Calgary-Glenmore

Calgary-Glenmore covers the mid-southwest portion of Calgary, named after the Glenmore Reservoir that forms a natural landmark in the area. The riding takes in a swath of established suburban communities including Bayview, Braeside, Cedarbrae, Chinook Park, Eagle Ridge, Glenmore Park, Kelvin Grove, Lakeview, Palliser, Pump Hill, Oakridge, Woodbine, and Woodlands. It is one of the oldest continuously existing Calgary ridings, surviving from the 1959 redistribution. Incumbent PC MLA Linda Johnson, who had won the seat in 2012, was seeking re-election in a riding that had reliably returned Progressive Conservative members for decades.

Candidates

Anam Kazim (NDP) — Kazim held a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and a master's in environmental engineering, both from Western University. Before entering politics, she worked as an applications engineer for an industrial pump manufacturer and had earlier served as a director of training programs at an education and training centre specializing in project management. She also held a certification in conflict resolution.

Linda Johnson (Progressive Conservative)* — Johnson was the incumbent MLA, first elected in 2012. Born in Halifax, she attended Saint Mary's University, earning a Bachelor of Commerce in 1979. She had been active with the Progressive Conservative party since her high school days and served on legislative committees including the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship during her time in the legislature.

Chris Kemp-Jackson (Wildrose) — Kemp-Jackson was the Wildrose candidate competing for the right-of-centre vote in the traditionally conservative riding.

Local Issues

Calgary-Glenmore's established communities brought a different set of concerns than the city's newer suburban ridings. Many neighbourhoods in the riding dated to the 1960s and 1970s, and aging infrastructure, including roads, water mains, and community facilities, was a persistent issue. Residents were concerned about maintaining the quality of services and green spaces that had long defined these desirable southwest communities.

The oil price downturn hit southwest Calgary hard as well. Many residents worked in the energy sector's professional and technical ranks, and the wave of layoffs that swept through downtown office towers in late 2014 and early 2015 had a direct impact on household incomes across the riding. Prentice's budget, with its new health-care levy and increased fuel and sin taxes, was seen by many as placing the burden of fiscal correction on individuals rather than corporations, generating frustration among voters who felt they were already absorbing the pain of the downturn. Property taxes and the cost of city services were perennial concerns in these middle- and upper-middle-class communities, and the question of whether the provincial government was managing public finances responsibly added urgency to the campaign.