Photo: Grant Berg · CC BY-SA 3.0Peace River—Westlock gave Arnold Viersen a 23,467-vote lead in 2021, bigger than in 95% of ridings
For local government, Birch Hills County is a municipal district. Mayors and councillors in Alberta aren’t on any open list, so Birch Hills County’s council goes unnamed here. Because the Legislative Assembly of Alberta’s boundaries come with non-commercial terms, this page doesn’t say which riding Birch Hills County is in. Birch Hills County is in Peace River—Westlock, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Arnold Viersen of the Conservative Party of Canada.
What stands out in how Birch Hills County is governed
High spending per resident
Per resident, Birch Hills County council’s 2024 spending tops 89% of Alberta’s municipalities. Council money ↓
A safe federal seat
In 2021, 50.2 points separated first and second (New Democratic Party) in Peace River—Westlock, more than in 95% of the 338 ridings. How Birch Hills County has voted ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Birch Hills County, a municipal district 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.
The census places Birch Hills County in Division No. 19, a division that governs nothing; no county council sits above the town’s.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Birch Hills County, from the most recent elections.
- 1Birch Hills County councilMunicipal district
- 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 Birch Hills County votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Birch Hills County 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. Voters last chose Birch Hills County council on 20 October 2025 and will again on 15 October 2029. The Local Authorities Election Act sets the day: the third Monday in October every four years. Provincially the last general election was on 29 May 2023, for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta; federally, on 28 April 2025.
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.
Arnold Viersen sits with the Conservative Party of Canada, which holds 33 of the 37 seats from Alberta.
The MP’s record
Mapped onto today’s Peace River—Westlock, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 63%; in 2025 Arnold Viersen kept the seat in the same hands. First elected in 2015, Arnold Viersen is serving the 4th term of a Commons career.
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
Peace River—Westlock returned Arnold Viersen (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
Peace River—Westlock as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025.
81% had elected Arnold Viersen there in 2019. Arnold Viersen won the 2021 race in Peace River—Westlock for the Conservative Party of Canada, polling 63% and beating Gail Ungstad (New Democratic Party) by 23,467 votes. Peace River—Westlock turned out at only 62% in 2021; the country managed 63%.
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
Birch Hills County council spends more 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.
Full-time staff number 16, about 10.5 to every thousand residents. In 2024 the median among Alberta’s municipalities was $3,457 a resident; Birch Hills County council spent $6,256. At 57% of spending ($3,562 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 45% of revenue, against 44% across the province’s returns. The return shows no long-term debt for Birch Hills County council.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $5.4M | $3,562 | 57% |
| General government | $1.9M | $1,251 | 20% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $1M | $689 | 11% |
| Planning and development | $588K | $386 | 6% |
| Police, fire and protection | $325K | $214 | 3% |
| Recreation and culture | $156K | $102 | 2% |
| Social services and child care | $77K | $50 | 1% |
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 Birch Hills County 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
- 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.
- Who holds each seat. Wikidata, edited by volunteers, is the source for each MP, and it can trail a change of seat by a little.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- Which riding. Ridings are assigned from the 2021 Census: the one with most residents first, then any holding 5% or more.
Questions about how Birch Hills County is run
Who is the MP for Birch Hills County?
Peace River—Westlock’s MP, Arnold Viersen of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Birch Hills County.
Which party won Birch Hills County in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Arnold Viersen won Peace River—Westlock in 2021 and still holds it.
Who is the MLA for Birch Hills County?
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta’s website names each MLA by riding; the riding of Birch Hills County has to be looked up there.
Who heads the council in Birch Hills County?
The head of Birch Hills County’s council isn’t named here; as a municipal district, it publishes its council itself.
How much does Birch Hills County council spend?
In 2024, Birch Hills County council spent $9.5M in all, for some 1,522 residents, of which $5.4M went on roads and transit, the biggest line.
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).