Lac Ste. Anne—Parkland

Lac Ste. Anne—Parkland is a rural riding northwest of Edmonton, created by the 2017 Electoral Boundaries Commission from portions of the former Whitecourt—Ste. Anne, Barrhead—Morinville—Westlock, Spruce Grove—St. Albert, and Stony Plain constituencies. The riding contains all of Lac Ste. Anne County and part of Parkland County, with communities including Mayerthorpe, Sangudo, Alberta Beach, Onoway, and Darwell. The economy is driven by a mix of agriculture, forestry, and oil and gas servicing. Because the riding was new, there was no incumbent, though NDP Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier, who had represented Whitecourt—Ste. Anne, chose to run here.

Candidates

Shane Getson (United Conservative) — A civil engineering technologist who graduated from NAIT, Getson spent over fifteen years in the construction industry with a focus on pipeline and linear infrastructure projects. He served as a project director leading major pipeline construction teams and owned and operated a consulting company serving the construction and energy sectors.

Oneil Carlier (NDP) — Born in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Carlier worked for twenty years as a geotechnical technician with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration before moving to Alberta to become a regional representative for the Public Service Alliance of Canada. He was elected MLA for Whitecourt—Ste. Anne in 2015 and served as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in the Notley cabinet. He lived in Darwell, within Lac Ste. Anne County.

Donald Walter McCargar (Alberta Party) — The Alberta Party's candidate in Lac Ste. Anne—Parkland.

Gordon W. McMillan (Alberta Independence) — The Alberta Independence Party's candidate in Lac Ste. Anne—Parkland.

Darien Masse (Alberta Advantage) — The Alberta Advantage Party's candidate in Lac Ste. Anne—Parkland.

Local Issues

Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, was arguably the most contentious issue in this riding. As Agriculture Minister, Carlier had been the face of the legislation when it was introduced in November 2015, and the backlash among rural Albertans was fierce. More than a thousand protesters had rallied at the Alberta Legislature, and in agricultural communities throughout Lac Ste. Anne County and Parkland County, anger over what many viewed as inadequate consultation lingered well into the 2019 campaign. Carlier later acknowledged the government could have handled the rollout better, but the political damage in rural ridings was significant.

Highway safety was a concrete local concern, particularly the dangerous intersection of Highways 22 and 43 near Mayerthorpe, where accidents had prompted calls for upgrades. Health care access was another issue, with residents in the western part of the riding advocating for a dialysis unit in Whitecourt to spare patients long drives to Edmonton.

The carbon tax and its impact on farming operations and small businesses was a persistent complaint across the riding. Rural crime, including property theft and long police response times, added to a sense among residents that the NDP government's priorities were focused on urban Alberta. The forestry sector, important to communities like Whitecourt, faced uncertainty amid softwood lumber trade disputes and fluctuating commodity prices.