Photo: awmcphee · CC BY-SA 4.0Peace River—Westlock, which takes in Barrhead, is held by Arnold Viersen (Conservative Party of Canada)
Locally, Barrhead is run as a town. No open list of councils exists in Alberta, so no mayor of Barrhead is named here. Because the Legislative Assembly of Alberta’s boundaries come with non-commercial terms, this page doesn’t say which riding Barrhead is in. The Conservative Party of Canada has 33 of the 37 MPs elected in Alberta.
Three governments, and who does what
Barrhead, a town in Alberta, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
assembly.ab.ca ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
There is no county government over Barrhead; Division No. 13 is a census division, not a council.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Barrhead, from the most recent elections.
- 1Barrhead councilTown
- 2Legislative Assembly of Alberta–
- 3House of CommonsPeace River—Westlock
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
When Barrhead votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Barrhead council | 20 October 2025 | 15 October 2029 |
| Legislative Assembly of Alberta | 29 May 2023 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
No open copy of the 2025 counts exists, and Elections Canada’s own terms rule out commercial reuse, so 2021 is the last vote shown. Parliament was last elected on 28 April 2025, and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on 29 May 2023. The council elected on 20 October 2025 serves until 15 October 2029, when Barrhead council is chosen again. It is the third Monday in October every four years, as the Local Authorities Election Act provides.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta: riding not placed
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MLA.
Find your MLA on the legislature’s site
assembly.ab.ca ↗Legislatures: their own member pages
Arnold Viersen represents Peace River—Westlock in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Peace River—Westlock · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Conservative Party of Canada33
- Liberal Party of Canada3
- New Democratic Party1
As Wikidata records them.
The MP’s record
First elected in 2015, Arnold Viersen is serving the 4th term of a Commons career. Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Peace River—Westlock puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 63%; Arnold Viersen held it for the party in 2025.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
In 2021, Peace River—Westlock re-elected Arnold Viersen of the Conservative Party of Canada
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Peace River—Westlock; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
Arnold Viersen was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 81%. The 2021 count in Peace River—Westlock put Arnold Viersen (Conservative Party of Canada) first at 63%, with Gail Ungstad (New Democratic Party) 23,467 votes back. Peace River—Westlock turned out at only 62% in 2021; the country managed 63%. Just 16 of the 338 ridings in Canada saw a bigger lead.
All 6 candidates in Peace River—Westlock, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold Viersen | Conservative Party of Canada | 29,486 | 63.0% |
| Gail Ungstad | New Democratic Party | 6,019 | 12.9% |
| Darryl Boisson | People's Party of Canada | 5,916 | 12.6% |
| Colin Krieger | Maverick Party | 2,573 | 5.5% |
| Leslie Penny | Liberal Party of Canada | 2,431 | 5.2% |
| Jordan Francis MacDougall | Green Party of Canada | 364 | 0.8% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Barrhead council spends less per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Alberta’s municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
At $3,300 for every resident in 2024, Barrhead council sits below the $3,457 median of Alberta’s municipalities. 42 full-time positions are funded, 8.8 per thousand residents. At 32% of spending ($1,068 a resident), water, sewers and waste leads the budget. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 32% of revenue, against 44% across the province’s returns. Debt Barrhead council owes over the long term came to $3.7M, $779 a resident, higher than the median of $745.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $5.1M | $1,068 | 32% |
| Recreation and culture | $3.9M | $820 | 25% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.3M | $481 | 15% |
| Roads and transit | $2.1M | $445 | 13% |
| General government | $1.5M | $312 | 9% |
| Social services and child care | $515K | $108 | 3% |
| Planning and development | $310K | $65 | 2% |
Money: municipal financial and statistical data 2024, Alberta Municipal Affairs. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Alberta. Residents: Statistics Canada, 2025 estimate.
Having a say in how Barrhead is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.ab.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Who holds each seat. The members named here are Wikidata’s, kept up by volunteers; a by-election or a floor crossing may take a few days to show.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Which riding. A riding is listed when 5% or more of the place’s 2021 Census residents live in it; the largest share comes first.
- Council money. Alberta’s 2024 municipal financial returns, per resident with Statistics Canada’s 2025 population estimate.
- Election results. Where the page says “today’s boundaries”, it means Elections Canada’s estimate of the 2021 vote on the 2023 ridings; every other count is official and on the 2013 map.
Questions about how Barrhead is run
Who is the MP for Barrhead?
Peace River—Westlock’s MP, Arnold Viersen of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Barrhead.
Which party won Barrhead in the 2021 federal election?
Arnold Viersen (Conservative Party of Canada) took Peace River—Westlock in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MLA for Barrhead?
Every MLA of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta is on its members page, which is where to find the one for Barrhead.
Who heads the council in Barrhead?
Barrhead is a town; its own website or the province’s municipal directory names the head of council.
How much does Barrhead council spend?
Barrhead council spent $15.7M in 2024 for about 4,768 residents; its largest service line was water, sewers and waste, at $5.1M.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Money: municipal financial and statistical data 2024, Alberta Municipal Affairs. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Alberta. Residents: Statistics Canada, 2025 estimate. · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).