Calgary McKnight

Calgary McKnight is a new federal electoral district created through the 2022 redistribution to address rapid population growth in northeast Calgary. The riding was carved from the northeastern portion of the former Calgary Forest Lawn and the southeastern section of the former Calgary Skyview. It takes its name from McKnight Boulevard, a major east-west arterial road that traverses the district, itself named for William Lidstone McKnight, a Calgary aviator and hero of the Battle of Britain.

The riding encompasses the neighbourhoods of Martindale, Taradale, Saddle Ridge, Castleridge, Falconridge, Coral Springs, Westwinds, Whitehorn, Temple, Rundle, and Pineridge, as well as the Calgary International Airport. It is one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Calgary, with large South Asian, Filipino, and Middle Eastern communities and a high proportion of first- and second-generation immigrants.

Candidates

Dalwinder Gill (Conservative) is a Calgary real estate professional with over 21 years of experience in the industry. Born and raised in Alberta, he holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master's degree in Mathematics from India, along with a software certification from SAIT. Gill was appointed as the Conservative candidate in Calgary McKnight, a decision that drew criticism from local party members who had been organizing in anticipation of a contested nomination.

George Chahal (Liberal) is a Calgary-born politician who served as a Ward 5 city councillor from 2017 to 2021 before winning the Calgary Skyview seat for the Liberals in the 2021 federal election, the only Liberal victory in the city that year. He served on the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and was elected chair of that committee in 2023. Chahal moved to the new Calgary McKnight riding following redistribution.

Arlington Antonio Santiago (NDP) arrived in Canada as a political refugee from Colombia at the age of four, settling first in Montreal before moving to northeast Calgary. He works as an airport screening officer and is an advocate for economic justice, affordable housing, and workers' rights.

Najeeb Butt (People's Party) ran as the PPC candidate in the riding.

Evelyn Tanaka (Green Party) ran as the Green Party candidate in the riding.

Benjamin Cridland (Canadian Future Party) ran as the CFP candidate in the riding.

About the Riding

Northeast Calgary has experienced some of the fastest residential growth in the city over the past two decades, and the creation of Calgary McKnight reflected the need to rebalance populations across the region's federal ridings. The communities within the riding are predominantly suburban, with relatively new housing stock built from the early 2000s onward and a younger demographic profile than the city average.

The riding's high newcomer population gives issues like international credential recognition, immigration policy, and settlement services particular local resonance. Many residents work in the airport, logistics, and service sectors, and affordability concerns around grocery prices, housing costs, and stagnant wages were prominent during the 2025 campaign.

The appointment of Conservative candidates in both Calgary McKnight and neighbouring Calgary Skyview without contested nominations generated frustration among local party activists, some of whom had spent over a year organizing, selling memberships, and door-knocking in preparation for nomination races that never took place. Voter turnout in the northeast has historically lagged behind other parts of Calgary, and the 2025 election continued that pattern.