Edmonton Land Annexation

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Consultation has concluded

Aerial view of land along the Anthony Henday that is the subject of Annexation


The City of St. Albert and the City of Edmonton are having discussions regarding the potential annexation of 46± hectares (114± acres) of land along the north side of Anthony Henday Drive Transportation Utility Corridor (TUC) in the City of Edmonton.

The land parcels within Edmonton’s boundaries have become fragmented and are essentially landlocked by the Anthony Henday Drive TUC. If these parcels were to remain within the Edmonton boundary, they would be cost-prohibitive to service; however, they could be easily incorporated within the City of St. Albert boundary and included in the South Riel Area Structure Plan.

It is important to understand that the proposed minor boundary adjustments are not being undertaken for growth purposes. Instead, it cleans up parcels left fragmented by the construction of Anthony Henday Drive. The goal is to adjust St. Albert’s boundary to match the northern boundary of the TUC of Anthony Henday Drive.

The annexation does not change the private ownership of the land being annexed. Development of these lands will remain to be at the cost of the landowner. Development would also be required to meet City of St. Albert regulations once annexed.

Reasons for Annexation

  • If these parcels were to remain in the City of Edmonton; they would be cost-prohibitive to service and develop, as Edmonton would have to extend services across the TUC.
  • As St. Albert’s policies indicate, services are not provided outside of boundaries. These boundary adjustments would allow the identified parcels to be serviced by a connection to existing and proposed servicing from St. Albert.
  • The TUC boundary for Anthony Henday Drive provides a natural and logical boundary between the two municipalities.
  • The parcels identified for annexation could easily be incorporated into the existing South Riel Area Structure Plan.


The City of St. Albert and the City of Edmonton are having discussions regarding the potential annexation of 46± hectares (114± acres) of land along the north side of Anthony Henday Drive Transportation Utility Corridor (TUC) in the City of Edmonton.

The land parcels within Edmonton’s boundaries have become fragmented and are essentially landlocked by the Anthony Henday Drive TUC. If these parcels were to remain within the Edmonton boundary, they would be cost-prohibitive to service; however, they could be easily incorporated within the City of St. Albert boundary and included in the South Riel Area Structure Plan.

It is important to understand that the proposed minor boundary adjustments are not being undertaken for growth purposes. Instead, it cleans up parcels left fragmented by the construction of Anthony Henday Drive. The goal is to adjust St. Albert’s boundary to match the northern boundary of the TUC of Anthony Henday Drive.

The annexation does not change the private ownership of the land being annexed. Development of these lands will remain to be at the cost of the landowner. Development would also be required to meet City of St. Albert regulations once annexed.

Reasons for Annexation

  • If these parcels were to remain in the City of Edmonton; they would be cost-prohibitive to service and develop, as Edmonton would have to extend services across the TUC.
  • As St. Albert’s policies indicate, services are not provided outside of boundaries. These boundary adjustments would allow the identified parcels to be serviced by a connection to existing and proposed servicing from St. Albert.
  • The TUC boundary for Anthony Henday Drive provides a natural and logical boundary between the two municipalities.
  • The parcels identified for annexation could easily be incorporated into the existing South Riel Area Structure Plan.
Consultation has concluded

  • Project Update: Withdrawal of Intent to Annex lands from the City of Edmonton

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    A second engagement session with landowners was held on January 20, 2022. Administration collected feedback from landowners at the engagement sessions and through written and verbal communication many landowners expressed they were not supportive of the annexation.

    Additionally, the original intent of the annexation was to undertake a straight-forward boundary adjustment in partnership with the City of Edmonton (COE) to annex ‘stranded’ parcels between the Anthony Henday Drive Transportation Utility Corridor and the south boundary of the City of St. Albert.

    A key factor supporting the boundary adjustment was the difficulty and costs that COE faced with infrastructure in servicing of these parcels, which could lead to poor development opportunities for the landowners over the long term.

    It was recently learned that EPCOR has a water main running through the annexation area that can service the majority of privately owned land within the annexation boundary. Therefore, at this time, the City of St. Albert has decided to withdraw the Notice of Intent to Annex. On May 2, 2022, the City of St. Albert Council passed the following motion: “That Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to take the necessary actions to withdraw the Notice of Intent to Annex land from the City of Edmonton.”

    Thank you for your feedback and participation in this project.

  • Project Update:

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    In 2016, the City of St. Albert began the process of annexing the lands along the north side of Anthony Henday Drive Transportation Utility Corridor (TUC) from the City of Edmonton. In 2021, the project was resumed, after a significant annexation with Sturgeon County was completed.

    In March 2021 the City of St. Albert submitted a revised intent to annex land, to the Municipal Government Board and began the formal annexation process. This included a public consultation plan.

    • On April 13, 2021 a virtual open house was held for landowners and interested parties. Both Edmonton and St. Albert project teams heard from landowners in the area expressing concerns about the potential annexation.
    • Many concerns specifically regarded the existence of an EPCOR water line, in which private landowners had recently paid to connect to.
    • Private landowners also expressed concerns about future levies if annexed by the City of St. Albert.
    On May 5, 2021, City of Edmonton Council rezoned a parcel within the proposed annexation area from agriculture to medium industrial.

    As a result of the information and feedback received from the virtual open house, the project team from the City of St. Albert provided an in-camera update to St. Albert Council on the state of the project on May 17, 2021.

    The City of St. Albert is beginning further engagement with key stakeholders throughout January 2022. The City encourages feedback and questions on this forum throughout this process.

    Next Steps:

    • The City of Edmonton and the City of St. Albert continue to collaborate on a variety of intermunicipal and regional projects, and will also be pursuing the creation of an Intermunicipal Planning Framework.