Drew Barnes

Mr. Barnes was born in Saskatchewan and moved to Medicine Hat with his family in 1974. He studied at Camrose Lutheran College and the University of Alberta, where he completed his bachelor of commerce degree.

Mr. Barnes pursued an award-winning, 26-year career in real estate. He owned and managed a successful real estate office in Medicine Hat and was a member of the Medicine Hat Real Estate Board from 1983 to 2009, and served as president in 1991.

An entrepreneur and businessman, Mr. Barnes owns a number of businesses in Medicine Hat, which include a construction company, Belcore Homes, a storage facility and a property management company. He also owns commercial and residential property throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan and has irrigation and ranchland, on which he raises commercial beef, and rodeo stock.

An active member of the community, Drew has been involved in many organizations in Medicine Hat and area. He has served as campaign chair and president of the United Way of Southeastern Alberta. A former president of the Kiwanis Club and Opportunity Capital Corporation, Drew enjoys working with others to forward a common cause. He is also a past member of the Kinsmen and Hockey Hounds.[7]

In August 2012, Barnes and a colleague went on a fact finding mission to Fort McMurray to learn more about the notoriously dangerous Highway 63.[8] They called on the government to release a timeline for the completion of twinning the highway.

In late February 2015, Barnes announced he would enter the race for leader of the Wildrose Party[9] and ran a very close second.

On July 22, 2017, The Wildrose Party and the Progressive Conservative Party merged to become one entity, namely the United Conservative Party—Both parties voted to merge with >95% approval.[10] Barnes had been vocal about his desire to unite the entities and came forward to endorse[11] United Conservative Party Leadership candidate, Jason Kenney, on August 2, 2017.