Jason Franson/CP United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney arrives at a rally before the election, in Sherwood Park Alta, on April 15, 2019.

EDMONTON — Jason Kenney and his United Conservatives channelled the angst of an angry electorate to soar to a majority government in Alberta's election Tuesday and relegate Rachel Notley's NDP to the history books as a one-and-done government. The UCP, formed two years ago by a merger of the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties, held its rural and Calgary seats and took back many of the breakthrough NDP wins in those regions in 2015.

"What a great day for the province of Alberta,'' Kenney told cheering supporters who jammed an event centre at Calgary's Stampede Grounds. "Today our great province has sent a message to Canada and the world that Alberta is open for business.'' Kenney, who won his riding in Calgary-Lougheed, is a former federal Conservative cabinet minister under Stephen Harper.

Jeff McIntosh/CP United Conservative Party supporters celebrate in Calgary, Alta., on April 16, 2019.

Arriving on stage at his victory speech in a blue pickup truck that had become his signature on the campaign trail, Kenney declared that "today we begin to fight back" against the forces aligning against Alberta's oil industry. He was met with chants of "build that pipe" — which he asked the audience to correct to "build those pipes."

Notley's NDP held on to much of its traditional base in Edmonton, which it swept four years ago. But cabinet ministers and backbenchers went down elsewhere. Notley, speaking to supporters at her Edmonton headquarters, touted her government's accomplishments and said she will stay on as NDP leader. "We have fundamentally changed the politics of this province forever,'' she said. "It has been an honour to serve as your premier and it will be an honour to serve as the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.'' Notley said she spoke to Kenney and offered sincere congratulations. "I assured him that we will do everything that we can to ensure the transition to a new government is smooth and productive,'' she said, her family behind her on stage as supporters chanted "Rachel! Rachel!'' "I wish him and his government well. We all do. We must. Because we all love Alberta,'' she said.

Jason Franson/CP NDP supporters watch as the polling numbers come in, in Edmonton on Tuesday, April 16, 2019.

Kenney, who won his riding in Calgary-Lougheed, is a former federal Conservative cabinet minister under Stephen Harper. He takes the top job after winning on a jobs, jobs, jobs message and a promise to wage war on all who oppose Alberta's oil and gas industry, particularly Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Kenney has derisively called it "the Trudeau-Notley alliance'' — a partnership he says has turned Alberta into a doormat for Trudeau and other oil industry foes in return for no more than a faint and as yet unrealized promise of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to the west coast. Kenney has promised to kill Alberta's homegrown carbon tax, fight the federal carbon tax in court, and do what he can to help the federal Conservatives defeat Trudeau in the federal October vote. "There is a deep frustration in this province, a sense that we have contributed massively to the rest of Canada, but that everywhere we turn we are being blocked in and pinned down,'' said Kenney.

Jeff McIntosh/CP The stage where United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney will address supporters in Calgary, Alta., on April 16, 2019.