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.
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 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 23 Calgary-Varsity 2003 boundariesBordering districtsNorthEastWestSouthCalgary-Foothills and Calgary-Nose HillCalgary-North HillCalgary-Bow and Calgary-North WestCalgary-Mountain Viewriding map goes hereLegal description from the Statutes of Alberta 2003, Electoral Divisions Act.Starting at the intersection of Sarcee Trail NW with John Laurie Boulevard NW; then 1. southeast along John Laurie Boulevard NW to 19 Street NW; 2. south along 19 Street NW to 16 Avenue NW; 3. west along 16 Avenue NW to Shaganappi Trail NW; 4. north along Shaganappi Trail NW to 32 Avenue NW; 5. west along 32 Avenue NW and its westerly extension to the right bank of the Bow River; 6. north along the right bank of the Bow River to the southerly extension of Silver Springs Boulevard NW; 7. north along the extension and Silver Springs Boulevard NW to Silver Springs Gate NW; 8. east and north along Silver Springs Gate NW to Sarcee Trail NW; 9. north along Sarcee Trail NW to the starting point.Note: 26 Calgary-Varsity 2010 boundariesBordering districtsNorthEastWestSouthCalgary-Foothills and Calgary-Mackay-Nose HillCalgary-KleinCalgary-Bow and Calgary-HawkwoodCalgary-Currie and Calgary-Mountain ViewLegal description from the Statutes of Alberta 2010, Electoral Divisions Act.Note:
Representation history Members of the Legislative Assembly for Calgary-VarsityAssemblyYearsMemberPartySee Calgary-Foothills and Calgary-North Hill 1971-1993, Calgary-North West 1979-199323rd1993–1997Murray SmithProgressive Conservative24th1997–200125th2001–200426th2004–2008Harry ChaseLiberal27th2008–201228th2012–2014Donna Kennedy-GlansProgressive Conservative2014Independent2014–2015Progressive Conservative29th2015–2019Stephanie McLeanNew Democratic2019Vacant30th2019–2023Jason CoppingUnited Conservative31st2023–presentLuanne MetzNew 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
2023
Elections in the 2010s
2015 Alberta general election redistributed resultsPartyVotes%8,32240.166,13729.613,03414.642,51012.114562.202331.12320.15
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Senate nominee election results 2004 Senate nominee election results: Calgary-VarsityTurnout 54.44%AffiliationVotes% votes% ballotsRankIndependentLink Byfield3,81211.97%35.26%4IndependentTom Sindlinger2,9209.17%27.01%9Vance Gough2,1056.61%19.47%8Michael Roth1,8955.95%17.53%7Gary Horan1,5474.61%14.31%10Total votes31,847100%Total ballots10,8102.95 votes per ballotRejected, spoiled and declined3,517 Voters had the option of selecting four candidates on the ballot
Student vote results Participating schoolsBanff Trail SchoolBrentwood ElementaryEcole Varsity Acres SchoolF. E. Osborne Junior High SchoolH.D. Cartwright Junior High SchoolJerry Potts ElementarySir William Van Horne High SchoolWilliam 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 resultsAffiliationCandidateVotes%LiberalHarry Chase42430.44%Richard Larson28220.24%NDPMark Gabruch20314.57%Total1,393100%Rejected, spoiled and declined95
See also List of Alberta provincial electoral districts Canadian provincial electoral districts
References
External links The Legislative Assembly of Alberta