Peace River

Peace River is a vast northern Alberta riding covering a large portion of the province's northwest. The constituency takes in the towns of Peace River, High Level, Grimshaw, Manning, and Rainbow Lake, as well as the village of Nampa and numerous smaller communities and First Nations reserves across the region. The riding stretches from the agricultural areas south of the Peace River to the boreal forests near the Northwest Territories border, encompassing communities including La Crete, a predominantly Mennonite farming settlement. The NDP's Debbie Jabbour won the seat by fewer than 300 votes in 2015, making it one of the party's most surprising and vulnerable northern gains.

Candidates

Dan Williams (United Conservative) — A La Crete resident who had previously worked as a political staffer for Jason Kenney when Kenney was a federal cabinet minister in Ottawa. Williams was among the group of Ottawa staff who accompanied Kenney back to Alberta during the Wildrose-PC merger effort, serving as Kenney's executive assistant through the process. He moved to La Crete in early 2018 and worked for Knelsen Sand and Gravel. His family had connections to the region, having previously owned a hotel in Berwyn.

Debbie Jabbour (NDP) — The incumbent MLA and the first woman to serve as Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees in the Alberta Legislature. Before entering politics, Jabbour was a provisional psychologist who worked at the Addictions and Mental Health ward of the Northwest Health Centre in High Level, where she moved in 2014. She held a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology and had experience working with trauma, substance use, and mental health. She also chaired the Northern Alberta Development Council and the Ministerial Panel on Child Intervention.

Dakota House (Alberta Party) — The Alberta Party's candidate in the Peace River riding.

Local Issues

Healthcare access was a critical issue across the Peace River riding, where vast distances separated communities from hospitals and specialist services. The Northwest Health Centre in High Level and the Peace River Community Health Centre served as the primary healthcare facilities for a region larger than many Canadian provinces. Residents in remote communities such as Rainbow Lake and La Crete faced long travel times for medical care, and recruitment and retention of physicians and nurses in the north remained a persistent challenge.

The riding's resource-based economy was under pressure during the NDP government's term. Oil and gas operations, including heavy oil extraction in the Peace River oil sands deposits, faced the combined effects of low commodity prices, pipeline constraints, and the provincial carbon tax. The forestry sector, anchored by Mercer Peace River Pulp's operations, was also significant to the regional economy. Agricultural communities, particularly the large-scale grain farming operations around La Crete and the Peace River valley, were concerned about rising input costs and the carbon levy's effect on fuel and drying expenses.

Infrastructure and transportation were perennial concerns in the riding. Highway maintenance and twinning projects were priorities for communities that depended on reliable road access for both economic activity and emergency services. The relationship between the provincial government and northern Indigenous communities, including discussions around land use, resource development, and social services, also shaped the political landscape in a riding where First Nations reserves are numerous.