Peace River

The Peace River riding covers a vast expanse of northwestern Alberta, stretching from the town of Peace River north to the border with the Northwest Territories and west to the British Columbia boundary. It encompasses the towns of High Level, Manning, Grimshaw, and Rainbow Lake, along with rural municipalities including Mackenzie County and the County of Northern Lights. Four First Nations—Beaver First Nation, Dene Tha' First Nation, Little Red River Cree Nation, and Tallcree First Nation—are located within the riding's boundaries. The economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas extraction, forestry, and agriculture.

Heading into 2015, Peace River was represented by veteran Progressive Conservative MLA Frank Oberle, who had held the seat since 2004 and most recently served as Minister of Energy in Premier Jim Prentice's cabinet. With the oil price crash hammering northern Alberta's energy-dependent communities, and discontent with the long-governing PCs at a peak across the province, the riding attracted an unexpectedly competitive race.

Candidates

Debbie Jabbour (NDP) — Jabbour held a master's degree in counselling and worked as a provisional psychologist at the addictions and mental health ward of the Northwest Health Centre in High Level, where she had moved in 2014. Her clinical work focused on intergenerational trauma, addictions, and family violence, including experience with Indigenous communities.

Frank Oberle (Progressive Conservative) — Oberle studied forest resource technology at the College of New Caledonia and earned a bachelor of science in forestry from the University of New Brunswick, where he won the Governor General's gold medal. Before entering politics, he worked for Daishowa-Marubeni International as a management forester and senior forestry advisor. He is a registered professional forester. In the legislature, Oberle served as Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development, Minister of Aboriginal Relations, and most recently Minister of Energy. His father, Frank Oberle Sr., had served as a federal MP for Prince George—Peace River.

Nathan Steinke (Wildrose) — Steinke carried the Wildrose banner in Peace River.

Local Issues

The oil price crash that began in late 2014 hit the Peace River region particularly hard. The Peace River oil sands deposit—the smallest of Alberta's major bitumen formations—supported significant heavy oil extraction operations, and the plunge in global crude prices led to project deferrals, layoffs, and deep uncertainty in communities that depended on the energy sector for employment and municipal revenue.

Air quality and heavy oil odours had been a major concern for Peace River residents for years. As new extraction technologies made the bitumen deposits economically viable, industry activity increased, and by 2013–2014, odour complaints from residents had surged. An Alberta Energy Regulator inquiry concluded that heavy oil operators were responsible for the odours, which residents said caused headaches and nausea. The inquiry produced recommendations to address the issue, but implementation remained a point of contention heading into the 2015 campaign.

Access to health care and social services in the vast, sparsely populated riding was a chronic challenge. Residents in remote communities like High Level and Rainbow Lake faced long distances to reach hospitals and specialists, and physician recruitment was an ongoing struggle. The needs of Indigenous communities, including issues related to housing, education, and the legacy of residential schools, added further complexity to the demands on provincial services in the region.