Banff—Airdrie

Created for the 2015 election from the former Wild Rose riding, Banff—Airdrie stretches from the Rocky Mountain peaks of Banff National Park eastward through the Bow River valley to the fast-growing city of Airdrie on Calgary's northern doorstep. The riding takes in Canmore, the Town of Banff, Cochrane, and portions of Rocky View County, covering terrain that ranges from alpine wilderness to prairie subdivisions.

Candidates

Blake Richards (Conservative) — Born in Olds, Alberta in 1974, Richards studied political science at the University of Calgary. First elected in 2008 in the former Wild Rose riding, he was re-elected in 2011 and sought a third term in the redistributed Banff—Airdrie. He had been recognized with a Canadian Tourism Award for his parliamentary work on behalf of the tourism industry.

Marlo Raynolds (Liberal) — Originally from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Raynolds held a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta and a bachelor's degree in systems design engineering from the University of Waterloo. He served as executive director of the Pembina Institute, a national clean energy think tank based in Alberta, from 2004 to 2012, growing the organization from a single office in Drayton Valley to a national presence. In 2008, he was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40. He later worked in renewable energy development with BluEarth Renewables.

Joanne Boissonneault (NDP) — Boissonneault ran as the NDP candidate in her first federal campaign, finishing third in a riding where the party drew support primarily from the mountain communities.

Mike MacDonald (Green Party) — MacDonald represented the Green Party in a riding where environmental issues related to national park management and mountain ecosystem conservation carried particular resonance.

About the Riding

Banff—Airdrie bridged two very different Albertas. The western half, centred on Banff and Canmore, depends heavily on tourism, outdoor recreation, and hospitality. Banff National Park, Canada's oldest national park, draws roughly four million visitors annually, and the town of Banff operates under the Canada National Parks Act with strict limits on commercial development and population growth. Canmore, a former coal mining town that reinvented itself as a resort and outdoor recreation community after hosting Nordic events during the 1988 Winter Olympics, was grappling with housing affordability as property values surged. Cochrane, straddling the Bow River west of Calgary, experienced rapid suburban growth as families sought more affordable alternatives to Calgary housing. Airdrie, with a population approaching 60,000 in 2015, was one of Canada's fastest-growing cities, its economy tied closely to Calgary's energy sector through commuter employment. Federal issues in the riding included national park management and development policy, infrastructure for rapidly growing communities, and the economic impact of the 2014–2015 oil price collapse on the energy-dependent eastern portions of the riding.