Wild Rose

Wild Rose was a federal electoral district in southwestern Alberta, stretching from the Rocky Mountain resort towns of Banff and Canmore northeast through the foothills to the rapidly growing city of Airdrie on Calgary's northern fringe. The riding encompassed a dramatic range of landscapes, from the peaks and valleys of Banff National Park through rolling ranching country to the suburban communities sprouting along the Calgary-Edmonton corridor.

Candidates

• Blake Richards (Conservative) — Born on November 8, 1974, in Olds, Alberta, Richards attended Red Deer College and the University of Calgary, where he earned a degree in political science. Before entering politics, he worked in the oil field and agriculture-related industries and ran a real estate business. He served his community as a volunteer firefighter and minor hockey coach. First elected as MP for Wild Rose in 2008, Richards quickly earned recognition as a hard-working constituency representative, eventually being named the Hardest Working and Best Constituency MP in The Hill Times' annual survey on multiple occasions.

• Jeff Horvath (NDP) — Horvath ran as the NDP candidate in Wild Rose in 2011, finishing second as part of the broader NDP surge that saw the party place second in rural Alberta ridings across the province.

• Mike MacDonald (Green Party) — MacDonald carried the Green Party banner in the riding, where environmental issues around national park management and resource development were locally relevant.

• John Douglas Reilly (Liberal) — A former Provincial Court judge who served for over 30 years on the bench in the Canmore and Cochrane area, Reilly resigned his supernumerary position in March 2011 to run for the Liberals. He was known for his advocacy around Indigenous justice issues and had authored a book on the subject. His candidacy attracted controversy when he made remarks about sexual assault that his own party leader, Michael Ignatieff, called disgraceful, though Reilly apologized and was not removed as candidate.

• Randy Vanden Broek (CHP) — Vanden Broek ran for the Christian Heritage Party, a minor social conservative party.

About the Riding

Wild Rose was one of Alberta's most geographically diverse ridings, spanning from the towering Rocky Mountains in the west to the prairie edge in the east. The riding included the internationally renowned resort town of Banff within Banff National Park, the growing mountain community of Canmore, the ranching hub of Cochrane on Calgary's western doorstep, the agricultural centre of Olds, the town of Didsbury, and the booming city of Airdrie, which had become one of Canada's fastest-growing communities as Calgary commuters moved north. The Stoney Nakoda First Nation reserve at Morley also fell within the riding's boundaries.

The economy was remarkably varied for a rural Alberta riding. Tourism drove much of the western portion, with Banff National Park attracting millions of visitors annually and supporting hotels, restaurants, ski resorts, and outfitting operations. The central foothills supported cattle ranching and mixed farming operations. Oil and gas extraction and services employed many residents throughout the riding. Airdrie's economy was heavily tied to Calgary, with many residents commuting to the city for work in energy, professional services, and construction. The town of Olds was home to Olds College, a well-known agricultural and trades institution.

Politically, Wild Rose was solidly Conservative territory. The riding had been held by right-of-centre parties since its creation in 1988, first by Progressive Conservative Louise Feltham, then by Reform and Canadian Alliance MP Myron Thompson from 1993 to 2004, and then by Richards from 2008 onward. In 2011, Richards defeated all of his opponents combined by nearly a three-to-one margin, capturing well over 70 percent of the vote.

The 2011 campaign touched on issues ranging from national park management and tourism policy in the mountain communities to energy development and suburban growth pressures in the Airdrie corridor. The Liberal candidacy of former judge John Reilly generated some local media interest but did little to dent Conservative dominance. The NDP's national Orange Wave made no inroads in this riding. Richards won decisively and continued to represent the area under the successor riding of Banff—Airdrie from 2015 onward.