Elections offer a vital opportunity to voice your concerns and influence the future of Canada’s Rocky Mountains and mountain parks. We encourage all AMPPE members to participate in the upcoming federal election and vote for the candidate in your riding who best represents your interests.
With the federal election scheduled for Monday, April 28, 2025, this toolkit provides essential information to help you prepare, including key election dates, ways to vote, and details about your riding and local candidates.
When, Where, & How to Vote
When to Vote
- Election Day: Monday, April 28, 2025
- Advance Polling Days: April 18–21, 2025
For more details on key federal election dates, click here.
Ways to Vote
- In Person:
- At your designated polling station on Election Day or an advance polling day.
- At any Elections Canada office.
- At Home:
- By mail-in special ballot.
For more information on voting methods, click here. To find your designated polling station, click here.
What You Need to Vote
To vote, you must be:
- A Canadian citizen
- At least 18 years old on Election Day
You must also provide proof of identity and address. Acceptable identification includes:
- A valid driver’s licence or another government-issued photo ID showing your name and current address.
- If you don’t have the above, a combination of documents can be used to verify your identity.
- If you have no ID, you must declare your identity and address in writing, and have someone from your polling station vouch for you.
For more details on voter identification, click here.
Find My Local Candidates & Riding
Understanding your electoral district and knowing who your candidates are is essential to making an informed choice. Here’s how you can find out:
- Visit the Elections Canada website. The Voter Information Service provides details about your riding, candidates, advance polling stations, Election Day locations, and your local Elections Canada office. Simply enter your postal code to access the information.
Yellowhead – Get to Know Your New Riding & Local Candidates
About Yellowhead
Following the 2021 Canadian Census and population changes, the Yellowhead electoral district in Alberta underwent a redistribution. The updated boundaries take effect in the upcoming federal election.
The new Yellowhead district now includes additional communities such as:
- Banff, Canmore, Carstairs, Crossfield, Edson, Hinton, Rocky Mountain House, Sundre
- The specialized municipality of Jasper
- Jasper National Park, Kananaskis, and more
For a full breakdown of the updated Yellowhead boundaries, click here.
Meet Your Local Candidates
Michael Fark has a strong tie to the riding of Yellowhead and is experienced in crisis management, local government processes, and international humanitarian work.
Michael has been the Director of Recovery for the Municipality of Jasper since April 2024. In this role, he is responsible for the recovery of Jasper after the devastating 2024 Jasper wildfires. He helped secure interim housing, supported residents impacted by the disaster, and worked to secure critical financial support.
Before his current role, he was the General Manager – Municipal Infrastructure of the Town of Canmore from 2015 to 2019. In this role, he was responsible for managing public resources while also advancing affordable housing and wildfire co-existence initiatives.
Previously, Michael held several leadership roles at Doctors Without Borders, where he played an active role in shaping strategic decisions and supporting crisis management.
Michael holds a Master of Science in Political Economy from the University of London.
William Stevenson – Conservative
William Stevenson has been the President and a Chartered Professional Accountant at Carstairs Accounting Services for over 25 years. William Stevenson has been the President and a Chartered Professional Accountant at Carstairs Accounting Services for over 25 years.
He is heavily involved in politics at the riding level, where he has served as Chief Financial Officer of the Banff-Airdrie, Calgary Centre, and Bow River Conservative Federal Electoral District Associations.
Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer of the United Conservative Party, the Wildrose Party, and the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta.
Avni Soma is a scientist and small business owner from Canmore, Alberta. She has a background in healthcare and over 15 years of experience in the food industry.
Avni launched and ran a successful organic, fair-trade tea company before co-founding and developing Farm Box. Farm Box was founded to support local agriculture by building direct relationships with farmers and was an early market leader in the organic food box delivery model.
Avni helped start Alpine Edible Schoolyards, a not-for-profit enterprise that combines urban farming and educational school gardens. Avni served on the board of the Bow Valley Food Alliance, a not-for-profit that fosters community-based food systems. Currently, Avni sits on the National Food Policy Advisory Council, as well as on the board of Alberta Food Matters. Avni is a member of the Coalition for Healthy School Food and operates a hot lunch program that she started at École Notre-Dame des Monts in Canmore, Alberta.
Avni holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and a Master of Science in Physiology from the University of Calgary. She is fluent in English, French and Gujarati.
Vicky Bayford-Peoples Party of Canada (PPC)
Vicky Bayford, the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) was born in Fort McMurray, raised in Calgary, and now lives in Innisfail. She has worked in the oil and gas sector for much of her career, specializing in regulatory consulting and operations. While she doesn’t reside in the Yellowhead riding, Bayford was asked by the PPC to run after the party saw an opening in the region, as she says the PPC already had a “really good candidate” in her riding.
Bayford has been politically active for five years with smaller provincial parties. She says her decision to run for federal office is to secure a better future. “I think most people in Canada, but I especially feel it here in Alberta, know that the country is just not running the way that it should be running,” she says. “I want to make changes so that there’s a future for my kids and my now grandson. And I want to make sure that we can get back to a place that we’re proud of and actually be the strong country that I know we can be.”
Bayford says she brings a wealth of experience in problem-solving to the table. “I really understand policy. I’m a high-level thinker where I can kind of see outcomes before they come to pass. I’m pretty good on my feet as far as being able to make decisions.” Bayford also points to her experience as a single mother, saying it has made her resilient and persistent.