West Yellowhead is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 87 current ridings mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting.

West Yellowhead
Alberta electoral district
West Yellowhead within Alberta, 2017 boundaries
Provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
MLA
 
 
 
Martin Long
United Conservative
District created1986
First contested1986
Last contested2023

The district in its early history was a swing riding, changing party hands often. More recently, support has gone to electing candidates from the Progressive Conservatives, who have held the district with sizable majorities since 1997. The current representative is UCP Martin Long who was first elected in the 2019 provincial election.

Geography

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West Yellowhead is a predominantly rural riding located in northwest and west-central Alberta. The landscape includes the Rocky Mountains of Jasper National Park, their foothills, and large expanses of boreal forest, some of which has been cleared for agriculture.

There are no cities in the riding. The only urban municipalities within its boundaries are three large towns: Edson, Hinton, and Whitecourt. Other population centres include Jasper, incorporated as a specialized municipality, and Grande Cache, a former town that became a hamlet in 2019.

West Yellowhead also includes the entirety of three rural municipalities (Improvement District No. 12, Improvement District No. 25, and Yellowhead County) and parts of two others (the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 and Woodlands County).

No First Nation band governments are based in the riding. However, the riding does includes three reserves (Alexis Cardinal River Indian Reserve 234, Alexis Elk River Indian Reserve 233, and Alexis Whitecourt Indian Reserve 232) that are associated with the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, a signatory of Treaty 6. The unrecognized Aseniwuche Winewak Nation also has several settlements in the riding, in the Grande Cache area.

West Yellowhead borders seven other electoral districts: Grande Prairie-Wapiti and Central Peace-Notley to the north, Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock to the northeast, Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland and Drayton Valley-Devon to the east, and Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre and Banff-Kananaskis to the south. The riding's western boundary is the Alberta-British Columbia border.

History

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The district was created in the 1986 boundary redistribution from most of the old Edson electoral district. Since it was created, the district has remained almost unchanged. The 2010 boundary redistribution did not change the riding from 2003.[1]

Boundary history

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Electoral history

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Members of the Legislative Assembly for West Yellowhead[3]
Assembly Years Member Party
See: Edson 1913-1986
21st 1986–1989 Ian Reid Progressive Conservative
22nd 1989–1993 Jerry Doyle New Democrat
23rd 1993–1997 Duco Van Binsbergen Liberal
24th 1997–2001 Ivan Strang Progressive Conservative
25th 2001–2004
26th 2004–2008
27th 2008–2012 Robin Campbell
28th 2012–2015
29th 2015–2019 Eric Rosendahl New Democrat
30th 2019–2023 Martin Long United Conservative
31st 2023–

The electoral district was created in the 1986 general election. The first election held that year saw a tight race between incumbent Progressive Conservative MLA Ian Reid who had previously represented the Edson electoral district and New Democrat candidate Phil Oakes. Reid barely hung onto win to pick up the new district for his party.

The 1989 election would see Reid defeated by New Democrat candidate Jerry Doyle in another close race. Doyle would only last a single term in office as he was defeated by Liberal candidate Duco Van Binsbergen in the 1993 general election.

The Progressive Conservatives would regain the seat in the 1997 general election as candidate Ivan Strang defeated Van Binsbergen. Strang was re-elected in the 2001 election with a solid majority. He won a third term in the 2004 general election taking less than half the popular vote but winning a comfortable plurality over the opposition candidates which polled an evenly dived vote. He would retire from office in 2008.

Progressive Conservative Robin Campbell was elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. Campbell lost to Eric Rosendahl of the New Democratic Party when the NDP were voted into government on May 4, 2015.[4]

Legislative election results

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2023

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2023 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Conservative Martin Long 14,456 71.80 +3.48
New Democratic Fred Kreiner 5,679 28.20 +7.72
Total 20,135 99.23
Rejected and declined 156 0.77
Turnout 20,291 55.37
Eligible voters 36,648
United Conservative hold Swing -2.12
Source(s)

2019

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2019 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Conservative Martin Long 16,381 68.31% 7.23%
New Democratic Paula Cackett 4,912 20.48% -18.44%
Alberta Party Kristie Gomuwka 2,073 8.65%
Alberta Advantage Paul Lupyczuk 261 1.09%
Alberta Independence Travis Poirier 229 0.96%
Independent David Pearce 123 0.51%
Total 23,979
Rejected, spoiled and declined 111 50 9
Eligible electors / turnout 35,546 67.80% 21.51%
United Conservative gain from New Democratic Swing 20.61%
Source(s)
Source: "87 - West Yellowhead, 2019 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). 2019 General Election. A Report of the Chief Electoral Officer. Volume II (PDF) (Report). Vol. 2. Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 427–433. ISBN 978-1-988620-12-1. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

2015

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2015 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Eric Rosendahl 4,135 38.92% 30.84%
Progressive Conservative Robin Campbell 3,433 32.32% -12.27%
Wildrose Stuart Taylor 3,055 28.76% 1.48%
Total 10,623 –turnout 23,063 46.29%
New Democratic gain from Progressive Conservative Swing -5.35%
Source(s)
Source: "85 - West Yellowhead, 2015 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Chief Electoral Officer (2016). 2015 General Election. A Report of the Chief Electoral Officer (PDF) (Report). Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta.

2012

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2012 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Robin Campbell 4,393 44.59% -9.24%
Wildrose Alliance Stuart Taylor 2,688 27.28% 23.11%
Alberta Party Glenn Taylor 1,668 16.93%
New Democratic Barry Madsen 797 8.09% -5.40%
Liberal Michael Martyna 307 3.12% -21.61%
Total 9,853
Rejected, spoiled and declined 51 25 5
Eligible electors / turnout 20,919 47.37% 9.62%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -5.90%
Source(s)
Source: "85 - West Yellowhead, 2012 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Chief Electoral Officer (2012). The Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 2011 Provincial Enumeration and Monday, April 23, 2012 Provincial General Election of the Twenty-eighth Legislative Assembly (PDF) (Report). Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

2008

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2008 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Robin Campbell 4,206 53.83% 8.10%
Liberal Lisa Higgerty 1,932 24.72% 4.43%
New Democratic Ken Kuzminski 1,054 13.49% -8.09%
Wildrose Alliance Earle Cunningham 326 4.17% -4.05%
Green Scott Pickett 296 3.79% -0.39%
Total 7,814
Rejected, spoiled and declined 26 5 1
Eligible electors / turnout 20,770 37.75% -8.76%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 2.48%
Source(s)
Source: "81 - West Yellowhead, 2008 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Chief Electoral Officer (2008). The Report on the March 3, 2008 Provincial General Election of the Twenty-Seventh Legislative Assembly (Report). Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 558–563. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

2004

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2004 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Ivan J. Strang 3,753 45.72% -13.42%
New Democratic Barry Madsen 1,771 21.58% 13.36%
Liberal Rob Jolly 1,666 20.30% -12.34%
Alberta Alliance Earle Cunningham 675 8.22%
Green Monika Schaefer 343 4.18%
Total 8,208
Rejected, spoiled and declined 27 16 1
Eligible electors / Turnout 17,706 46.52% -4.82%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -1.18%
Source(s)
Source: "00 - West Yellowhead, 2004 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2005). Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the General Enumeration and General Election of the Twenty-sixth Legislative Assembly (Report). Edmonton: Alberta Legislative Assembly, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

2001

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2001 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Ivan J. Strang 5,763 59.14% 17.10%
Liberal Lyle Benson 3,180 32.64% -2.84%
New Democratic Noel Lapierre 801 8.22% -11.69%
Total 9,744
Rejected, spoiled and declined 6 27 1
Eligible electors / Turnout 18,995 51.33% -4.57%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 9.97%
Source(s)
Source: "West Yellowhead Official Results 2001 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2001). The report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 2000 provincial confirmation process and Monday, March 12, 2001, Provincial General Election of the twenty-fifth Legislative Assembly. Edmonton: Alberta Legislative Assembly, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

1997

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1997 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Ivan J. Strang 4,498 42.05% 9.77%
Liberal Duco Van Binsbergen 3,795 35.47% -1.60%
New Democratic Glenn Taylor 2,130 19.91% -3.43%
Social Credit John Ahlstrom 275 2.57% -3.49%
Total 10,698
Rejected, spoiled and declined 19 19 3
Eligible electors / Turnout 19,176 55.90% 0.46%
Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal Swing 0.89%
Source(s)
Source: "West Yellowhead Official Results 1997 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (1997). Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, November, 1996 general enumeration and Tuesday, March 11, 1997 general election Twenty-fourth Legislative Assembly. Edmonton: Alberta Legislative Assembly, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

1993

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1993 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Duco Van Binsbergen 3,562 37.07% 24.01%
Progressive Conservative Fiona Fowler Cleary 3,101 32.28% -4.56%
New Democratic Jerry J. Doyle 2,243 23.35% -23.91%
Social Credit Garry M. Klewchuk 582 6.06%
Greens Mario Houle 120 1.25%
Total 9,608
Rejected, spoiled and declined 21
Eligible electors / Turnout 17,367 55.44% 3.29%
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing -2.81%
Source(s)
Source: "West Yellowhead Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1989

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1989 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Jerry J. Doyle 3,989 47.26% 5.22%
Progressive Conservative Ian Reid 3,109 36.83% -8.03%
Liberal Sharron Johnstone 1,103 13.07% 2.59%
Independent Harvey Ball 240 2.84%
Total 8,441
Rejected, spoiled and declined 25
Eligible electors / Turnout 16,234 52.15% 6.96%
New Democratic gain from Progressive Conservative Swing 3.80%
Source(s)
Source: "West Yellowhead Official Results 1989 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1986

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1986 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Ian Reid 3,207 44.87%
New Democratic Phil Oakes 3,005 42.04%
Liberal Laurie Switzer 749 10.48%
Western Canada Concept Lorraine Oberg 187 2.62%
Total 7,148
Rejected, spoiled and declined 21
Eligible electors / Turnout 15,863 45.19%
Progressive Conservative pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "West Yellowhead Official Results 1986 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Senate nominee election results

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2004

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2004 Senate nominee election results: West Yellowhead[6] Turnout 46.49%
Affiliation Candidate Votes % votes % ballots Rank
Progressive Conservative Cliff Breitkreuz 4,004 20.24% 59.57% 3
Progressive Conservative Betty Unger 2,758 13.94% 41.03% 2
Progressive Conservative Bert Brown 2,125 10.74% 31.61% 1
  Independent Link Byfield 2,025 10.23% 30.13% 4
Progressive Conservative David Usherwood 1,628 8.23% 24.22% 6
Alberta Alliance Michael Roth 1,540 7.78% 22.91% 7
Progressive Conservative Jim Silye 1,506 7.61% 22.40% 5
Alberta Alliance Gary Horan 1,434 7.25% 21.33% 10
Alberta Alliance Vance Gough 1,415 7.15% 21.05% 8
  Independent Tom Sindlinger 1,352 6.83% 20.11% 9
Total votes 19,787 100%
Total ballots 6,722 2.94 votes per ballot
Rejected, spoiled and declined 1,510

Voters had the option of selecting four candidates on the ballot

2012

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Student vote results

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2004

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Participating schools[7]
Crescent Valley School
Ecole Mountain View School
Gerard Redmond Community Catholic School
Harry Collinge High School
Holy Redeemer Catholic Jr/Sr High School
Parkland Composite High School
Pine Grove Middle School
Yellowhead Koinonia Christian School

On November 19, 2004, a student vote was conducted at participating Alberta schools to parallel the 2004 Alberta general election results. The vote was designed to educate students and simulate the electoral process for persons who have not yet reached the legal majority. The vote was conducted in 80 of the 83 provincial electoral districts with students voting for actual election candidates. Schools with a large student body that reside in another electoral district had the option to vote for candidates outside of the electoral district then where they were physically located.

2004 Alberta student vote results[8]
Affiliation Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Ivan Strang 593 32.91%
  NDP Barry Madsen 448 24.86%
  Liberal Rob Jolly 341 18.92%
Alberta Alliance Earle Cunningham 271 15.04%
Green Monika Schaefer 149 8.27%
Total 1,802 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 62

2012

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2012 Alberta student vote results[9]
Affiliation Candidate Votes %
Alberta Party Glenn Taylor 224 34.30%
Progressive Conservative Robin Campbell 221 33.84%
Wildrose Stuart Taylor 102 15.62%
  NDP Barry Madsen 57 8.73%
  Liberal Michael Martyna 49 7.50%
Total 653 100%

References

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  1. ^ a b "Proposed Electoral Division Areas, Boundaries, and Names for Alberta" (PDF). Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission. June 2010. p. 22. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  2. ^ "E‑4.1". Statutes of the Province of Alberta. Government of Alberta. 2003. p. 74.
  3. ^ "Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta 1905-2006" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  4. ^ "Alberta election 2015 results: NDP wave sweeps across province in historic win | CBC News".
  5. ^ "87 - West Yellowhead". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  6. ^ "Senate Nominee Election 2004 Tabulation of Official Results" (PDF). Elections Alberta. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
  7. ^ "School by School results". Student Vote Canada. Archived from the original on October 5, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  8. ^ "Riding by Riding Results - the Candidates". Student Vote Canada. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
  9. ^ "West Yellowhead". Student Vote Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
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53°36′N 117°48′W / 53.6°N 117.8°W / 53.6; -117.8