Photo: Xz1303 · CC BY-SA 3.0John Barlow won Foothills by 37,339 votes in 2021, a wider lead than in 98% of Canada’s ridings
Okotoks is a town by Statistics Canada’s count of municipalities. In Alberta, councils aren’t on any open list we can use, so Okotoks’ mayor isn’t named. Okotoks’ riding for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta can’t be shown, because the province’s boundary file is licensed for non-commercial use only. Okotoks sends one MP to Ottawa from Foothills, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): John Barlow (Conservative Party of Canada).
What stands out in how Okotoks is governed
Low spending per resident
Most of Alberta’s municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Okotoks council: 82% of them. Council money ↓
A safe federal seat
In 2021, 58.2 points separated first and second (New Democratic Party) in Foothills, more than in 98% of the 338 ridings. How Okotoks has voted ↓
High federal turnout
Fewer electors stayed home in Foothills than in 97% of Canada’s ridings at the 2021 election. 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
Okotoks, a town in Alberta, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
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.
There is no county government over Okotoks; Division No. 6 is a census division, not a council.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Okotoks, from the most recent elections.
- 1Okotoks councilTown
- 2Legislative Assembly of Alberta–
- 3House of CommonsFoothills
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 Okotoks votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Okotoks council | 20 October 2025 | 15 October 2029 |
| Legislative Assembly of Alberta | 29 May 2023 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Elections Canada’s open records end with the 2021 election; its 2025 results are under terms that rule out commercial use. Parliament was last elected on 28 April 2025, and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on 29 May 2023. Elected on 20 October 2025, Okotoks council is up again on 15 October 2029. The Local Authorities Election Act sets the day: the third Monday in October every four years.
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
John Barlow represents Foothills in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Foothills · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2014
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Conservative Party of Canada33
- Liberal Party of Canada3
- New Democratic Party1
As Wikidata records them.
In Alberta, 33 of 37 ridings are held by the Conservative Party of Canada, the party John Barlow sits with.
The MP’s record
Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Foothills puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 68%; John Barlow held it for the party in 2025. First elected in 2014, John Barlow is serving the 5th 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, Foothills re-elected John Barlow of the Conservative Party of Canada
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Foothills; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
John Barlow won the 2021 race in Foothills for the Conservative Party of Canada, polling 69% and beating Michelle Traxel (New Democratic Party) by 37,339 votes. 82% had elected John Barlow there in 2019.
All 6 candidates in Foothills, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Barlow | Conservative Party of Canada | 44,456 | 69.2% |
| Michelle Traxel | New Democratic Party | 7,117 | 11.1% |
| Daniel Hunter | People's Party of Canada | 5,111 | 8.0% |
| Paula Shimp | Liberal Party of Canada | 4,441 | 6.9% |
| Josh Wylie | Maverick Party | 2,289 | 3.6% |
| Brett Rogers | Green Party of Canada | 802 | 1.3% |
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
Okotoks 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.
Long-term debt at Okotoks council stood at $21.2M, or $632 a resident, below the $745 median. Taxes on property make up 34% of what comes in, less than the province-wide 44%. No service costs more than recreation and culture, at $586 per resident and 24% of the total. 255 full-time positions are funded, 7.6 per thousand residents. Spending by Okotoks council came to $2,491 a resident in 2024, under the $3,457 median of Alberta’s municipalities.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreation and culture | $19.6M | $586 | 24% |
| Police, fire and protection | $15.2M | $455 | 18% |
| General government | $14.2M | $424 | 17% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $13.3M | $398 | 16% |
| Roads and transit | $12.9M | $387 | 16% |
| Planning and development | $6.1M | $182 | 7% |
| Social services and child care | $1.9M | $58 | 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 Okotoks 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. Where the page says “today’s boundaries”, it means Elections Canada’s estimate of the 2021 vote on the 2023 ridings; every other count is official and on the 2013 map.
- Who holds each seat. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
Questions about how Okotoks is run
Who is the MP for Okotoks?
John Barlow (Conservative Party of Canada) sits for Foothills, the riding Okotoks is in.
Which party won Okotoks in the 2021 federal election?
John Barlow (Conservative Party of Canada) took Foothills in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MLA for Okotoks?
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta lists each MLA with the riding they hold; this page can’t place Okotoks in one.
Who heads the council in Okotoks?
The head of Okotoks’ council isn’t named here; as a town, it publishes its council itself.
How much does Okotoks council spend?
In 2024, Okotoks council spent $83.4M in all, for some 33,482 residents, of which $19.6M went on recreation and culture, the biggest line.
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).