JASPER – Michael Fark is the Liberal candidate for the Yellowhead riding this upcoming federal election.
As a first-time candidate running for public office, he said it was a consequential time for the riding and the rest of the country, with threats not only from the United States but also globally. Fark said he felt that it was a responsibility to take this opportunity.
“I’m not a natural politician,” he said. “It’s not something that I had envisioned for myself, but given the confluence of all those circumstances, it seemed like the right thing.”
Fark serves as Jasper’s director of recovery following the devastating wildfire last summer. He has taken a leave of absence and will permanently leave the role should he get elected.
Before joining the Municipality of Jasper, Fark was the general manager of municipal infrastructure for the Town of Canmore. He also has a master’s in political economics and devoted much of his early career to humanitarian work, holding several leadership roles with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and continuing to work with its board of directors.
Because of his involvement in municipal government, Fark noted he understood the challenges that communities, businesses and municipalities faced at a local level.
“That practical knowledge and experience is something that is needed at the higher levels of government, especially when developing policy that directly affects people at the local and the community level,” he said.
“And like I said, it’s challenging times nationally and globally, and the ability to understand how to do crisis management, how to approach things in an organized and concise manner at a time when we’re facing very real threats, I think that’s also valuable experience at this time.”
If elected, Fark would focus on protecting and defending the interests of the Yellowhead riding and Canada against the threat of U.S. tariffs. Another focus would be investing in critical infrastructure and housing, describing communities in the riding as having a housing shortage pre-wildfire.
“The [Jasper wildfire] fire has compounded that problem significantly, and so we need to find better and more creative ways of addressing housing challenges, and honestly, that’s true throughout the riding,” he said.
He described Canada’s safety nets and willingness to fund services such as health care as differentiating the country from its neighbour to the south, and these systems needed to be supported and funded properly.
He also emphasized the need to address climate change through developing more comprehensive and urgent policies.
“We see very clearly the impacts that climate change is having on our very real day-to-day lives,” he said. “They’re not hypothetical anymore. The impacts of climate change are here and there now, as seen recently in Jasper.”
Fark emphasized both developing the economy and protecting the environment would require a balanced approach and proper analysis on any infrastructure investments.
“So, it’s not a question of either/or,” he said. “It is a question of trying to find the right balance and developing smart policy to accomplish that.”
Fark acknowledged people had legitimate reasons for being angry and aggrieved over how things have unfolded in recent years and believed it was necessary to hear out constituents.
At the same time, he argued that the Liberals under Prime Minister Mark Carney were promoting a vision of “real, practical and effective action.”
“They’re promoting a very clear vision of unity. of Canadians coming together, of investing in ourselves, of managing the risk that we’re facing from external things like the United States,” Fark said. “On the other hand, you have the Conservative vision, which is very much around division, pulling from the playbook from the United States and very much aligned in the direction that they are going.”
During his campaign over the next month, Fark is hoping to engage with people from across the political spectrum, engage in good faith and have meaningful discussions.
“And ultimately, whoever forms government, you need a strong representative from your riding in Ottawa and making sure that those messages of what we need here are being heard, and I believe that I can provide that.”
The 2025 federal election will take place April 28. Avni Soma is running for the NDP, while William Stevenson is the Conservative candidate and Vicky Bayford is running as the People's Party of Canada's candidate.
