Electoral battle for Calgary McKnight marked by affordability concerns, low voter turnout
Redrawn N.E. Calgary riding was lone Liberal pickup in city in 2021 election
Calgary's far northeast is a different political beast.
In 2021, when the Conservatives nearly made a clean sweep of every riding in the city, Calgary Skyview stood out as the solitary splotch of Liberal red. So as the 2025 election date draws near, political watchers are keeping a close eye on races in the area.
It's an area with a high newcomer population and also a historically lower voter turnout than other parts of the city. When CBC News recently spent a day in the area, it heard the key voter issues are cost of living, affordability and economic development.
This election, the riding boundaries have shifted substantially. The newly created Calgary McKnight riding was formed with portions of the former Calgary Skyview and Calgary Forest Lawn districts. It covers northeast Calgary, running from Deerfoot Trail and Country Hills Boulevard out to the city's eastern edge, before running south to 16th Avenue N.E. and back up along Deerfoot Trail.
In 2021, George Chahal was the lone Liberal to claim a seat in Calgary, in Skyview, while the city's other nine seats were claimed by the Conservatives. Chahal will run in this election in Calgary McKnight, which includes some of the southern parts of his former riding.
In Calgary McKnight, polls suggest Chahal's main competition will be Conservative candidate Dalwinder Gill, a real estate agent. The race also includes NDP candidate Arlington Antonio Santiago, Green Party candidate Evelyn Tanaka and People's Party of Canada candidate Najeeb Butt.
In Calgary, traditionally a Conservative stronghold, polling suggests the Liberals are leading in Calgary McKnight, while Calgary Skyview, Calgary Centre and Calgary Confederation are all competitive races.
Candidates in this part of the city will need to speak to a diverse riding, with multiple languages spoken and varied cultural perspectives. Many residents are concerned about the rising cost of living and economic pressures.
At the same time, candidates will need to grapple with low voter turnout, with many residents feeling disconnected or too busy to engage in politics. In the 2019 election, Calgary Skyview and Calgary Forest Lawn had the lowest voter turnout percentage in the city.
Rishi Nagar, news director for RED FM Calgary, said some have voiced concerns over how Conservative candidates in the region were chosen, while others are more concerned about affordability, inflation and grocery prices.
"Now, all of a sudden, it's [U.S. President Donald] Trump and tariffs, and who can fight them effectively, is the question now," he said.
A mix of priorities
Earlier this month, CBC News visited the border of the communities of Skyview and McKnight to discuss voters' priorities and concerns in advance of the upcoming federal election.
Zawar Cheema, a local real estate agent, attributed the low voter turnout to residents feeling pressed with a lack of free time.
"Some people are working hard, and taking extra hours to work and to meet their needs," he said.
The high costs of groceries, housing and concerns about inflation were repeatedly raised as a part of these conversations. Ricky Gill, 23, said his concerns over the state of the economy will drive his vote this year.
"A lot of my generation has to go above and beyond just to be able to afford to have kids," Gill said.
Sanjeev Kumar, meanwhile, said low voter turnout in the area didn't surprise him.
"Everybody's focused on work ... they think that everybody's the same. All two parties are the same, doing the same thing," he said.
Others were excited about the upcoming opportunity to make their voice heard. Raheefa Hafeez, who just became a Canadian citizen a few months ago, plans to vote for the first time.
"It's important," she said.
WATCH | The CBC's Elise Stole speaks with voters on the border of Skyview and McKnight:
Candidate commitments
Chahal said as he's been knocking on doors, residents have been most concerned with tariffs, stable leadership, jobs and economic growth.
He said he often hears at job fairs from underemployed newcomers working to get their credentials recognized.
"They really want to work and contribute to our economy and want to be able to make sure that their education, their experience and their passion for the work that they do, that they're able to do that here," Chahal said.
If re-elected, one of his priorities would be the expansion of public transit, including to the airport. He said he would also focus on job creation and helping Western Canada lead the country in becoming an energy superpower of traditional and clean energy.
"We have a tremendous opportunity to help grow our economy by making Canada a leader and an energy superpower, which helps local communities across our country grow and prosper," Chahal said.
A real estate professional for more than two decades, Gill is the candidate on the Conservative ticket in the riding.
His campaign did not respond to requests for comment from CBC News.
On his website, he wrote that he holds a bachelor of science and a master's degree in mathematics from India, as well as a software certification from SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary.
"As the proud 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."
Arlington Antonio Santiago is the NDP candidate for Calgary McKnight.
He's a Colombian political refugee who came to Canada at age four in 2002, he said, adding he grew up in a working-class family dealing with economic struggles.
Santiago said his priorities include economic justice, affordable housing, and workers' rights.
"I want young people to know that we're in this together, we will inherit this earth and that history is marching, and we are the history makers," he said.
"I just want to really emphasize that we need tangible solutions, we need ethical leadership. We don't need politicians who change with the polls."
Santiago said he was also focused on green jobs and international credential recognition, among other issues.
Evelyn Tanaka, the Green Party candidate in Calgary McKnight, has run twice at the federal level before, both times in Calgary Shepard, her home riding. She has a background in ecology and anthropology, and has worked to help workers and newcomers enter green jobs.
She said voters have been expressing concerns around affordability, housing and poverty, among other issues. She added the climate crisis is interconnected to all of those issues.
"The Greens have an amazing plan for a lot of these areas, because we've been thinking about these types of policies for a long time," Tanaka said.
While dealing with the short-term problems is important, so too are the intersectional and deeper issues, she said.
"If we don't address some of those and we're just putting Band-Aids on some of these problems, they're going to continue to crop up," she said.
Najeeb Butt is the People's Party of Canada candidate in the riding. He said he's been active in community volunteering over the years, adding he was motivated to run by the residents of his constituency.
While knocking on doors this election season, he said he's been hearing many concerns from voters around public health, affordable housing and crime.
If elected, he said, he would like to see more support for seniors, women and children.
"Reduced tax and affordable housing, things like that," he said, adding he's an advocate of reduced interprovincial trade barriers.
"And certainly … to take measures to stop crime and drug-related things."
Riding controversies
Lori Williams, associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, said an interesting factor to watch in northeast Calgary will be Conservative Party candidates being "parachuted" in.
Several federal Conservative activists expressed frustration earlier this month after the party appointed candidates in Calgary McKnight and Calgary Skyview without contest.
"That set of questions around the democratic process in the Conservative nominations or Conservative candidate selections, I think, is becoming an election issue in those ridings," Williams said.
Voters will also potentially be considering the possible makeup of the federal government, Williams said. That could include whether or not there's an option to send a Calgary voice to the cabinet table should the Liberals win the election.
"I would say more in Skyview and Centre than in McKnight, but that's just because of the history around George Chahal," Williams said, referencing an incident in the 2021 election when Chahal was recorded by a doorbell camera removing an opponent's campaign flyer.
"And who knows, that may be distant enough in history. And, of course, it depends on how many Liberals are elected out of Alberta and particularly out of Calgary," she said.
The federal election will take place on April 28.