Searle Turton

Searle Turton ECA MLA (born June 23, 1979) is a Canadian politician who serves as the Alberta Minister of Children and Family Services. He represents the electoral district of Spruce Grove-Stony Plain in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, having been first elected in the 2019 Alberta general election and re-elected in 2023.

Early Life and education Turton was born on June 23, 1979, in Regina, Saskatchewan. He graduated from high school in Spruce Grove and has been a resident of the Spruce Grove-Stony Plain constituency for over two decades.

Pre-political career Before entering politics, Turton worked in both the technology and construction sectors. He worked in technology sales for Ricoh Canada, where he specialized in implementing document control systems.

Among the key projects Turton cited as highlights of his time on council were helping bring the Border Paving Athletic Centre to life and the development of a splash park. In his farewell address to council in 2019, Turton stated: "Thousands of kids for generations will use that, and obviously as mayor Houston alluded to, a splash park, and providing free spontaneous recreational choices for young families. That was important to me coming in on my very first brochure."

Council also undertook its largest capital project during Turton's tenure with the construction of a new protective services facility.

2013 Spruce Grove municipal election Eligible voters: 22,000 Votes cast: 5,039 Turnout: 22.9% Mayor (1 position) Candidate Votes HOUSTON, Stuart (elected) 3,244 SAUNDERS, Dan 1,764 Alderman (6 positions) Candidate Votes TURTON, Searle (elected) 3,465 BAXTER, Louise (elected) 2,777 GILLIE, Ann 2,404 KESANKO, Bill (elected) 2,985 MCLEAN, Ed (elected) 2,735 MILLER, Bernadine 1,230 ROTHE, Wayne (elected) 2,932 STEINBURG, Bill (elected) 2,768 THIEBAUD, Michelle 2,445 He was re-elected on May 29, 2023.

Motion 510 (2020) - Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): This motion urged the provincial government to implement EPR measures to balance economic and environmental needs, specifically shifting the cost of recycling programs from municipalities to manufacturers. The motion was agreed to as amended on October 26, 2020.

Minister of Children and Family Services Turton was sworn in as Minister of Children and Family Services on June 9, 2023, following Premier Danielle Smith's cabinet shuffle after the 2023 election.

E. coli Outbreak response (2023) In September 2023, Turton managed the government's response to Alberta's largest E. coli outbreak, which affected hundreds of children at multiple Calgary daycares. The outbreak was linked to a shared commercial kitchen. Turton announced a compensation program providing $2,000 per child affected by closures and led a review of shared commercial kitchens serving daycares across the province.

Foster care and kinship support initiatives (2023-2025) As Minister, Turton implemented several initiatives to support foster and kinship caregivers in Alberta. In October 2023, the government announced over $23.6 million in new supports for caregivers and measures to improve stability for young people in care. Key initiatives included the Enhanced Caregiver Compensation, mental health supports, the Transition to Adulthood Program, and the Refer-a-Foster Caregiver Program.

The initiatives received positive responses from stakeholder organizations. Melissa Jones, CEO of the Alberta Foster and Kinship Association, stated that foster caregivers' "well-being is important, and we are very pleased to see that new funding is on the way." Turton stated at the announcement that he had advocated to Alberta's housing minister "over and over and over again about the need for more seniors’ housing" in his constituency. The bill applied to highways including Highways 1, 2, 3, 4, 16, and 43. Turton argued that Alberta's flat prairie terrain made the roads suitable for higher speeds and that the change would improve safety by better synchronizing posted limits with actual driving speeds. but did not advance beyond that stage.

Controversies

Sean Feucht legislature tour (2025) In August 2025, Turton faced criticism for conducting a late-night tour of the Alberta Legislature for American Christian singer Sean Feucht following a concert on the legislature grounds. Feucht, known for his socially conservative views on abortion and LGBTQ rights, posted a video on social media showing a "worship session" in the legislature rotunda.

Opposition NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi criticized the incident, stating that "turning a space that belongs to all Albertans into a Minister's personal worshipping space is wrong."

The petition was withdrawn by the applicant on February 18, 2026, before the February 23, 2026 deadline for signature collection.

Electoral history 2023 general election

2019 general election

Breakdown by year