7 hours Ago By Devika Desai
Despite being newly formed, Calgary McKnight is already among the ridings to watch in the city this federal election. With newly created boundaries, an incumbent Liberal fighting to keep his spot in an area whose loyalty to the Conservatives has altered thanks to changing demographics and internal party disgruntlement, it’s difficult to point out who may come on top, according to neighbourhood residents and political experts. The riding used to be a part of Calgary Skyview , the only patch on the city’s political map that went Liberal red in 2021, disrupting what would have been a landslide win for the Conservatives in Calgary.
This year, shifting boundaries have combined portions of the former Calgary Skyview and Calgary Forest Lawn districts to form the new riding, covering the neighbourhoods of Martindale, Taradale, Saddle Ridge, Castleridge, Falconridge, Coral Springs, Westwinds, Whitehorn, Temple, Rundle and Pineridge. Unlike voters in Skyview, who now contend with an entirely new list of candidates on their ballot card, residents in Calgary McKnight will recognize at least one name on theirs: incumbent Liberal George Chahal who won in Skyview in 2021. Currently, polls suggest that Chahal may find his main competition in Dalwinder Gill, Conservative candidate and real estate agent, with the latest 338Canada projections showing Liberals holding a comfortable lead in the race, at 50 per cent of the votes compared to 40 per cent for the Conservatives.
Yet, other candidates running in the riding say that doesn’t concern them as they find voters open and receptive to the idea of someone new representing the area. “I think people are very concerned about becoming more like the U.S.
in terms of a two-party, very divisive, oppositional system,” said Evelyn Tanaka, Green Party candidate. More choices mean better likelihood of healthy voter turnout, says candidate Calgary McKnight boasts a full ballot, replete with candidates not only from the three main parties, but also from the People’s Party of Canada, Green Party, Canada Future Party and the Centrist Party of Canada. The more choice there is, the better the likelihood of a healthy voter turnout, Tanaka explained, based on her own conversations with voters across Calgary and in New Brunswick, where she is currently helping a local Green Party candidate with their own campaign.
“I was obviously pleasantly surprised because as one of the smaller parties, it still feels really important to get our platform out,” she said. “Giving people more options just to get them more engaged and (so) they feel more represented.” This is Tanaka’s third run at a federal election and first outside her home riding of Calgary Shepard.
Running in a more diverse riding means that while she still remains the only woman on the ballot, she is no longer the only candidate of colour. “I wanted to run in an area where I felt like I didn’t need to have those discussions on equality, diversity and inclusion.” Affordability is top of mind for voters, she said, with concerns about the price of groceries, housing and the impact of Trump’s tariffs, followed by issues of access to food, climate change and loss of agricultural land.
“We just seem to be putting our head in the sand about a lot of these issues and this is going to have a direct effect on the affordability and availability of healthy local food,” she said. “Listening to people who are dealing with these issues and implementing solutions at the local level are the most important things we can do as representatives.” This is Ben Cridland’s first time in federal politics, as CFP candidate for the riding.
A Brisbane native, he moved to Canada 17 years ago and worked in the grocery sector in numerous capacities as a warehouse supervisor. The party, he says, offers evidence-based approaches to policy, rather than adhering to an ideology. “It’s not because I want it to, it’s about what’s good for the country,” he said.
Having lived in the community for a decade, Cridland said he has noticed an uptick in crime, homelessness, drug use and “not much done about it.” He points to the immigration overflow into the city leading to demand saturation in the job market. “People can’t get work,” he said, adding that his party would want to cut immigration back to pre-pandemic levels and facilitate a better balance with jobs, health care and housing.
Realistically, he doesn’t expect to win, he says, “although it’d be nice.” But putting his name on the ballot offers voters more choice and “someone who will actually represent the community.” Frustration expressed with parachute candidates Despite running as a candidate with the People’s Party of Canada, Najeeb Butt shares some commonalities with his Conservative competitor, Darwinder Gill — a career in real estate and a right-wing leaning.
But he’s unhappy with how the Conservatives have strayed “from their values,” he said, after the party ditched their nomination race in lieu of two parachute candidates in Calgary Skyview and Calgary McKnight, earlier this month. Several party members who had announced their intentions to run for candidacy have expressed their frustration with the party, with some opting to run as Independent candidates. “It doesn’t correspond with (the party’s) democratic values,” Butt said.
Voters have expressed facing more “hardships” to him, including housing, groceries, jobs and rental obligations. “Our economy is on a slippery track,” he said. If elected, he said his “mission would be to provide clear accessible services to all Canadians,” looking into a mix of foreign policy and local issues that impact citizens’ lives.
Gill, the riding’s Conservative candidate, has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Postmedia. On his website, he attributes his eligibility to his two decades of experience in real estate as well as a family man and a father of two children. “I know first-hand the concerns families face, whether it be rising living costs or ensuring a safe and prosperous future for our children,” he wrote on his website.
“These personal experiences motivate me to fight for policies that support families, strengthen communities and create opportunities for future generations.” Liberal candidate running in new riding due to boundary change Postmedia has reached out to New Democratic Party candidate Arlington Santiago and has not heard back in time for publication. On his website, he described himself as a “passionate and proactive human rights advocate for economic justice and workers’ rights.
” Liberal George Chahal, the former Calgary Skyview MP who has switched ridings under the new boundaries, has championed the need for a united Canada and said, prior to launching his campaign, that he was “looking forward to standing up and fighting for my community.” “Now more than ever, as Canadians we need to be unified to make sure that we are Canada strong, that we protect our sovereignty and stand up to our neighbours to the south who have threatened us consistently,” Chahal told Postmedia in a March 11 interview that followed the selection of Mark Carney as Liberal leader. “That means we have to diversify our trade relationships with others around the world and continue to work hard to make sure that we support local Canadian workers, businesses and industries.
” A quick drive in the area shows a myriad of posters planted on lawns, sidewalks and in the backyards of houses. Kim Belair has lived in McKnight for more than 25 years and has remained a staunch Conservative supporter, hoisting a lawn sign for Dalwinder Gill at the front of her lawn. She said she’d want to see lower taxes on her home and better job availability.
Her neighbourhood in the past few years has changed substantially with younger residents and families moving in, which she says strengthens the need for better infrastructure and roads. “I’d like them to take better care of the roads,” she said. “We’re paying a lot in this neighbourhood but we’re not getting much done (in return).
” Lorne Kowalski, another long-time resident of the riding, is retired now but used to work in construction. “I do realize that pretty well most of the money in Calgary came from oil,” he said. “And I’m definitely not going to vote for anybody who wants to shut down that industry.
” This is one of a series of articles profiling select ridings in our region in the leadup to voting day on April 28. See our full coverage of the federal election campaign. To learn more about who’s running in your riding and the focus of their campaigns, check out our list of federal election candidates in Calgary and Southern Alberta.
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