Calgary-Varsity is a provincial electoral district in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The district was created in 1993 and returns a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Calgary-Varsity
Alberta electoral district
Calgary-Varsity within the City of Calgary, 2017 boundaries
Provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
MLA
 
 
 
Luanne Metz
New Democratic
District created1993
First contested1993
Last contested2023

It comprises the communities of Varsity, Dalhousie, Brentwood, Banff Trail, University Heights, Parkdale, Point Mckay, and Charleswood (part of the Triwood community which also includes Collingwood west of 19th St NW).

History

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The electoral district was created in the 1993 boundary redistribution out of parts of three electoral districts. They were Calgary-Foothills, Calgary-North Hill and Calgary-North West.

The 2010 boundary redistribution saw the district only slightly altered. It picked up some land from Calgary-Bow and Calgary-Mountain View when the south boundary was moved south to run completely along the Bow River and it also picked up a few blocks of houses from Calgary-North Hill when the east boundary between 17th Ave NW and 24 Ave NW was moved one block over to 18 Street NW

Boundary history

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Representation history

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Members of the Legislative Assembly for Calgary-Varsity
Assembly Years Member Party
See Calgary-Foothills and Calgary-North Hill 1971-1993,
Calgary-North West 1979-1993
23rd 1993–1997 Murray Smith Progressive Conservative
24th 1997–2001
25th 2001–2004
26th 2004–2008 Harry Chase Liberal
27th 2008–2012
28th 2012–2014 Donna Kennedy-Glans Progressive Conservative
2014 Independent
2014–2015 Progressive Conservative
29th 2015–2019 Stephanie McLean New Democratic
2019 Vacant
30th 2019–2023 Jason Copping United Conservative
31st 2023–present Luanne Metz New Democratic

The electoral district was created in 1993 and comprised land that had existed in three electoral districts. The region at that era had returned a mixture of Liberal and Progressive Conservative representatives.

In the first election in the district held in 1993, the district saw a closely contested race between Progressive Conservative candidate Murray Smith and Liberal candidate Carrol Jaques. Smith would win with a plurality of 47%. Premier Ralph Klein appointed Smith to his first cabinet post as Minister of Economic Development and Tourism in 1994. He would be shuffled to the Labour portfolio in 1996.

Smith and Jaques faced each other again in the 1997 election with both candidates losing popular vote. Smith however won his second term by taking a majority of the ballots cast. After the election Smith kept his Labour portfolio until 1999 when he was shuffled to be the Minister of Gaming.

The 2001 election would see Jaques and Smith face each other for the third time. The result would be a near landslide in Smith's favour. After the election Smith would once again change cabinet portfolios this time becoming Minister of Energy until he retired at dissolution of the assembly in 2004.

Liberal candidate Harry Chase was elected as the second representative of the riding in the 2004 election with nearly 45% of the vote. He won his second term in 2008 with a slightly larger plurality.

In 2012 Progressive Conservative candidate Donna Kennedy-Glans was elected with 46% of the vote. She briefly sat as an independent in protest of Alison Redford's leadership.

In 2015 New Democrat candidate Stephanie McLean was elected with 44% of the vote. After serving in the cabinet of Rachel Notley, she stepped down as MLA shortly before the 2019 election.

In 2019 despite the NDP attracting a star candidate to run in Calgary-Varsity, Anne McGrath, she was defeated by United Conservative candidate Jason Copping.

In 2023 NDP candidate Luanne Metz - a clinical neurologist and researcher - defeated the incumbent Minister of Health, Jason Copping.

Legislative election results

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2023

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2023 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Luanne Metz 13,449 58.27 +14.83
United Conservative Jason Copping 9,377 40.63 -5.53
Wildrose Loyalty Coalition Oaklan Davidsen 141 0.61
Solidarity Movement Kent Liang 112 0.49
Total valid votes 23,079 98.96
Rejected and declined 243 1.04
Turnout 23,322 70.65
Eligible electors 33,010
New Democratic gain from United Conservative Swing +10.18
Source(s)

Elections in the 2010s

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2019 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Conservative Jason Copping 10,853 46.16 +1.90
New Democratic Anne McGrath 10,215 43.44 +3.29
Alberta Party Beth Barberree 1,687 7.17 +6.05
Liberal Ryan Campbell 383 1.63 -10.48
Green Cheryle Chagnon-Greyeyes 274 1.17 -1.04
  Independence Chris McAndrew
101
0.43
New
Total valid votes 23,513 99.89
Rejected, spoiled and declined 264 1.11
Turnout 23,777 73.34
Eligible electors 32,422
United Conservative notional hold Swing -0.69
Source(s)
"2019 Provincial General Election Results". Elections Alberta. Retrieved April 30, 2019.


2015 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Stephanie McLean 8,297 43.94 +39.31
Progressive Conservative Susan Billington 5,700 30.19 -15.71
Wildrose Sharon Polsky 2,598 13.76 -12.45
Liberal Pete Helfrich 1,862 9.86 -10.62
Green Carl Svoboda 424 2.25 +0.92
Total valid votes 18,881 99.33 +0.03
Rejected, spoiled and declined 127 0.67 -0.03
Eligible voters / turnout 32,467 58.55 -1.30
New Democratic gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +27.51
Source(s)
"2015 Provincial General Election Results". Elections Alberta. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
2015 Alberta general election redistributed results
Party Votes %
New Democratic 8,322 40.16
Progressive Conservative 6,137 29.61
Wildrose 3,034 14.64
Liberal 2,510 12.11
Green 456 2.20
Alberta Party 233 1.12
Social Credit 32 0.15
Source(s)
Source: Ridingbuilder


2012 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Donna Kennedy-Glans 8,099 45.90 +9.22
Wildrose Rob Solinger 4,624 26.21 +19.06
Liberal Bruce Payne 3,614 20.48 -26.85
New Democratic Jackie Seidel 817 4.63 +1.00
Alberta Party Alex McBrien 255 1.45
Evergreen Carl Svoboda 234 1.33 -3.87
Total valid votes 17,643 99.30 -0.11
Rejected, spoiled and declined 124 0.70 +0.11
Eligible electors / turnout 29,688 59.85 +15.21
Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +18.04
Source(s)
Elections Alberta. "Electoral Division Results: Calgary-Varsity". Retrieved June 13, 2018.

Elections in the 2000s

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2008 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Harry Chase 6,907 47.34 +2.70
Progressive Conservative Jennifer Diakiw 5,353 36.69 -2.63
Wildrose Alliance Brennan Lytle 1,043 7.15 +1.77
Greens Sean Maw 758 5.19 -0.16
New Democratic Tim Stock-Bateman 530 3.63 -0.85
Total valid votes 14,591 99.41 -0.07
Rejected, spoiled and declined 87 0.59 +0.07
Eligible electors / Turnout 32,883 44.64 -9.67
Liberal hold Swing +2.67
2004 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Harry Chase 6,347 44.64 +16.01
Progressive Conservative Michael Smyth 5,591 39.32 -20.10
Alberta Alliance Ronald Beniger 765 5.38 New
Greens Richard Larson 761 5.35 +2.92
New Democratic Mark Gabruch 637 4.48 -5.04
Social Credit Len Skowronski 118 0.83 New
Total valid votes 14,219 99.48 +0.01
Rejected, spoiled and declined 75 0.52 -0.01
Eligible electors / Turnout 26,318 54.31 -5.14
Liberal gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +18.06
Source(s)
"Calgary-Varsity Statement of Official Results 2004 Alberta general election" (PDF). Elections Alberta. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
2001 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Murray Smith 8,173 59.42 +8.00
Liberal Carrol Jaques 3,938 28.63 -9.87
New Democratic Susan Scott 1,309 9.52 +4.97
Greens Tavis Du Preez 334 2.43 +1.49
Total valid votes 13,754 99.47 -0.37
Rejected, spoiled and declined 73 0.53 +0.37
Eligible electors / Turnout 23,260 59.45 +0.24
Progressive Conservative hold Swing +8.94
Source(s)
"Calgary-Varsity Official Results 2001 Alberta general election" (PDF). Elections Alberta. Retrieved March 27, 2010.

Elections in the 1990s

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1997 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Murray Smith 7,232 51.42 +3.54
Liberal Carrol Jaques 5,414 38.50 -0.05
Social Credit Mike Bressers 646 4.59 New
New Democratic Dirk Huysman 640 4.55 -5.48
Greens Joel Ashworth 132 0.94 -2.04
Total 14,064 99.84 +0.10
Rejected, spoiled and declined 23 0.16 -0.10
Eligible electors / Turnout 23,792 59.21 -5.53
Progressive Conservative hold Swing +1.80
Source(s)
"1997 General Election". Elections Alberta. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
1993 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Murray Smith 8,520 47.88
Liberal Carrol Jaques 6,860 38.55
New Democratic Sharon Kimmel 1,785 10.03
Greens Mike Sawyer 531 2.98
Natural Law Santo Esposito 99 0.56
Total valid votes 17,795 99.74
Rejected, spoiled and declined 47 0.26
Eligible electors / Turnout 27,560 64.74
Progressive Conservative pickup new district.
Source(s)
"Calgary-Varsity results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

Senate nominee election results

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2004 Senate nominee election results: Calgary-Varsity[3] Turnout 54.44%
Affiliation Votes % votes % ballots Rank
Progressive Conservative Bert Brown 5,387 16.92% 49.83% 1
Progressive Conservative Jim Silye 4,891 15.36% 45.25% 5
Progressive Conservative Betty Unger 4,072 12.79% 37.67% 2
  Independent Link Byfield 3,812 11.97% 35.26% 4
  Independent Tom Sindlinger 2,920 9.17% 27.01% 9
Progressive Conservative David Usherwood 2,682 8.42% 24.81% 6
Progressive Conservative Cliff Breitkreuz 2,536 7.96% 23.46% 3
Alberta Alliance Vance Gough 2,105 6.61% 19.47% 8
Alberta Alliance Michael Roth 1,895 5.95% 17.53% 7
Alberta Alliance Gary Horan 1,547 4.61% 14.31% 10
Total votes 31,847 100%
Total ballots 10,810 2.95 votes per ballot
Rejected, spoiled and declined 3,517

Voters had the option of selecting four candidates on the ballot

Student vote results

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Participating schools[4]
Banff Trail School
Brentwood Elementary
Ecole Varsity Acres School
F. E. Osborne Junior High School
H.D. Cartwright Junior High School
Jerry Potts Elementary
Sir William Van Horne High School
William Aberhart High 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 have 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 reside in another electoral district had the option to vote for candidates outside of the electoral district then where they were physically located.

2004 Alberta student vote results[5]
Affiliation Candidate Votes %
  Liberal Harry Chase 424 30.44%
Progressive Conservative Michael Smyth 373 26.78%
Green Richard Larson 282 20.24%
  NDP Mark Gabruch 203 14.57%
Alberta Alliance Ronald Beniger 60 4.31%
Social Credit Len Skowronski 51 3.66%
Total 1,393 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 95

References

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  1. ^ "E‑4.1". Statutes of the Province of Alberta. Government of Alberta. 2003. p. 15.
  2. ^ "25 - Calgary-Varsity". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Senate Nominee Election 2004 Tabulation of Official Results" (PDF). Elections Alberta. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
  4. ^ "School by School results". Student Vote Canada. Archived from the original on October 5, 2007. Retrieved April 18, 2008.
  5. ^ "Riding by Riding Results - the Candidates". Student Vote Canada. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
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51°05′N 114°08′W / 51.09°N 114.14°W / 51.09; -114.14