Olds—Didsbury—Three Hills

Olds—Didsbury—Three Hills is a large rural riding in south-central Alberta stretching from the Red Deer River in the east to the area around Cremona in the west. The constituency encompasses Kneehill County and portions of Mountain View County, taking in the towns of Olds, Didsbury, Carstairs, Three Hills, Trochu, Crossfield, Irricana, Beiseker, and Acme, along with Olds College. Agriculture is the dominant industry in the riding, which is one of the most reliably conservative constituencies in the province. Nathan Cooper won the seat for the Wildrose Party in 2015 and served as interim leader of the United Conservative caucus during the 2017 merger before Jason Kenney was elected UCP leader.

Candidates

Nathan Cooper (United Conservative) — The incumbent MLA, first elected in 2015. Before entering provincial politics, Cooper served two terms as a town councillor in Carstairs and worked as chief of staff and director of legislative affairs for the Wildrose Official Opposition caucus. He served as interim leader of the United Conservative Party caucus from July to October 2017. A lifelong resident of Carstairs, Cooper was a 4-H alumnus known for his public speaking.

Kyle Johnston (NDP) — The NDP candidate in Olds—Didsbury—Three Hills, who defended the carbon tax during the campaign, arguing that without a provincial carbon levy the federal government would impose its own carbon tax on Alberta, and that revenues from the tax supported energy-efficiency programs in rural communities.

Chase Brown (Alberta Party) — The Alberta Party candidate, who proposed exempting farms, homes, businesses, and non-profits from the carbon tax rather than repealing it entirely, with revenues offset by cuts to personal and corporate income tax.

Local Issues

The carbon tax was the dominant campaign issue in Olds—Didsbury—Three Hills. In a riding where agriculture is the primary employer, the NDP government's carbon levy added costs to fuel, heating, and farm operations. Incumbent MLA Nathan Cooper was a vocal critic, calling for outright repeal and arguing the tax imposed economic pain without environmental benefit. The issue sharply divided the candidates, with the Alberta Party proposing targeted exemptions and the NDP defending the levy as preferable to a federally imposed alternative.

Rural crime was another top-of-mind concern for residents across the riding. Property crime, break-ins, and vehicle theft had increased in rural areas during the NDP government's term, and residents felt that RCMP response times in far-flung communities were inadequate. The UCP's pledge to address rural crime through increased policing resources and tougher penalties resonated strongly in the riding's small towns and farming communities.

Broader economic concerns also weighed on voters. The downturn in Alberta's oil and gas sector had knock-on effects in agricultural service communities, where equipment dealerships, supply stores, and transportation companies saw reduced business. Olds College, a major institution in the riding focused on agricultural education and applied research, was an important economic anchor, but residents worried about the region's long-term economic prospects amid uncertainty in both the energy and agricultural sectors.