Foothills

Created from the bulk of the former Macleod riding during the 2012 redistribution, Foothills stretches across southwestern Alberta from the British Columbia border east to Highway 2, and from the southern edge of Calgary down to the United States border. The riding takes in communities including Okotoks, High River, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Nanton, Claresholm, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, the Crowsnest Pass, and Waterton Lakes National Park, as well as the Tsuut'ina, Eden Valley, and Piikani First Nations.

Candidates

John Barlow (Conservative) — Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1971, Barlow worked as editor of the Western Wheel newspaper in Okotoks before entering politics. He ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the 2012 Alberta provincial election in the Highwood district, finishing second to Wildrose leader Danielle Smith. Following Ted Menzies's resignation as MP for Macleod in November 2013, Barlow won the June 2014 by-election with roughly 69 percent of the vote and sought re-election in the newly drawn Foothills riding.

Tanya MacPherson (Liberal) — A businesswoman and researcher, MacPherson had worked with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the National Research Council, and Agriculture Canada. She also operated a real estate brokerage, Streetwise Property Management, and campaigned on water issues in southern Alberta and federal science policy.

Alison Thompson (NDP) — An engineer and chair of the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association, Thompson carried the NDP banner in a riding where the party had limited historical support but hoped to benefit from momentum following the Alberta NDP's provincial victory in May 2015.

Cory Morgan (Libertarian), Romy S. Tittel (Green Party), and Marc Slingerland (Christian Heritage Party) also sought election.

About the Riding

Foothills encompasses a landscape that transitions from the ranching country and rolling foothills of the Rocky Mountain front ranges to the flat prairie east of Highway 2. The town of Okotoks, roughly 20 minutes south of Calgary, grew rapidly in the early 2000s and had a population of about 28,000 by 2015, making it one of Alberta's fastest-growing communities. High River, located on the Highwood River, was devastated by the June 2013 southern Alberta floods, which inundated roughly 60 percent of the town, damaged over 70 percent of its homes, and displaced thousands of residents. By the time of the 2015 election, flood recovery and federal disaster mitigation funding remained pressing concerns. The riding's economy blends agriculture — cattle ranching, grain farming, and mixed operations — with oil and gas activity in the foothills and tourism in the Rocky Mountain parks. Waterton Lakes National Park anchors the riding's southwestern corner, while the Crowsnest Pass communities of Blairmore, Coleman, and Bellevue draw visitors to the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre. Federal issues in the riding during the campaign included disaster preparedness infrastructure, agricultural trade policy, energy sector regulation, and support for rural communities facing the pressures of proximity to Calgary's suburban expansion.