Photo: Jeffrey Wallace · CC BY-SA 4.0In 2021, Arnold Viersen carried Peace River—Westlock by 23,467 votes, a margin wider than 95% of Canada’s ridings
Woodlands County’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta can’t be shown, because the province’s boundary file is licensed for non-commercial use only. For federal votes, Woodlands County belongs to Peace River—Westlock, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP); Arnold Viersen (Conservative Party of Canada) holds it. In the census’s list of municipalities, Woodlands County is a municipal district. In Alberta, councils aren’t on any open list we can use, so Woodlands County’s mayor isn’t named.
What stands out in how Woodlands County is governed
High spending per resident
Per resident, Woodlands County council’s 2024 spending tops 90% of Alberta’s municipalities. Council money ↓
A safe federal seat
The 2021 winner in Peace River—Westlock finished 50.2 points ahead of the runner-up (New Democratic Party), a wider lead than in 95% of Canada’s 338 ridings. How Woodlands 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
Woodlands 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.
Woodlands County has no upper-tier council: Division No. 13, its census division, exists for statistics only.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Woodlands County, from the most recent elections.
- 1Woodlands 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 Woodlands County votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Woodlands County council | 20 October 2025 | 15 October 2029 |
| Legislative Assembly of Alberta | 29 May 2023 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Elections Canada’s open records end with the 2021 election; its 2025 results are under terms that rule out commercial use. Elected on 20 October 2025, Woodlands County council is up again on 15 October 2029. It is the third Monday in October every four years, as the Local Authorities Election Act provides. Voters last chose the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on 29 May 2023 and the House of Commons 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.
Of the 37 MPs from Alberta, 33 are with the Conservative Party of Canada, Arnold Viersen among them.
The MP’s record
The current Parliament is Arnold Viersen’s 4th, counting from a first win in 2015. 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
Peace River—Westlock returned Arnold Viersen (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
Counts for Peace River—Westlock within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
Peace River—Westlock turned out at only 62% in 2021; the country managed 63%. Peace River—Westlock elected Arnold Viersen (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021: 63% of the vote, a lead of 23,467 over Gail Ungstad (New Democratic Party). Back in 2019, Arnold Viersen took the riding on 81%.
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
Woodlands 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.
Woodlands County council carried $8.6M of long-term debt, $1,790 per resident against a typical $745. Local taxpayers carry a bigger share than elsewhere: 69% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 44%. No service costs more than roads and transit, at $3,139 per resident and 48% of the total. Spending by Woodlands County council reached $6,486 a resident in 2024, well over the $3,457 median of Alberta’s municipalities. It employs the equivalent of 55 full-time positions, or 11.5 for each thousand people.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $15M | $3,139 | 48% |
| General government | $8.5M | $1,784 | 28% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $2.2M | $464 | 7% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.1M | $429 | 7% |
| Planning and development | $1.6M | $339 | 5% |
| Recreation and culture | $1.3M | $271 | 4% |
| Social services and child care | $287K | $60 | 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 Woodlands 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
- Who holds each seat. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- Which riding. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
- Council money. Alberta’s 2024 municipal financial returns, per resident with Statistics Canada’s 2025 population estimate.
- Election results. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
Questions about how Woodlands County is run
Who is the MP for Woodlands County?
Arnold Viersen (Conservative Party of Canada) sits for Peace River—Westlock, the riding Woodlands County is in.
Which party won Woodlands 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 Woodlands County?
This page can’t say which riding Woodlands County is in; the Legislative Assembly of Alberta lists every MLA with theirs.
Who heads the council in Woodlands County?
Woodlands County, a municipal district, lists its council on its own pages; no open list names the head here.
How much does Woodlands County council spend?
Woodlands County council spent $31M in 2024 for about 4,778 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $15M.
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).