Calgary-Northern Hills

Calgary-Northern Hills covers the fast-growing suburban communities at the northern edge of Calgary, including Panorama Hills, Coventry Hills, Country Hills, Country Hills Village, and Harvest Hills. Created in the 2010 boundary redistribution from the former Calgary-Mackay riding, the riding is characterized by newer residential developments that experienced explosive population growth through the 2000s and into the 2010s. The incumbent heading into 2015 was Progressive Conservative Teresa Woo-Paw, who had represented the area since 2008, first winning election in the predecessor riding of Calgary-Mackay before being re-elected in Calgary-Northern Hills in 2012. She served as Associate Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations. The riding's diverse, suburban population faced unique pressures as Alberta headed to the polls amid an economic downturn.

Candidates

Jamie Kleinsteuber (NDP) — Kleinsteuber was an 18-year member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers who had worked as a baggage handler and ramp agent at airports in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary. He had previously run as the NDP candidate in Banff-Cochrane in the 2012 provincial election.

Teresa Woo-Paw (Progressive Conservative) — Born in Hong Kong, Woo-Paw graduated from the University of Calgary in 1982 with a bachelor of social work degree. Before entering politics, she worked as a diversity consultant and held positions with the Calgary Health Region, the United Way of Calgary, the Canadian Red Cross, and the Calgary Board of Education, where she served as trustee and chair from 1995 to 1999. She founded the Asian Heritage Foundation, the Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary, and the Calgary Chinese Community Services Association. Her community work earned her a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and the Queen's Jubilee Award for Multiculturalism.

Prasad Panda (Wildrose) — A professional engineer with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Panda had spent 28 years in the energy sector, holding senior management positions with Reliance Industries and Suncor Energy. He had also run as the Wildrose candidate in Calgary-Northern Hills in the 2012 election.

Local Issues

The most pressing concern in Calgary-Northern Hills was the chronic gap between the pace of residential development and the provision of public infrastructure. Community leaders were vocal about the lack of adequate schools, medical services, recreation facilities, and meeting spaces. The Northern Hills Community Association highlighted that thousands of new residents were being added to communities that were already infrastructure-starved, with school portables serving as a visible symbol of the shortfall.

Health care access was a particular frustration. Residents in the northern suburbs faced long drives to major hospitals, and the availability of family physicians and walk-in clinics lagged behind population growth. Provincial funding for health facilities in newer communities was a recurring campaign talking point.

The oil price crash compounded these concerns. Many residents in Calgary-Northern Hills worked in the energy sector or in supporting industries, and the wave of layoffs that began in late 2014 brought economic anxiety to a riding that had known mostly boom-time prosperity. Premier Prentice's pre-election budget, with its new personal levies and fees, further angered suburban families who felt they were being asked to shoulder the province's fiscal difficulties while receiving inadequate services in return.