Red Deer—Mountain View

Created during the 2012 redistribution when the former Red Deer riding was split roughly in half, Red Deer—Mountain View covers the southern portion of the city of Red Deer and extends south through Mountain View County and Red Deer County, taking in the towns of Innisfail, Olds, Didsbury, Carstairs, Bowden, Sundre, and Cremona.

Candidates

Earl Dreeshen (Conservative) — A farmer and former physics and mathematics teacher, Dreeshen was first elected as MP for the former Red Deer riding in 2008, succeeding Bob Mills. He was re-elected in 2011 and, following the redistribution, opted to run in the newly created Red Deer—Mountain View riding, which encompassed the southern half of his previous constituency. He continued to manage his family farm alongside his parliamentary duties.

Paul Harris (NDP) — A local business owner and Red Deer city councillor, Harris won the NDP nomination over Dianne Macaulay. He brought municipal government experience to a campaign that sought to capitalize on the Alberta NDP's 2015 provincial success.

Chandra Lescia Kastern (Liberal) — Kastern ran as the Liberal candidate in a riding where the party aimed to benefit from a national surge in Liberal support, though the Conservatives held overwhelming advantages in central Alberta.

Simon Oleny (Green Party), James Walper (Libertarian), and Scott Milne (Pirate Party) also sought election.

About the Riding

Red Deer, Alberta's third-largest city, sits at the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton corridor along Highway 2, and serves as a commercial and service hub for central Alberta. The riding includes the southern portion of the city and the surrounding rural communities. Mountain View County, to the south, is agricultural country with grain, cattle, and mixed farming operations. Innisfail, with a population of about 8,000, and Olds, with roughly 9,000 residents, are the largest towns outside Red Deer and serve as centres for surrounding farming communities. Olds College, a post-secondary institution founded in 1913, specializes in agriculture, horticulture, and land management programs. The Innisfail area hosts several food processing operations and is home to the Innisfail Auction Market, one of the region's largest livestock auction facilities. Sundre and Cremona, at the riding's western edge, sit in the foothills and draw visitors for outdoor recreation along the Red Deer River. The riding's economy blends urban services, agriculture, oil and gas, and light manufacturing. Federal issues during the 2015 campaign included the impact of falling oil prices on employment, agricultural trade policy, infrastructure investment for growing communities, and support for post-secondary education in rural centres.