The doors have closed on the nominations for Conservative and Liberal candidates in the Fort McMurray-Athabasca federal by-election, leaving two candidates each to compete for spots on the ballot of their parties.
The NDP have already nominated their candidate, Lori McDaniel, who was selected March 13. Tim Moen will be running for the Libertarian Party.
Conservative Party applications closed at 3 p.m. March 24, leaving David Yurdiga and Arlan Delisle as the only candidates who have declared their intentions to run as of press time. Liberal Party riding officials confirmed that their applications are closed as well, and Kyle Harrietha and Chris Flett will contest the nomination.
Yurdiga, who was the first to declare, represented Grasslands on Athabasca County council since 2007, and was reeve from 2009-2013. He has also operated a number of companies in the region, including a consulting firm.Â
He will run against Delisle, a lawyer for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Delisle was a councillor in Edson. from 1997-2000, and then from 2008-2010. In addition to politics, Delisle was also a member of the national luge team from 1991-1993.
The deadline for registering for a membership in order to vote in the Conservative race is March 31.
Liberal candidate Kyle Harrietha, general manager for Metis Local 1935 in Fort McMurray, previously worked on Parliament Hill for seven years as an executive and legislative assistant to the party.
The other candidate for the Grits is Chris Flett, a Fort McMurray native who works as a business agent for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 955. The Liberal Party nomination meeting is set for 3 p.m. March 29 in Fort McMurray.
The federal riding seat was vacated when Conservative Brian Jean, who had sat as MP for four terms, resigned January 17. The riding has been held by Conservative or Reform Party representatives since it was formed in 1968. A date for the by-election has not yet been announced. It must be held by the end of July.
Whoever wins the byelection is likely to be the last Fort McMurray-Athabasca MLA. The riding will be redivided into Fort McMurray-Cold Lake, which will contain Lac La Biche, for the 2015 federal election.
