Calgary-Bow is a provincial electoral district in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting.

Calgary-Bow
Alberta electoral district
Calgary-Bow within the City of Calgary, 2017 boundaries
Provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
MLA
 
 
 
Demetrios Nicolaides
United Conservative
District created1971
First contested1971
Last contested2023

The electoral district has been a stronghold for right leaning parties. Social Credit briefly held the district from 1971 to 1975 and the Progressive Conservatives have held the district uninterrupted until the 2015 provincial election, when the seat was won by NDP candidate Deborah Drever. The electoral district returned to electing conservative candidate in 2019 with United Conservative Party MLA Demetrios Nicolaides, who won re-election in 2023.

History

edit

The electoral district was created in the 1971 boundary re-distribution from Calgary West and Calgary Bowness.

The 2010 Alberta electoral district boundary re-distribution significantly changed the riding. The western boundaries were altered to conform to the new Calgary city limits which had been expanded since 2003. The riding lost all land that was east of Sarcee Trail and North of the Bow River to the electoral districts of Calgary-Currie and Calgary-Varsity. The district was also expanded south into land that used to be in Calgary-West up to the new south boundary of Bow Trail / 12 Street SW. The Calgary-Bow electoral district would have a population of 37,806, which was 7.5% below the provincial average of 40,880.[1]

The 2017 Alberta electoral district boundary re-distribution saw the communities of Montgomery and Spruce Cliff added to the constituency. The boundaries as adjusted would give the electoral district a population of 51,358 in 2017, 10% above the provincial average of 46,803.[2]

Boundary history

edit

Representation history

edit
Calgary-Bow
Assembly Years Member Party
Riding created from Calgary Bowness and Calgary Queens Park
17th  1971–1975     Roy Wilson Social Credit
18th  1975–1979     Neil Webber Progressive Conservative
19th  1979–1982
20th  1982–1986
21st  1986–1989
22nd  1989–1993 Bonnie Laing
23rd  1993–1997
24th  1997–2001
25th  2001–2004 Alana DeLong
26th  2004–2008
27th  2008–2012
28th  2012–2015
29th  2015–2019     Deborah Drever New Democratic
 2015–2016     Independent New Democrat
 2016–2019     New Democratic
30th  2019–2023     Demetrios Nicolaides United Conservative
31st  2023–Present

The electoral district of Calgary-Bow was created in the 1971 boundary redistribution from the electoral districts of Calgary West and Calgary Bowness.

The election held that year was won by Social Credit candidate Roy Wilson. He won the district in a closely contested election over Progressive Conservative Bill Wearmouth taking just under half the popular vote. The win came despite the Social Credit party losing government that year. The race was reached a record for turnout in the district that hasn't been matched since.

Wilson ran for his second term in 1975 but was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Neil Webber. He would be re-elected with a landslide majority in 1979 and be appointed to the provincial cabinet under Peter Lougheed after the election.

Webber would be re-elected two more times in 1982 and 1986. He won the highest popular vote of his career and in the districts history in the 1982 election. Weber would keep his cabinet post after Don Getty became Premier in 1985 but he decided not to run for re-election and retired at dissolution.

After Wilson retired and the electoral district returned Progressive Conservative candidate Bonnie Laing who won a very close race over former Calgary Alderman Tim Bardsley in the 1986 election. She would hold the district for two more terms before retiring.

Alana DeLong was first elected to her first term in 2001 and has been returned twice more in the 2004 and 2008 elections.

Deborah Drever of the New Democratic Party of Alberta was the representative following the 2015 general election, which saw the provincial NDP under Rachel Notley defeat the Progressive Conservatives led by Premier Jim Prentice. Ms. Drever sat as an independent for 232 days during her term, arising from controversial social media posts.[5] The current representative is Demetrios Niklaides of the United Conservative Party of Alberta, who defeated Ms. Drever in the 2019 general election. Mr. Nikolaides was named the Minister of Advanced Education following the election and remains in that position. Former Calgary City Councillor Druh Farrell has indicated interest in running for the NDP in the 2023 general provincial election.[6]

Legislative election results

edit

2023

edit
2023 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Conservative Demetrios Nicolaides 13,175 49.74 -6.15
New Democratic Druh Farrell 12,552 47.39 +13.23
Alberta Party Paul Godard 670 2.53 -4.56
Solidarity Movement Manuel Santos 89 0.34
Total 26,486 99.29
Rejected and declined 190 0.71
Turnout 26,676 66.43
Eligible voters 40,159
United Conservative hold Swing -9.69
Source(s)

2019

edit
 
Results by polling division
2019 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
United Conservative Demetrios Nicolaides 13,987 55.90 +1.89 $75,865
New Democratic Deborah Drever 8,548 34.16 -1.94 $48,057
Alberta Party Paul Godard 1,774 7.09 +4.52 $6,206
Liberal Daniel Ejumabone 320 1.28 -3.45 $500
Green Marion Westoll 233 0.93 -1.66 $950
Freedom Conservative Regina Shakirova 161 0.64 $500
Total 25,023 99.41
Rejected, spoiled and declined 149 0.59
Turnout 25,172 68.05
Eligible voters 36,993
United Conservative notional hold Swing +1.92
Source(s)
Source: Elections Alberta[8][9][10]
Note: Expenses is the sum of "Election Expenses", "Other Expenses" and "Transfers Issued". The Elections Act limits "Election Expenses" to $50,000.

2015

edit
2015 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Deborah Drever 5,669 34.51% 30.47%
Progressive Conservative Byron Nelson 5,419 32.98% -14.22%
Wildrose Trevor Grover 3,752 22.84% -15.08%
Liberal Matt Gaiser 682 4.15% -5.09%
Alberta Party Jonathon Himann 459 2.79% 1.19%
Green David Reid 448 2.73%
Total 16,429
Rejected, spoiled and declined 122
Eligible electors / turnout 31,990 51.74% -4.65%
New Democratic gain from Progressive Conservative Swing -3.89%
Source(s)
Source: "04 - Calgary-Bow, 2015 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
2015 Alberta general election redistributed results
Party Votes %
New Democratic 7,080 36.10
Progressive Conservative 6,212 31.67
Wildrose 4,379 22.33
Liberal 928 4.73
Green 509 2.60
Alberta Party 504 2.57
Source(s)
Source: Ridingbuilder

2012

edit
2012 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alana S. DeLong 6,994 47.21% 2.05%
Wildrose Tim Dyck 5,617 37.91% 28.29%
Liberal Stephanie Shewchuk 1,369 9.24% -25.69%
New Democratic Jason Nishiyama 598 4.04% 0.61%
Alberta Party Ellen Phillips 237 1.60%
Total 14,815
Rejected, spoiled and declined 72
Eligible electors / turnout 26,401 56.39% 8.31%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -0.46%
Source(s)
Source: "04 - Calgary-Bow, 2012 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

2008

edit
2008 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alana S. DeLong 6,687 45.16% -3.04%
Liberal Greg Flanagan 5,173 34.93% 7.17%
Wildrose Alliance Barry J. Holizki 1,425 9.62% 1.58%
Green Randy Weeks 845 5.71% 0.06%
New Democratic Teale Phelps Bondaroff 507 3.42% -5.55%
Social Credit Leonard Skowronski 171 1.15% 0.39%
Total 14,808
Rejected, spoiled and declined 64
Eligible electors / turnout 30,930 48.08% 0.94%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -5.11%
Source(s)
Source: "02 - Calgary-Bow, 2008 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
The Report on the March 3, 2008 Provincial General Election of the Twenty-seventh Legislative Assembly. Elections Alberta. July 28, 2008. pp. 174–177.

2004

edit
2004 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alana S. DeLong 6,097 48.20% -15.74%
Liberal Kelly McDonnell 3,512 27.76% 2.80%
New Democratic Jennifer Banks 1,135 8.97% 2.34%
Alberta Alliance James D. Istvanffy 1,017 8.04%
Green Marie Picken 714 5.64% 4.12%
Social Credit Douglas A. Picken 97 0.77%
Independent Margaret (Peggy) Askin 78 0.62% -0.81%
Total 12,650
Rejected, spoiled and declined 90
Eligible electors / turnout 27,026 47.14% -8.12%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -9.27%
Source(s)
Source: "Calgary-Bow, 2004 Alberta general election" (PDF). Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

2001

edit
2001 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alana S. DeLong 8,274 63.94% 9.51%
Liberal Kelly McDonnell 3,230 24.96% -8.45%
New Democratic Jeff Bayliss 858 6.63% -2.71%
Greens Jan Triska 394 3.04% 1.52%
Independent Margaret (Peggy) Askin 184 1.42%
Total 12,940
Rejected, spoiled and declined 51
Eligible electors / turnout 23,510 55.26% -0.70%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 8.98%

1997

edit
1997 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Bonnie Laing 6,664 54.43% 8.15%
Liberal Mark Dickerson 4,091 33.41% -2.03%
New Democratic Brent Johner 1,144 9.34% -3.25%
Greens David Crowe 187 1.53% -0.37%
Natural Law Ronnie Shapka 158 1.29% 0.78%
Total 12,244
Rejected, spoiled and declined 81
Eligible electors / turnout 22,025 55.96% -8.63%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 5.09%
Source(s)
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1997 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1993

edit
1993 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Bonnie Laing 7,011 46.28% 11.39%
Liberal Rob Van Walleghem 5,369 35.44% 1.22%
New Democratic Anne McGrath 1,908 12.59% -18.29%
Social Credit Patrick John Hudson 376 2.48%
Greens David Crowe 287 1.89%
Confederation of Regions Roberta McDonald 120 0.79%
Natural Law Alan Livingston 78 0.51%
Total 15,149
Rejected, spoiled and declined 60
Eligible electors / turnout 23,546 64.59% 12.48%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 5.09%
Source(s)
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1989

edit
1989 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Bonnie Laing 3,968 34.89% -21.23%
Liberal Timothy Walter Bardsley 3,892 34.22% 27.86%
New Democratic Scott Jeffrey 3,513 30.89% -3.83%
Total 11,373
Rejected, spoiled and declined 44
Eligible electors / turnout 21,907 52.12% 8.79%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -10.37%
Source(s)
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1989 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1986

edit
1986 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Neil Webber 5,392 56.12% -14.13%
New Democratic Scott Jeffrey 3,336 34.72% 17.61%
Liberal Annyteh K. Pezuolla 611 6.36% 3.52%
Heritage Party Douglas Attfield 269 2.80%
Total 9,608
Rejected, spoiled and declined 49
Eligible electors / turnout 22,287 43.33% -19.03%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -15.87%
Source(s)
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1986 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1982

edit
1982 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Neil Webber 9,412 70.25% 5.64%
New Democratic Catherine Martini 2,293 17.12% 4.63%
Western Canada Concept Roy P. Rasmusen 1,059 7.90%
Liberal Floyd Allen 380 2.84% -2.97%
Social Credit Douglas Stewart Williams 253 1.89% -14.77%
Total 13,397
Rejected, spoiled and declined 44
Eligible electors / turnout 21,555 62.36% 9.29%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 2.59%
Source(s)
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1982 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1979

edit
1979 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Neil Webber 7,042 64.61% 12.34%
Social Credit Jim Beale 1,816 16.66% -18.55%
New Democratic Floyd A. Johnson 1,361 12.49% 3.74%
Liberal Clive Scott 633 5.81% 2.68%
Communist Adela Polancec 47 0.43% -0.21%
Total 10,899
Rejected, spoiled and declined 37
Eligible electors / turnout 20,608 53.07% -5.48%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 15.44%
Source(s)
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1979 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1975

edit
1975 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Neil Webber 5,251 52.27% 12.63%
Social Credit Roy Wilson 3,537 35.21% -12.92%
New Democratic Jack Dunbar 879 8.75% -3.47%
Liberal Mike Prohaszka 314 3.13%
Communist David Whitefield 64 0.64%
Total 10,045
Rejected, spoiled and declined 30
Eligible electors / turnout 17,209 58.54% -9.45%
Progressive Conservative gain from Social Credit Swing 4.29%
Source(s)
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1975 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1971

edit
1971 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Roy Wilson 5,539 48.13%
Progressive Conservative Bill Wearmouth 4,563 39.65%
New Democratic Fred Spooner 1,407 12.23%
Total 11,509
Rejected, spoiled and declined 68
Eligible electors / turnout 17,026 68.00%
Social Credit pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1971 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Senate nominee election results

edit

2004

edit
2004 Senate nominee election results: Calgary-Bow[11] Turnout 47.11%
Affiliation Candidate Votes % votes % ballots Rank
Progressive Conservative Bert Brown 5,236 16.72% 50.55% 1
Progressive Conservative Jim Silye 4,865 15.54% 46.96% 5
Progressive Conservative Betty Unger 4,087 13.05% 39.45% 2
  Independent Link Byfield 3,227 10.30% 31.15% 4
Progressive Conservative David Usherwood 2,863 9.14% 27.64% 6
Progressive Conservative Cliff Breitkreuz 2,709 8.65% 26.15% 3
  Independent Tom Sindlinger 2,459 7.85% 23.74% 9
Alberta Alliance Vance Gough 2,134 6.81% 20.60% 8
Alberta Alliance Michael Roth 1,955 6.24% 18.87% 7
Alberta Alliance Gary Horan 1,782 5.70% 17.20% 10
Total votes 31,317 100%
Total ballots 10,359 3.02 votes per ballot
Rejected, spoiled and declined 2,373
27,026 eligible electors

Voters had the option of selecting four candidates on the ballot.

2012

edit

Student vote results

edit

2004

edit
Participating schools[12]
Bowcroft Elementary School
Thomas B. Riley School

On November 19, 2004, a student vote was conducted at participating Alberta schools to parallel the 2004 Alberta general election results. The vote was designed to educate students and simulate the electoral process for persons who had not yet reached the legal majority. The vote was conducted in 80 of the 83 provincial electoral districts, with students voting for actual election candidates. Schools with a large student body that resided in another electoral district had the option to vote for candidates outside of the electoral district than where they were physically located.

2004 Alberta student vote results[13]
Affiliation Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Alana DeLong 99 31.03%
Green Marie Picken 75 23.51%
  Liberal Kelly McDonnell 51 15.99%
New Democratic Jennifer Banks 48 15.05%
Alberta Alliance James Istvanffy 17 5.33%
  Social Credit Douglas Picken 16 5.02%
  Independent Margaret Askin 13 4.07%
Total 319 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 9

2012

edit
2012 Alberta student vote results
Affiliation Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Alana DeLong %
Wildrose Tim Dyck
  Liberal Stephanie Shewchuk %
Alberta Party Ellen Phillips
  NDP Jason Nishiyama %
Total 100%

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission (June 2010). Proposed Electoral Division Areas, Boundaries, and Names for Alberta. Final Report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. ISBN 978-0-9865367-1-7. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  2. ^ Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission (October 2017). Proposed Electoral Division Areas, Boundaries, and Names for Alberta. Final Report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. ISBN 978-1-988620-04-6. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  3. ^ Electoral Divisions Act, S.A. 2003, c. E-4.1
  4. ^ "Bill 28 Electoral Divisions Act" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. 2010.
  5. ^ "Calgary MLA Deborah Drever to rejoin NDP caucus after exile for controversial social-media posts". CBC News.
  6. ^ "Calgary Herald ePaper".
  7. ^ "03 - Calgary-Bow". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "03 - Calgary-Bow, 2019 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  9. ^ Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). 2019 General Election. A Report of the Chief Electoral Officer. Volume II (PDF) (Report). Vol. 2. Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 11–14. ISBN 978-1-988620-12-1. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  10. ^ Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). 2019 General Election. A Report of the Chief Electoral Officer. Volume III Election Finances (PDF) (Report). Vol. 3. Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 68–82. ISBN 978-1-988620-13-8. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  11. ^ "Senate Nominee Election 2004 Tabulation of Official Results" (PDF). Elections Alberta. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
  12. ^ "School by School results" (PDF). Student Vote Canada. Retrieved April 18, 2008.
  13. ^ "Alberta Election 2004 Results" (PDF). Student Vote Canada. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
edit

51°06′00″N 114°12′18″W / 51.100°N 114.205°W / 51.100; -114.205