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2004 Candidates:
Guy C. Boutilier (PC)
Russell W. (Russ) Collicott (Liberal)
Eugene Eklund (Alberta Alliance)
Dave Malka (NDP)
Reginald Normore (Independent)
Riding Profile:
Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo sits in the northeast, stretching 500 kilometres
along the Saskatchewan border and 300 kilometres along the boundary with
the Northwest Territories. The riding now takes in the pre-2004 redistribution
riding of Fort McMurray, much of the old riding of Athabasca-Wabasca,
and the part of the old Lesser Slave Lake riding that was in Wood Buffalo
National Park. In addition to the park, the new riding contains much of
Lake Athabasca and the Athabasca, Peace and Slave Rivers. Other than Fort
McMurray, about the only other community is the aboriginal village of
Fort Chipewyan in the far north. This riding's population, at 42,617,
is the highest in Alberta.
North of Fort McMurray are the famous oil sands, the big industry here.
They, and related construction work, account for some of the province's
highest household incomes at $99,227 on average. Fewer than six per cent
of residents are low income, and government transfer payments account
for 3.4 per cent of the money that goes into people's wallets. The population
is very young, with the fewest seniors - 1.8 per cent - of any riding.
One in 12 residents is an immigrant, and one in seven is aboriginal. In
the riding, 44 per cent are Alberta-born.
Political History:
The old Fort McMurray riding has been largely Tory since 1986. The incumbent,
Municipal Affairs Minister Guy Boutilier, was first elected in 1997, beating
Liberal John Vyboh by 1,412 votes. In 2001, Boutilier and Vyboh squared
off again, the margin this time being 4,000 votes. From 1986-93, Tory
Norm Weiss was the MLA here, winning two elections against the NDP's Ann
Dort-Maclean. Weiss occupied several cabinet spots during his two terms.
In 1993, Liberal Adam Germain beat out the Tories' Connie MacRae by 1,523
votes, but declined to run again in the next election.
In 2001, voter turnout was 38 per cent - the second-lowest in Alberta.
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