Calgary Heritage

Calgary Heritage covers the affluent southwestern suburbs of Calgary, from the shores of the Glenbow Reservoir and Glenmore Park southward to the city's southern edge. The riding includes the neighbourhoods of Haysboro, Southwood, Kingsland, Chinook Park, Kelvin Grove, Eagle Ridge, Lakeview, Oakridge, Palliser, Cedarbrae, Braeside, Canyon Meadows, Bayview, Pump Hill, Woodbine, Woodlands, Bridlewood, Evergreen, and Shawnee Slopes. With a 2021 census population of approximately 109,000 and a land area of about 67 square kilometres, the riding is one of Calgary's most established and affluent constituencies.

Candidates

Bob Benzen (Conservative) — A lifelong businessman who lived in the riding for over 30 years, Benzen founded and built a data-management and information-technology company serving the oil-and-gas sector. He was elected to the House of Commons in an April 2017 by-election following the resignation of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose Calgary Southwest riding was effectively reconstituted as Calgary Heritage.

Kathleen M. Johnson (NDP) — A diversity and inclusion consultant and owner of KMJ Coaching and Consulting, Johnson has worked with companies, organizations, and schools to address racism and discrimination. A single parent of five children — some with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities — she served as secretary of the Alberta NDP's Race Equity Caucus and was asked by then-Opposition Leader Rachel Notley to develop a diversity-training framework for the party.

Scott Forsyth (Liberal) — Dr. Forsyth is a family physician who has practised in Calgary for more than 15 years and operates a community medical clinic with his wife in the heart of the riding. He also holds a law degree from the University of Calgary, teaches at the university, and sits on the board of the Calgary West Central Primary Care Network. An award-winning nature photographer, he has been published in Canadian Geographic and was elected a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in 2015.

Bailey Bedard (PPC) — Bedard ran for the People's Party of Canada, advocating for reduced government intervention, lower taxes, and greater individual freedoms.

About the Riding

Calgary Heritage is essentially the reconstituted version of Calgary Southwest — the seat held by Stephen Harper from 2002 until his resignation in 2016. That lineage tells much of the riding's political story: it has been one of the safest Conservative seats in the country for decades, situated in a part of Calgary known for its established, higher-income households and strong ties to the energy industry.

The riding's neighbourhoods are predominantly single-family residential, with mature tree canopies, well-maintained parks, and proximity to Fish Creek Provincial Park along the southern boundary. Homes in communities like Pump Hill and Lakeview command premium prices, while Evergreen, Bridlewood, and Shawnee Slopes offer more recently built suburban housing. Ethnically, the riding's population is predominantly of British Isles and Western European descent, though visible minorities — particularly South Asian and Chinese communities — account for roughly 28 percent of the population.

Median household incomes in the riding exceed the city average, and homeownership rates are high. Residents tend to be older and more settled than in Calgary's newer northern suburbs, with a median age above 40. The local economy revolves around energy-sector management, professional services, and small business, and political debate often centres on taxation, pipeline development, and federal energy policy.