The Queen's Visit - Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Tuesday, May 24, 2005

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About the Alberta Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly is the focal point of our democratic process. It is where laws are passed, policies approved and programs developed, all of which affect our way of life in Alberta. There are 83 members of the Legislative Assembly. They belong to political parties and each represents a different constituency. Following an election the leader of the party having the most seats in the Assembly becomes the Premier and forms a government by choosing a cabinet from among the MLA's in that party. Each cabinet minster is responsible for a government department. The elected members from other parties form the opposition. Their job is to serve as a check on the government, criticizing and suggesting alternatives to its policies. The opposition party with the most seats is the Official Opposition.

Learn more about the Assembly in the Citizen's Guide to the Alberta Legislature.

Legislature Building

Alberta became a province of Canada on September 1st, l905. Construction on the Legislature Building commenced two years later in l907 and was completed by l9l2. The final cost of construction, by 1912, was approximately $2 million (1912 dollars).

The building's location on the bank of the North Saskatchewan River was selected for its physical prominence and for its historical significance. The Legislature Building is located on the former site of Fort Edmonton V, a Hudson's Bay Company fur-trading post.

Learn more about Alberta's Legislature building:

Short online tour
Tour sheet (in 14 languages)