Calgary-Bow

Calgary-Bow is a provincial electoral district in Calgary's west end, stretching along the Bow River and encompassing the neighbourhoods of Bowness, Montgomery, Parkdale, Point McKay, Spruce Cliff, Wildwood, and parts of the University of Calgary area. The 2017 boundary redistribution added the communities of Montgomery and Spruce Cliff to the riding. With more than 51,000 residents, it was one of the largest ridings in Calgary by population. Heading into 2019, NDP incumbent Deborah Drever sought re-election after a turbulent first term that saw her initially barred from the NDP caucus over pre-candidacy social media posts, then readmitted in early 2016, and ultimately recognized for her private member's bill protecting domestic violence victims.

Candidates

Demetrios Nicolaides (United Conservative) — Nicolaides holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Calgary, an MA in Conflict Studies from Austria, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cyprus. The son of Cypriot immigrants, he is an accredited mediator who was involved in peacebuilding and reconciliation activities in Cyprus. Before running for office, he led the Calgary office of a national communications consulting firm, working with senior business leaders across Canada's energy sector.

Deborah Drever (NDP)* — First elected in 2015 as a sociology student at Mount Royal University, Drever defeated a Progressive Conservative incumbent in a riding that had historically voted conservative. After being suspended from the NDP caucus and sitting as an independent, she was readmitted in January 2016. She introduced a private member's bill to allow domestic violence victims to break rental leases, which passed unanimously.

Local Issues

Flood mitigation infrastructure was a defining issue in Calgary-Bow. The communities of Bowness and Montgomery were among the hardest hit by the devastating June 2013 Bow River flood, which caused $409 million in damage to City of Calgary infrastructure alone and $55 million in damage to parks including Bowness Park. By 2018–19, the city was advancing plans for low-height flood barriers in Bowness, but the proposed berm designs divided residents, with some welcoming the protection and others concerned about the impact on riverbank access and neighbourhood character. Provincial funding for upstream mitigation, including a five-year agreement with TransAlta to manage Bow River flows through the Ghost Reservoir, remained a point of debate.

Development and neighbourhood character were also prominent concerns. The older communities of Bowness and Montgomery were experiencing increased infill development, with new duplexes and townhomes replacing older bungalows. Longtime residents worried about densification changing the small-town feel of these former independent towns, which were amalgamated into Calgary in 1963 and 1964 respectively. Meanwhile, the expansion of Dale Hodges Park along the Bow River was providing new recreational green space.

The economic downturn affected many residents who worked in the energy sector, and the UCP's promise to repeal the carbon tax and restore investor confidence was a common campaign theme. At the same time, the riding's proximity to the University of Calgary and its younger demographic made post-secondary funding and student affordability relevant issues.