Lesser Slave Lake region to be in another riding.
A second round of public hearings will be held in January 2026. The schedule will be published on abebc.ca on Nov. 24, 2025. People can register online.
www.lakesideleader.com
The proposed new Peace River – Notley riding is two full ridings and a part of another one put together. If the boundaries are changed, the new riding would include the current Dunvegan – Central Peace – Notley, a portion of Peace River (Manning to Peace River), and Grande Prairie – Smoky. Maps courtesy of the Electoral Boundaries Commission
The proposed MacKenzie riding is double the size of the Lesser Slave Lake riding and removes both Slave Lake and High Prairie from the surrounding municipalities, First Nations, and Métis Settlements. Slave Lake is moved into the Slave Lake – Athabasca – Westlock riding. High Prairie is pushed west into Peace River – Notley. Maps courtesy of the Electoral Boundaries Commission
