Fort McMurray—Conklin

Fort McMurray—Conklin encompassed the southern portion of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, including parts of the urban service area of Fort McMurray and the rural communities and First Nations south toward Conklin and Janvier. The riding sat at the heart of Alberta's oil sands industry, and its economy was almost entirely driven by bitumen extraction and the service companies that supported it. Incumbent PC MLA Don Scott, who had been appointed Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education in September 2014, faced a formidable challenger in newly elected Wildrose leader Brian Jean, who had deep roots in Fort McMurray.

Candidates

Brian Jean (Wildrose) — Jean grew up in Fort McMurray and held a bachelor of science from Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon, along with an MBA and a law degree from Bond University in Australia. He practised law in Fort McMurray for eleven years before being elected to the House of Commons in 2004, serving as the Conservative MP for Fort McMurray—Athabasca and as parliamentary secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. After resigning his federal seat in January 2014, he entered the Wildrose leadership race in February 2015 and won the leadership on March 28, 2015, defeating Drew Barnes and Linda Osinchuk.

Don Scott (Progressive Conservative) — Scott earned his law degree from the University of New Brunswick and a master of laws from Cambridge. He practised law in Fort McMurray for more than a decade, founding the McMurray Regional Law Office. Earlier in his career, he served as an assistant solicitor with the Bloody Sunday inquiry in the United Kingdom. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2010, served on Wood Buffalo's municipal council, and was elected MLA in 2012 before being elevated to cabinet in 2014.

Ariana Mancini (NDP) — Mancini ran for the NDP in a riding where the party had been gaining some ground amid growing frustration with the PCs.

Melinda Hollis (Liberal) — Hollis ran for the Liberals in the riding.

Local Issues

The oil price crash cast a long shadow over Fort McMurray—Conklin. With benchmark crude prices plunging from over $100 per barrel to below $50, oil sands companies deferred billions of dollars in planned capital spending, and layoffs swept through the service sector. Fort McMurray's real estate market softened dramatically, with home sales down sharply and rental vacancy rates climbing even as housing costs remained among the highest in the province.

Highway 63, the lifeline connecting Fort McMurray to the rest of Alberta, had been the subject of a years-long twinning campaign after a series of fatal collisions on the two-lane highway. By early 2015, much of the twinning work south of Fort McMurray was under construction, with the final $71-million contract awarded in September 2014. The project was a major issue for residents who depended on the highway for commuting, supply deliveries, and emergency access. Local infrastructure needs, including the long-awaited Willow Square seniors facility, also featured in campaign debates.

The contest between Jean and Scott became one of the highest-profile races of the campaign, pitting the new Wildrose leader against a sitting cabinet minister on the latter's home turf.