Grande Prairie (provincial electoral district)

Grande Prairie was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. It was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1930 to 1993.

The riding was created out of the southern half of Peace River in 1930, and reduced in size for the 1940 election when its northern area was transferred to the new district of Spirit River. In 1986, the district was further reduced to the city of Grande Prairie and rural areas to its west and south. The riding was abolished in 1993, with the northern half of the city transferred to the new district of Grande Prairie-Smoky, and the remainder becoming Grande Prairie-Wapiti.

When the district of Peace River was split in 1930, incumbent MLA Hugh Allen chose to run in the new district of Grande Prairie. Since no other candidates challenged him, no election was held, and he was acclaimed.

In 1935, Allen finished third, and Social Credit candidate William Sharpe picked the district up as part of their province-wide sweep. However, he would serve only one term as MLA.

In 1940, the traditional parties attempted to defeat Social Credit by running joint candidates as independents in what became known as the Unity Movement. Their candidate in Grande Prairie, Lewis O'Brien, defeated Sharpe on the second count. He, too, would serve only one term as MLA, and did not run for re-election. O'Brien was the only opposition member ever elected in Grande Prairie, making the riding something of a bellwether while it existed.

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