Grande Prairie—Wapiti

Spanning the rural territory south and west of the city of Grande Prairie, this Peace Country riding encompasses portions of the County of Grande Prairie, the Municipal District of Greenview, and stretches of ranch and farmland along the Wapiti and Smoky river corridors. The economy rests on a combination of oil and gas extraction, cattle ranching, grain farming, and forestry, with the region's oilfield service companies and hauling firms providing employment across the constituency. Former MLA Travis Toews, who had served as Finance Minister under both Premiers Kenney and Smith, did not seek re-election after finishing second to Smith in the 2022 UCP leadership race. The UCP's provincial board appointed local businessman Ron Wiebe as the party's candidate.

Candidates

Ron Wiebe (United Conservative) — The founder of Wiebe Transport, a Grande Prairie-based trucking and logistics company, Wiebe built a career in the transportation industry before entering politics. He served on the Northwestern Polytechnic Board of Governors, as a municipal councillor for Mackenzie County, and as president of the federal Conservative Party association in Grande Prairie—Mackenzie. He was appointed as the UCP candidate after Toews' departure rather than winning through a contested nomination.

Dustin Archibald (NDP) — A longtime Grande Prairie resident, Archibald spent twenty years co-owning and managing a security and research company before becoming a development editor for a technology publisher. He served as president of the Writers' Guild of Alberta beginning in 2017 and has published multiple novels. He has also volunteered as a kung fu instructor in Grande Prairie for three decades.

Local Issues

The departure of Travis Toews from provincial politics left Grande Prairie—Wapiti without an incumbent for the first time since its creation. Toews had been a powerful voice for the Peace Country as Finance Minister, steering the province's budgets through the pandemic and the subsequent revenue windfall from high energy prices. His absence raised questions about whether the riding would retain the same level of influence in government, particularly on issues like rural highway investment and agricultural supports.

The oil and gas recovery that followed the 2020 crash brought renewed drilling and pipeline activity to the region but also intensified competition for skilled workers. Oilfield service companies, ranchers, and small businesses all reported difficulty finding employees, driving up wages and costs. Housing availability in the county's smaller communities remained tight, limiting the ability of newcomers to move into the area for work.

Road infrastructure was a practical and safety concern throughout the riding. Rural highways connecting communities to Grande Prairie bore heavy truck traffic from oil and gas and forestry operations, and residents pushed for upgrades to dangerous intersections and stretches of highway prone to accidents. Agricultural producers, meanwhile, focused on trade access for cattle and grain exports, with the Toews-era advocacy for market diversification a point of pride that the riding's voters hoped would continue under new representation.