Banff--Airdrie

Banff--Airdrie stretches from the fast-growing bedroom community of Airdrie on Calgary's northern fringe westward through Cochrane and the Bow River valley, encompassing the mountain towns of Canmore and Banff and the entirety of Banff National Park. The riding covers an enormous swath of western Alberta — from prairie subdivisions to some of the most visited peaks in the Canadian Rockies. Airdrie, with a 2021 population of roughly 74,000, anchors the riding's eastern end, while Cochrane (about 33,000) sits at the gateway where the foothills give way to the Front Ranges. Banff and Canmore together account for roughly 22,000 residents whose livelihoods are tightly bound to tourism, hospitality, and outdoor recreation.

Candidates

Blake Richards (Conservative) — First elected to the House of Commons in 2008 for the former riding of Wild Rose, Richards has represented this corner of Alberta for over a decade. A University of Calgary political-science graduate, he previously worked in the oil patch and agriculture-related industries, ran a real estate business, and served as a volunteer firefighter and minor-hockey coach in the Bow Valley corridor. He has been recognized multiple times by The Hill Times as one of Parliament's hardest-working constituency MPs.

Sarah Zagoda (NDP) — An Airdrie-based IT professional and mother of three, Zagoda entered federal politics out of frustration with the state of public services in the riding. She has been a vocal advocate for universal dental care, pharmacare, accessible mental-health support, and reclassifying post-secondary education as a public service. She has also spoken about the need to address climate-change impacts in the Eastern Slopes.

David Gamble (Liberal) — A Calgary-based business-management consultant who previously worked for Talisman Energy and Pembina Pipelines, Gamble ran as a self-described "Alberta Liberal" comfortable with the province's energy sector. He previously sought provincial office as a Liberal candidate in Calgary-Klein in 2015 and served as the Alberta Liberal Party's executive vice-president and vice-president of policy.

Nadine Wellwood (PPC) — A Cochrane entrepreneur with experience in financial planning, aerospace and defence, and health and wellness, Wellwood ran for the People's Party in both 2019 and 2021. She operates WealthTerra Capital Management Inc. and has been active in libertarian-leaning advocacy in southern Alberta.

About the Riding

Few Canadian ridings span as dramatic a geographic range as Banff--Airdrie. The eastern portion is classic Calgary-region exurbia — big-box retail along Highway 2, new-build subdivisions, and commuter traffic — while the western half is defined by the Bow River, dense coniferous forest, and the peaks of the Canadian Rockies. Banff National Park alone draws roughly four million visitors per year, making tourism one of the riding's most significant economic engines alongside oil-and-gas services and residential construction.

Airdrie and Cochrane have been among Alberta's fastest-growing municipalities, propelled by relatively affordable housing compared with Calgary proper and easy access to the city via Highway 2 and Highway 1A. That rapid suburban growth has placed pressure on schools, healthcare facilities, and transportation infrastructure — issues that have shaped local political debate.

The riding has been a Conservative stronghold for decades, and its predecessor seats — Wild Rose and Rocky Mountain — returned Conservative or Reform members without interruption. The mix of resource-sector workers in the eastern commuter belt and small-business owners in the mountain towns has consistently produced large Conservative pluralities, though the Bow Valley communities of Banff and Canmore tend to be more politically competitive, with stronger showings from the NDP and Liberals driven by younger, hospitality-sector demographics and environmental concerns over coal mining in the Eastern Slopes.