Months after electing Conservative MP Damien Kurek to represent them in Ottawa, voters in Alberta’s Battle River-Crowfoot riding are going back to the ballot box on August 18.
Although there are more than 200 candidates registered to run in the riding, including Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, two independent candidates in particular have garnered significant attention in the race.
Public outcry about the election
In the federal election last April, Pierre Poilievre lost his Ottawa-area seat in parliament which he had held since 2004. Soon after, Damien Kurek resigned his seat in the House of Commons to allow Poilievre to run in a by-election for Battle River-Crowfoot. Poilievre needs to win in the riding to secure a seat in the House of Commons.
More than a month after Kurek’s resignation, some people in the area are fired up about his decision to resign his seat for Poilievre even though Kurek openly supports the Conservative leader and has joined him at various campaign events.
One user on X claims Kurek is “holding [Poilievre’s] hand” and criticizes Kurek’s decision to remain in politics despite “abandoning his voters for a comfortable lobbying job.”
Of the record-breaking number of 200 plus candidates running in the summer by-election, only seven are affiliated with traditional political parties. The rest are running as independent candidates.
Bonnie Critchley: a woman of many firsts
Bonnie Critchley has served in the Canadian Army for 22 years. There she broke barriers as the second woman in a combat unit and made history as part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps’ as the first father-daughter gunnery crew.
Running as an independent candidate in Battle River-Crowfoot, Critchley is going door-to-door across the entire Battle River-Crowfoot electoral district in eastern Alberta. The area spans over 52,000 kilometre with Critchley speaking directly to as many residents as she can in the largely rural riding.
“Are people here conservative? Absolutely,” Critchley says. “But they’re also fiercely independent and don’t like being used or told what to do. People are choked and feel taken advantage of by this entire situation.”
Critchley says that while Kurek was a good voice for the people of Battle River-Crowfoot, him “turning around and taking a cushy lobbying gig and selling us out has really left a bad taste for a lot of people here.”
She feels if Poilievre wins the seat for Battle River-Crowfoot, residents there will lose their voice, generating a lot of anger about the lack of representation.
If elected, Critchley intends to work to “ensure I’m getting everything I can for Battle River-Crowfoot.” One of her goals is to “make sure [the people of Battle River-Crowfoot] aren’t being forgotten and overlooked by this Liberal government.”
Critchley also hopes to pass a private members’ bill that puts control of farming equipment in the hands of the people who use the equipment, rather than the CEOs owning the companies.
“Right now there are farmers in our riding who, if their tractor breaks down, could be put out of pocket or worse because the corporations won’t allow them to order the parts necessary to fix their property. That needs to change,” says Critchley.
There are more concerns of rural Albertans that Critchley says should be dealt with, such as the cost of living being too high and the gun ban put in place by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that prevents rural Albertans from protecting their livestock.
“I’m tired of the team politics that have taken over our system,” says Critchley. “This isn’t hockey. It’s not the Flames versus the Oilers. It’s about making things work again for everyday Canadians. All the bickering between blue and red hasn’t done anything to get things done.”
Sarah Spanier: An advocate for unheard voices
Sarah Spanier has dedicated her career by helping and advocating for others by serving in social services, childcare and the justice field.
“I’ve always spoken up for the people around me, especially when their voices went unheard,” Spanier writes on her website. “Now I’m stepping up to make sure all of our voices are heard.”
Spanier is also running as an independent in the Battle River-Crowfoot byelection and identified three important things she’s campaigning on: the cost of living, government accountability and rural economic development.
To address these issues, Spanier proposes several bills. The first, called the Affordable Food for All Act, tackles the reduction of price gouging and food waste.
She also wants to address government accountability and wants to tackle the “ridiculous” spending of MPs. “Funds are not going where they need to,” she says, “and that needs to change.”
Regarding rural economic development, Spanier notes the problems rural Albertans typically face, including poorly maintained roads and less accessible healthcare, also need to be confronted
Another bill Spanier is considering would limit the spending of elected officials. In 2024, $188 million taxpayer dollars included the expenses of elected officials. The bill Spanier wants to introduce will “ensure that more of that funding they’re wasting can go back to the people.”
Chris Potter, Spanier’s communications assistant, added, “There’s an underlying, simmering anger that people feel completely and totally used. It’s a constant thing that we’re hearing from people.”
Like Critchley, Spanier has been rallying by door-knocking. However, after receiving “threats and other derogatory messages” in response to her advocacy for transgender people CTV News reposted she put her door-to-door campaigning on hold in July. Then, after contacting the RCMP and employing increased safety measures, Spanier is back on the doorsteps talking to voters according to the CBC,
The byelection will take place on Monday, August 18. More voter information for the Battle River-Crowfoot byelection, including where to vote and a list of candidates in the riding, is available on Election Canada’s website.