Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre

Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre occupies a broad swath of west-central Alberta where the Rocky Mountain foothills transition into rolling parkland and farmland extending east to Gull Lake. The towns of Rocky Mountain House, Sundre, Rimbey, Eckville, and Bentley anchor a riding whose economy rests on forestry, oil and gas extraction, ranching, and outdoor recreation. Jason Nixon, one of the few MLAs to survive the 2015 NDP wave under the Wildrose banner, had risen to become one of the UCP's most powerful figures, serving as Minister of Environment and Parks and then Minister of Finance before the leadership transition from Kenney to Smith. He sought a third term in 2023 while facing an unusual challenge from a disqualified UCP nomination rival running as an independent.

Candidates

Jason Nixon (United Conservative) — The incumbent MLA, first elected in 2015 under the Wildrose Party. Nixon had held multiple senior cabinet portfolios, including Environment and Parks (where he rescinded the 1976 Coal Policy) and Finance and President of Treasury Board. Before politics, he spent over two decades with The Mustard Seed charitable organization, founded by his father, eventually serving as executive director. He was a central figure in the UCP's internal politics and a key ally during the Kenney-to-Smith transition.

Tim Hoven (Independent) — A former reeve of Clearwater County who challenged Nixon from the right. Hoven had attempted to win the UCP nomination but was disqualified by the party, reportedly due to social media activity and allegations he had disparaged the RCMP during the Coutts border blockade in early 2022. He ran as an independent, arguing that Nixon could not adequately represent constituents and criticizing the UCP establishment.

Vance Buchwald (NDP) — The NDP candidate in the riding.

Local Issues

The rescission of the 1976 Coal Policy by Nixon in his capacity as Environment Minister in May 2020 had repercussions that extended well into the 2023 campaign. The policy change opened protected foothills and mountain areas to coal exploration, triggering a firestorm of opposition from ranchers, environmentalists, and municipal leaders across western Alberta. Although the government reversed course and reinstated protections after intense public backlash, the episode damaged trust in the riding among constituents who viewed the eastern slopes as essential to water quality and the ranching way of life. Nixon's direct involvement in the decision gave opponents a concrete target.

The Coutts border blockade in late January and February 2022 — where protesters opposed to COVID-19 restrictions occupied a border crossing in southern Alberta — resonated politically across rural constituencies including Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre. The blockade and the broader anti-mandate movement divided conservative voters between those who saw the protests as legitimate expressions of frustration and those who viewed the occupation as unlawful. The disqualification of nomination candidate Tim Hoven, reportedly linked to his commentary on the blockade, and his subsequent independent candidacy, illustrated the factional tensions within the UCP's rural base.

Forestry and land-use management remained core concerns in a riding where timber operations, recreational trails, and energy extraction compete for space in the foothills. The mountain pine beetle's continued spread through Alberta's western forests threatened the timber industry and prompted calls for more aggressive management and salvage logging programs. Meanwhile, rising costs for farming inputs — fuel, fertilizer, and feed — squeezed ranching and grain operations already stressed by the 2021 drought. Healthcare access in the riding's dispersed communities, particularly the availability of family physicians and emergency services, was another persistent concern heading into election day.