Alberta Proposes New Banff Jasper Riding That Would Unite the Mountain Parks

Alberta’s independent Electoral Boundaries Commission is proposing a major reconfiguration of provincial political representation in the Rockies, recommending that the current Banff Kananaskis riding be replaced with a newly drawn constituency called Banff Jasper. The report, released in October 2025, would place Banff, Canmore, and Kananaskis in the same provincial riding as Jasper for the first time, a shift that mirrors the current structure of Canada’s federal electoral map.

If adopted, the new riding would bring together the two national park towns and the surrounding mountain communities into a single constituency shaped explicitly by their shared geography and park-based economies. Jasper would be transferred into the riding from West Yellowhead, while areas on the eastern edge of the current Banff Kananaskis district would be redistributed toward Calgary.

The Commission says the realignment responds to demographic changes, community input, and the legal requirement to ensure “effective representation” across Alberta’s 87 seats. “The first change connects Jasper and Banff, two municipalities with significant commonalities,” the report states, noting that both towns operate within national park boundaries, depend heavily on tourism economies, and share similar relationships with the federal government.

The recommendation follows submissions from residents and community leaders across the region, including former Canmore mayor John Borrowman, Banff-Kananaskis MLA Sarah Elmeligi, and several members of the public. Their shared argument, according to the report, emphasized the natural and economic alignment of the mountain park communities.

A Riding Shaped by Mountain Geography

The Commission’s interim report reinforces that theme. “The residents, even those located outside the national parks, are largely industry dependent on the national parks,” it notes. By adding Jasper and several Indigenous reserves, the proposed Banff Jasper riding would expand that shared identity across a much longer north south corridor of the Rockies.

The recommendation also includes rebalancing the eastern edge of the riding. Areas south of Cochrane, east of Highway 22, and north of the Elbow River would no longer fall within the mountain constituency, shifting instead to the proposed Cochrane Springbank riding. Other lands near Calgary’s southwest boundary would be attached to a newly named Calgary West Elbow Valley district.

These adjustments, the Commission argues, are necessary to accommodate rapid population growth around Calgary and to prevent the mountain riding from becoming too large to manage effectively.

A Provincial Map That Starts to Look Federal

For many Bow Valley residents, the proposed Banff Jasper riding may feel familiar. It closely resembles the federal Yellowhead riding, which already groups Banff, Canmore, Jasper, Kananaskis, Improvement District No. 9 (Banff National Park), Improvement District No. 12 (Jasper), and multiple surrounding First Nations reserves into a single federal constituency.

Yellowhead, with a population of roughly 115,000, stretches from the Bow Valley through Clearwater County and into the northern foothills. The provincial map does not extend as far north or east, but the underlying logic is nearly identical. Both maps unify the national park dependent communities under one representative.

This similarity appears intentional. In its rationale, the Commission repeatedly underscores the unique governance model of national parks, where land is federally managed but communities depend heavily on provincial services, labour policy and infrastructure. Aligning Jasper and Banff at the provincial level, the report suggests, ensures that “communities of interest” with shared needs and constraints receive coordinated representation.

Political Implications and Local Response

While the Commission does not comment on partisan impacts, boundary shifts can influence how political representation takes shape. Jasper is currently represented provincially by United Conservative MLA Martin Long as part of the West Yellowhead riding, while Banff Kananaskis is represented by New Democrat MLA Sarah Elmeligi. Bringing these areas together in a single constituency would merge communities that are presently represented by different parties, and adding or removing rural areas can reshape the political centre of gravity within any riding.

Next Steps: Public Feedback Before December 19

The interim report is not final. Albertans have until December 19, 2025, to provide written submissions responding to the proposed boundaries.

Residents can file submissions through the Electoral Boundaries Commission website. The panel will review all feedback before delivering its final report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly by March 28, 2026.