Drumheller—Stettler

One of Alberta's largest ridings by area, Drumheller—Stettler sweeps across the east-central prairie from the Red Deer River badlands to the Saskatchewan border. Its territory takes in Drumheller, Stettler, Hanna, Oyen, Consort, and Youngstown, along with Dinosaur Provincial Park and the Special Areas, a unique administrative region created during the Depression to manage land abandoned by drought-stricken farmers. The Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, making tourism the third economic pillar alongside agriculture and energy. Incumbent Nate Horner, a rancher from the Hanna area who had won the seat in 2019, served in cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation before the election.

Candidates

Nate Horner (United Conservative)* — A fifth-generation Albertan, Horner grew up near Hanna and purchased his grandfather's ranch, operating it as a cow-calf mixed farming operation. He holds an agriculture business diploma from Olds College and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Lethbridge, where he was also the Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Association saddle bronc champion in 2002 and 2004. He comes from a political family that includes former Deputy Premier Doug Horner and former MPs. After winning in 2019, he served in the agriculture portfolio before being appointed Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board following the 2023 election.

Juliet Franklin (NDP) — Franklin is a pharmacist and first-generation Canadian who holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy from Chicago State University and a bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical and healthcare studies from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. She campaigned on healthcare issues, arguing that the system had been deteriorating under UCP governance.

Shannon Packham (Take It Back) — Packham ran as the Take It Back candidate in Drumheller—Stettler.

Hannah Stretch Viens (Wildrose Loyalty Coalition) — Stretch Viens ran as the Wildrose Loyalty Coalition candidate in Drumheller—Stettler.

Carla Evers (Social Movement) — Evers ran as the Social Movement candidate in Drumheller—Stettler.

Local Issues

The coal-to-gas transition reached its conclusion during this period, with Alberta moving to eliminate coal-fired electricity generation ahead of the original 2030 deadline. The Sheerness Generating Station near Hanna completed its conversion to natural gas by 2021, but the broader economic disruption to communities that had depended on coal jobs and tax revenue for decades was still being felt. Federal transition funding of over $5.6 million supported economic diversification projects in the Hanna area, and the Wheatland Wind farm near Drumheller, a 120-megawatt facility, began commercial operations in late November 2022, offering a visible example of the energy transition underway in the riding.

The 2021 drought was devastating for the riding's agricultural producers. Pastures dried up across the Special Areas, forcing ranchers to sell cattle early or truck in expensive feed. Crop yields plummeted in the dryland farming areas around Oyen and Consort. The drought underscored the region's vulnerability to climate variability and intensified interest in water management and irrigation expansion.

Healthcare access was a growing alarm. Emergency departments in small-town hospitals like Consort and Oyen experienced closures due to physician and nursing shortages, leaving residents in the riding's most remote corners hours from the nearest open emergency room. The family doctor shortage was especially acute in the smaller communities, where recruiting physicians had become increasingly difficult.