Drayton Valley—Devon

Drayton Valley—Devon is a central Alberta riding southwest of Edmonton, stretching from the town of Devon on the North Saskatchewan River westward to Drayton Valley and the surrounding communities of Calmar, Breton, Thorsby, Warburg, and Pipestone. The riding also includes several First Nations reserves. Drayton Valley, founded during the 1950s Pembina oil boom, remains deeply tied to the oil and gas industry. Incumbent MLA Mark Smith had held the seat since winning it for the Wildrose Party in 2015, defeating Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Diana McQueen.

Candidates

Mark Smith (United Conservative) — Smith was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and began his post-secondary education at Concordia College in Edmonton in 1979 before earning a bachelor of education from the University of Alberta. He taught social studies at Frank Maddock High School in Drayton Valley for 30 years before entering politics. He served as the Wildrose Party’s education critic and joined the UCP following the merger.

Kieran Quirke (NDP) — Quirke was the Chair of the Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Board and co-chair of the Alberta NDP Rural Caucus. He campaigned on the NDP’s advocacy for the Trans Mountain pipeline and opposition to federal legislation the party viewed as harmful to the energy sector.

Gail Upton (Alberta Party) — Upton ran as the Alberta Party candidate in Drayton Valley—Devon.

Steve Goodman (Freedom Conservative) — Goodman ran as the Freedom Conservative Party candidate.

Mark Gregor (Alberta Advantage) — Gregor ran as the Alberta Advantage Party candidate.

Les Marks (Alberta Independence) — Marks ran as the Alberta Independence Party candidate.

Ronald Brochu (Liberal) — Brochu ran as the Alberta Liberal candidate.

Carol Nordlund Kinsey (Independent) — Nordlund Kinsey ran as an independent candidate.

Local Issues

Drayton Valley was at the epicentre of the pipeline crisis heading into the 2019 election. In December 2018, approximately 1,300 residents gathered at a pro-pipeline rally to send a message to both provincial and federal governments to build new pipeline capacity so Canadian oil could reach international markets. Business had slowed after the Federal Court of Appeal quashed Ottawa’s approval of the Trans Mountain expansion in August 2018, and local businesses announced closures or severe cutbacks. One trucking company owner who had operated for 24 years reported operating at just 10 percent of normal capacity.

The town became a focal point of the broader pro-pipeline movement. About 75 business owners and workers signed an open letter inviting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to visit for a non-partisan discussion about the economic crisis. A second rally was held in March 2019, ahead of the provincial election, further underscoring the community’s frustration. The NDP government’s mandatory oil production curtailment, imposed in January 2019 to address the price differential crisis, was viewed by many local producers as an additional burden on an already struggling industry.

Smith’s candidacy drew some controversy during the campaign when audio surfaced of comments he had made during a November 2013 sermon at Calvary Baptist Church in Drayton Valley that critics characterized as offensive. The comments became a topic of media coverage, though the riding’s strongly conservative political orientation and the depth of economic anxiety meant that energy sector issues remained the dominant focus for most voters.