Highwood

Highwood was a southern Alberta riding centred on the communities of High River and Okotoks in the foothills southwest of Calgary, extending into parts of the Municipal District of Foothills. The riding had been thrust into the national spotlight by two dramatic events: the devastating June 2013 flood that inundated High River and damaged surrounding communities, and the political turmoil surrounding Danielle Smith's floor-crossing from the Wildrose to the Progressive Conservatives in December 2014. Smith had represented Highwood since 2012 as Wildrose leader but sought the PC nomination for the 2015 election after crossing the floor; she was defeated by Okotoks town councillor Carrie Fischer, setting up a wide-open race.

Candidates

Wayne Anderson (Wildrose) — Anderson ran as the Wildrose candidate in Highwood, seeking to recapture the seat for the party after Smith's departure.

Carrie Fischer (Progressive Conservative) — An Okotoks town councillor, Fischer gained attention when she defeated former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith in the PC nomination contest on March 28, 2015. Her victory over Smith was widely seen as a rebuke of the floor-crossing by local party members.

Leslie Mahoney (NDP) — Mahoney carried the NDP banner in a riding that had traditionally leaned conservative, running as part of Rachel Notley's province-wide campaign.

Joel Windsor (Alberta Party) — Windsor ran as the Alberta Party candidate in the riding.

Martin Blake (Green Party) — Blake ran as the Green Party candidate.

Jeremy Fraser (Social Credit) — Fraser ran under the Social Credit Party banner.

Local Issues

Flood recovery dominated the political landscape in Highwood heading into 2015. The June 2013 flood along the Highwood River had devastated High River, forcing the evacuation of all 13,000 residents and causing extensive damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Nearly two years later, many homeowners were still dealing with insurance disputes, unfinished repairs, and uncertainty about future flood mitigation. The provincial government had committed over $1 billion province-wide for disaster recovery, and the Municipal Disaster Recovery Program submissions for the town totalled nearly $80 million. Residents wanted assurances that long-term flood infrastructure, including berms, diversions, and improved warning systems, would be built to prevent a recurrence.

The floor-crossing controversy also shaped the local political atmosphere. Many Highwood voters who had supported Danielle Smith and the Wildrose in 2012 felt betrayed by her decision to join the PCs, and the anger was evident when local PC members chose Fischer over Smith. Beyond these riding-specific dramas, voters were also concerned about the broader oil price downturn, its impact on employment in the energy sector, and provincial government spending and debt levels.