Calgary—Currie

Calgary—Currie is an urban riding in southwest Calgary named after the former Currie Army Barracks. The constituency includes the neighbourhoods of Currie Barracks, Marda Loop, Killarney, Glengarry, Lincoln Park, Rutland Park, and portions of the inner-city southwest. The area blends older residential streets with the redeveloped Currie Barracks lands, a former Canadian Forces base that the Canada Lands Company was transforming into a mixed-use community. Marda Loop, with its bustling commercial strip of independent shops and restaurants, gives the riding an urban-village character. The incumbent was Christine Cusanelli, a one-term Progressive Conservative MLA who had briefly served as Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation before being shuffled out of cabinet.

Candidates

Brian Malkinson (NDP) — Malkinson held a bachelor of science in programming from Simon Fraser University, where he had also served as president and vice-president of the Interactive Arts and Technology Student Union. Originally from British Columbia, he had made a career change from working as a designer and analyst for internet startups to becoming a salesman in the heavy-equipment industry at a heavy-duty engine supplier. He had previously run as the NDP candidate in Calgary-North West in the 2012 provincial election and in the 2014 Calgary-West byelection.

Christine Cusanelli (Progressive Conservative) — Cusanelli was first elected in 2012 and held a bachelor of education from Faculté Saint-Jean at the University of Alberta and a master's degree in psychology from Gonzaga University. Before entering politics, she taught elementary and junior-high students in French immersion at the Calgary Catholic School District. She served as Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation from May 2012 to February 2013.

Terry Devries (Wildrose) — Devries ran as the Wildrose candidate in Calgary-Currie.

Shelley Wark-Martyn (Liberal) — Wark-Martyn stood as the Liberal candidate.

Local Issues

The redevelopment of the former Currie Barracks was a focal point of local discussion heading into 2015. The Canada Lands Company was overseeing the transformation of the 1.1-square-kilometre site into a mixed-use urban community, and residents had strong opinions about density, traffic, and the integration of new development with surrounding established neighbourhoods. Questions about affordable housing within the development, green space preservation, and whether the pace of construction was outstripping infrastructure capacity came up frequently.

The oil price downturn had a tangible presence in Calgary-Currie. While the riding's inner-city character meant it was home to many professionals in diverse sectors, a significant number of residents commuted to downtown energy-sector offices, and the wave of layoffs that followed the price crash hit households in communities like Killarney and Rutland Park. Small businesses along the Marda Loop commercial strip also reported feeling the pinch as consumer spending tightened.

Education was another key issue, particularly the unfulfilled promise of full-day kindergarten. Education Minister Gordon Dirks had confirmed in early 2015 that the long-standing PC commitment to introduce all-day kindergarten would once again be shelved, frustrating parents across the city. In a riding with young families drawn to its walkable neighbourhoods and proximity to schools, the education funding question resonated strongly, as did concerns about class sizes in the Calgary Catholic and Calgary Board of Education systems.