Calgary-McCall

Calgary-McCall is located in Calgary's northeast, taking in the communities of Castleridge, Falconridge, Martindale, Saddleridge, and Skyview Ranch. Named after First World War flying ace Frederick McCall and the nearby McCall Industrial Park, the riding was created in 1971 and significantly redrawn in the 2010 boundary redistribution, which moved land west of 36 Street NE out of the district. The northeast is one of the most ethnically diverse parts of Calgary, with large South Asian, Filipino, and Middle Eastern populations. The riding had been represented by Liberal MLA Darshan Kang since 2008, making it one of the few non-PC seats in Calgary heading into the 2015 election.

Candidates

Irfan Sabir (NDP) — Sabir was a lawyer who had immigrated to Calgary from Kashmir, Pakistan, in 2004. He earned a law degree from the University of Calgary along with master's degrees in economics and social work. Before entering politics, he practiced aboriginal law at a national law firm in Calgary and worked as a research assistant with the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law. He also worked with the Salvation Army for five years and volunteered with Calgary Legal Guidance and the Canadian Red Cross.

Happy Mann (Wildrose) — Mann was the Wildrose candidate in the riding, seeking to establish a foothold for the party in Calgary's diverse northeast.

Jagdeep Kaur Sahota (Progressive Conservative) — Sahota was the PC candidate, running in a riding where the party sought to reclaim a seat it had lost to the Liberals in 2008.

Local Issues

Calgary-McCall's rapidly growing communities faced acute infrastructure challenges heading into 2015. Saddleridge and Skyview Ranch were among the newest developments in the city, and residents were pressing for new schools, recreation centres, and commercial services. Transit was a particularly urgent concern, as the northeast remained without LRT service despite years of advocacy, forcing residents into long bus commutes to reach downtown and other employment centres.

The riding's large immigrant population brought issues of settlement services, language training, and foreign credential recognition to the forefront of the campaign. Many residents had professional qualifications from their countries of origin that were not recognized in Alberta, limiting their employment options and income potential. Education and health care ranked as top priorities in a riding with a young, growing population. The oil price downturn added economic stress to a community where many residents worked in the trades, retail, and service sectors, and where household incomes were more modest than in Calgary's wealthier quadrants. The Prentice budget's health-care levy and increased user fees were felt acutely by families already managing tight budgets. The question of how the provincial government would support diverse, fast-growing communities in the northeast was a defining theme of the local campaign.