Calgary Shepard (Alberta) 51/338

 Calgary Shepard (Alberta)

Today we're in Calgary Shepard!

Calgary Shepard has existed as a riding since the 2012 redistribution, created from Calgary East and Calgary Southeast. The population of the riding was 147,520 in 2016, a 33% increase from 2011. The riding is named for a former hamlet, Shepard, which was annexed to the city of Calgary in 2007 from Rocky View County.

Politically, this seat had the widest margin in all of Calgary, at almost 64 points between the Conservatives and the Liberals. Even in 2015, where the Liberals won a polling division in every Calgary seat, not in Calgary Shepard. All the typical indicators of conservatism (Older population, less diverse demographics), are not present, the median age is 34.6 and the demographics aren't different from the rest of Alberta. The riding is currently represented by Conservative MP Tom Kmiec. 

Today I want to talk about the Green Party in Calgary. You'd think that the bastion of Conservatives in Canada in an oil rich province wouldn't be too kind to the Green Party. Well, you're wrong. Calgary has consistently outrun the provincial average in every election in the 21st century. Their best result was in 2008, their best result nation wide, culminating in the Greens winning 11% of the Calgary-wide vote, getting second place in Calgary Southeast, and Calgary Centre giving 16% to the Greens. In 2019, the riding was 22/34 in Alberta and 322/338 in Canada by margin.

Rating:

Name: 5.7/10 - I don't like that the riding is named after a hamlet of 10 people. But it's an original name regardless.

Shape: 6.5/10 - It follows a river and some streets, but the east is very gross.

Individuality: 5.4/10 - It is cool how wide the margin is and the second place Greens in Calgary Southeast, but it is still very Calgary.

Total: 17.6/30 (58.7%)

See you tomorrow in Calgary Signal Hill!