 In 1998, he defeated three-term incumbent Anita Ratchinsky in an election whose major issue was the alignment of the proposed West Regional Road.Ratchinsky favoured a road that would bypass the developed portion of the city to the west by crossing the Sturgeon River close to the mouth of Big Lake, while Chalifoux supported an alignment that would cross the river further upstream.During Chalifoux's time as mayor, the road remained St. Albert's most contentious political issue.