MP Earl Dreeshen. (Supplied)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

RED DEER-MOUNTAIN VIEW MP

MP Earl Dreeshen announces he won’t be running in federal election

Jan 22, 2025 | 3:45 PM

Earl Dreeshen, member of parliament for Red Deer-Mountain View, has announced he will not be running in the upcoming federal election.

In a statement dated Jan. 21, the MP shared that he will not be running as the Conservative candidate for Red Deer in an effort to make room for new voices.

Dreeshen was first elected as a Conservative Party of Canada MP to a previously existing “Red Deer” riding in 2008, before becoming MP for Red Deer-Mountain View in 2015 following boundary changes.

“In recent months, I have written and spoken on the theme of change. The winds of change are here, and the time for a new Conservative government is fast approaching,” he wrote in a letter posted to social media.

“I have the utmost confidence in our leader Pierre Poilievre. I am so proud of the Conservative common-sense renaissance he has led from coast to coast. With the winds of change also comes the need for new voices, new perspectives, and new ideas.”

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Dreeshen shared that his family has worked in central Alberta for over 120 years and has always called the region home. He continued his family’s legacy by serving as the representative for Red Deer and Red Deer-Mountain View for 16 years.

Some of Dreeshen’s proudest accomplishments were helping to secure federal funding for the Red Deer Regional Airport expansion, assisting in bringing the Canada Winter Games to Red Deer, securing federal economic stimulus for businesses and municipalities, and working with post-secondary institutions like Red Deer Polytechnic to help advance their educational standards.

Red Deer Mayor Ken Johnston commented briefly on the announcement Tuesday, saying, “Earl served this community so well for 16 years… he recognized that it was time for a shift, for a change.”

Dreeshen finished his letter by thanking his wife and children, grandchildren, local and federal staff, and his constituents.

“Thank you for electing me and allowing me to serve as your member of parliament. I will proudly continue to serve you until the next federal election,” he said.

While Dreeshen has opened an opportunity for someone else to represent the riding, an update to the federal electoral districts will change the landscape of what’s available in the next election.

Two central Alberta ridings, currently Red Deer-Mountain View and Red Deer-Lacombe, will change. Instead, there will be a Red Deer riding encompassing the municipality and stretching southeast from there, in addition to a new Ponoka-Didsbury zone covering the regions north, west and southwest of the city. Elections Canada has a digital map available where you can find the changes.

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