Based on our chapter from the State of Rural Canada Report, this presentation considers rural peoples and places across Alberta. This poster will present an overview of the population shifts, economic realities, and electoral politics in rural Alberta. With a population over 4.3 million, and growing (mostly in urban centers), Alberta is the fourth largest province in Canada. While rural Albertans continue to overwhelmingly vote conservatively, support for the conservative party has diminished and population shifts mean that rural Alberta no longer has the population base to determine election outcomes. Many of the challenges faced by rural municipalities are long-standing, but increasingly compounded by economic decline, provincial fiscal policy, deteriorating infrastructure, increasing urbanization, and aging populations. Complimenting this broad overview are two case studies focused on the impacts of COVID-19 in Canmore and the lasting impacts of the Fort McMurray wildfires. These are included to provide specific evidence of rural resiliency in the face of adversity. In conclusion, we discuss the diversity and complexity of identity, place and people in rural Alberta, drawing attention to the work rural Albertans are doing to protect the land and water, public services, and communities in which they are invested and rely on.