This is a candidate profile for Drew McKay, who is running for Clearwater County council this fall, hoping to represent constituents in Ward 3.

Please provide a little background on yourself, including how long you’ve lived in the area.

I have lived in Clearwater Ward 3 for over 20 years. I am a business owner, a rancher, a community volunteer and supporter, but above all else, I am a husband and a father to two amazing teenagers. I’m originally from Saskatchewan, farm raised, where I learned the value of hard work and the importance of responsibility at a very young age.

With farming not being as economically viable as it is today, I started in the oil and gas sector in 1997, then began my electrical apprenticeship in 1999. I became a journeyman in 2003, then met my wife and moved to the Alhambra area in 2005 and started my company, AMC Electrical, that same year.

We got married in 2007 and started a family shortly after. In 2012, we bought the farm we currently reside on in the Evergreen area, where we run a modest cow/calf operation.

Why do you want to run for council?

For many years, I have seen councillors approve policies that do not align with voters’ views, and that has to stop. People need to have their voices heard. With the right council, the way of life that Clearwater residents cherish can be preserved.

What personal or professional experience do you feel would make you a good councillor?

Personally, I believe growing up on a farm gave me the experience to understand what it takes to live in a rural area and what’s important to the people that live there. Secondly, raising a family teaches us how to be patient, how to listen, and how to work together to come to a solution that works for everyone involved.

Professionally, I’d have to say that running a business has given me the experience to understand a budget and how to stick to it, as well as furthering my communication skills and ability to multitask. Secondly, all my years in oil and gas and agriculture have sharpened my ability to analyze situations, think critically, and come up with solutions to complex problems and resolve conflicts.

If elected, what would be a few top priorities?

Priority number one is increased consultation with residents. I have some ideas on how to improve this that I’ll share at the forum in Leslieville.

In addition to that, I would prioritize accountability and transparency from council, as well as improving affordability, reducing wasteful spending, reducing crime, and preserving the Clearwater way of life for generations to come.

Where can people learn more about you and your priorities?

Unfortunately, I do not have a website, but I will be door-knocking throughout Ward 3 for the next month, hoping to meet as many residents as possible. If anyone wishes to talk more or make a time to sit down and express their concerns, they can feel free to call me at any reasonable hour (403-895-5168), which is another benefit of the oil and gas industry, my phone is always on.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The people that know me already know this, but for everyone else: I am not entering this race because I need the job, or to use the position of councillor to benefit myself, or because I particularly even want to do it, for that matter.

I don’t fancy a career in politics as others do, and I certainly have other things to do with my time. However, this county has been steered in a direction that the residents do not agree with, and the current council does not seem to want to acknowledge that—with the exception of Councillor Northcott, of course—so here we are, entering the lion’s den.

All it takes for those with less-than-honourable intentions to succeed is for good men to stand idly by. I, for one, will not continue to watch the woke progressive ideology that has infiltrated every level of government continue to have its way with this area I love so dearly, and am proud to call home.

Ward 3 boundaries extend east of Rocky Mountain House along Hwy 11, and includes the communities of Condor and Alhambra.

Visit our Municipal Election page for more information on the upcoming municipal election Oct. 20, 2025.