Photo: Johntwrl · Public domainAt 69%, 2021 turnout in Edmonton Strathcona beat 91% of the country’s ridings
City council runs Forest Heights, and Edmonton’s mayor is Andrew Knack. The Legislative Assembly of Alberta’s riding map carries non-commercial terms, so Forest Heights isn’t placed in a riding here. The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Forest Heights is Edmonton Strathcona, and Heather McPherson (New Democratic Party) represents it in the House of Commons.
What stands out in how Forest Heights is governed
A safe federal seat
In 2021 the winner in Edmonton Strathcona led the runner-up (Conservative Party of Canada) by 35.2 points, a wider gap than in 84% of Canada’s 338 ridings. How Forest Heights has voted ↓
High federal turnout
At the 2021 federal election, Edmonton Strathcona out-voted 91% of the country’s ridings. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Forest Heights is governed by Edmonton, with Alberta and Ottawa.
The city council decides local matters.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
assembly.ab.ca ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
No county or regional government sits above Edmonton’s council; Division No. 11 is only a census division, a unit for statistics.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Forest Heights, from the most recent elections.
- 1Edmonton councilelectedAndrew Knack
- 2Legislative Assembly of Alberta–
- 3House of CommonsEdmonton Strathcona
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
When Forest Heights votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Edmonton council | 20 October 2025 | 15 October 2029 |
| Legislative Assembly of Alberta | 29 May 2023 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
No open copy of the 2025 counts exists, and Elections Canada’s own terms rule out commercial reuse, so 2021 is the last vote shown. Elected on 20 October 2025, Edmonton council is up again on 15 October 2029. Edmonton votes next on 15 October 2029: the Local Authorities Election Act sets municipal elections on the third Monday in October every four years. Provincially the last general election was on 29 May 2023, for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta; federally, on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta: riding not placed
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MLA.
Find your MLA on the legislature’s site
assembly.ab.ca ↗Legislatures: their own member pages
Heather McPherson represents Edmonton Strathcona in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Edmonton Strathcona · New Democratic Party · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Conservative Party of Canada33
- Liberal Party of Canada3
- New Democratic Party1
As Wikidata records them.
In Alberta, Heather McPherson belongs to a minority: the New Democratic Party has 1 of 37 seats, the Conservative Party of Canada 33.
The MP’s record
Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Edmonton Strathcona puts the New Democratic Party first at 58%; Heather McPherson held it for the party in 2025. First elected in 2019, Heather McPherson is serving the 3rd term of a Commons career.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
In 2021, Edmonton Strathcona re-elected Heather McPherson of the New Democratic Party
Edmonton Strathcona as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025.
Heather McPherson was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 47%. Heather McPherson (New Democratic Party) took Edmonton Strathcona in 2021 with 61% of the vote, 18,380 votes ahead of Tunde Obasan (Conservative Party of Canada).
All 6 candidates in Edmonton Strathcona, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heather McPherson | New Democratic Party | 31,690 | 60.7% |
| Tunde Obasan | Conservative Party of Canada | 13,310 | 25.5% |
| Hibo Mohamed | Liberal Party of Canada | 3,948 | 7.6% |
| Wes Janke | People's Party of Canada | 2,366 | 4.5% |
| Kelly Green | Green Party of Canada | 634 | 1.2% |
| Malcolm Stinson | Libertarian Party of Canada | 275 | 0.5% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Edmonton council spends less per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Alberta’s municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Full-time staff number 11,598, about 9.4 to every thousand residents. Spending by Edmonton council came to $3,085 a resident in 2024, under the $3,457 median of Alberta’s municipalities. At 30% of spending ($935 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 45% of revenue, against 44% across the province’s returns. At $3,528 per resident, Edmonton council’s $4.4 billion of long-term debt is more than the $745 median.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $1.2 billion | $935 | 30% |
| Police, fire and protection | $909.2M | $734 | 24% |
| General government | $625.1M | $505 | 16% |
| Recreation and culture | $531.2M | $429 | 14% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $240.1M | $194 | 6% |
| Planning and development | $202M | $163 | 5% |
| Social housing | $81.9M | $66 | 2% |
| Social services and child care | $73.1M | $59 | 2% |
Money: municipal financial and statistical data 2024, Alberta Municipal Affairs. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Alberta. Residents: Statistics Canada, 2025 estimate.
Having a say in how Forest Heights is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.ab.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Council money. Alberta’s 2024 municipal financial returns, per resident with Statistics Canada’s 2025 population estimate.
- Election results. The 2019 and 2021 figures are Elections Canada’s official counts on the ridings drawn in 2013; the “today’s boundaries” figures are its transposition of the 2021 vote onto the 2023 ridings, an estimate built from polling divisions.
- Who holds each seat. Wikidata, edited by volunteers, is the source for each MP, and it can trail a change of seat by a little.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
Questions about how Forest Heights is run
Who is the MP for Forest Heights?
Edmonton Strathcona’s MP, Heather McPherson of the New Democratic Party, represents Forest Heights.
Which party won Forest Heights in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Heather McPherson (New Democratic Party), who represents Edmonton Strathcona still.
Who is the MLA for Forest Heights?
Forest Heights’ riding isn’t placed on this page; the Legislative Assembly of Alberta’s members page lists every MLA by riding.
Who heads the council in Edmonton?
The mayor is Andrew Knack, who chairs Edmonton council.
How much does Edmonton council spend?
Edmonton council spent $3.8 billion in 2024 for about 1,238,295 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $1.2 billion.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Money: municipal financial and statistical data 2024, Alberta Municipal Affairs. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Alberta. Residents: Statistics Canada, 2025 estimate. · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).