View source for Calgary-Varsity

{{short description|Provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox Canada electoral district
| name                =Calgary-Varsity
| province            =Alberta
| image               =Calgary-Varsity 2017.svg
| caption             =Calgary-Varsity within the [[Calgary|City of Calgary]], 2017 boundaries
| prov-rep            = [[Luanne Metz]]
| prov-rep-party      = NDP
| prov-rep-party-link = 
| prov-status         =active
| prov-created        =1993
| prov-abolished      =
| prov-created2       =
| prov-election-first =1993
| prov-election-last  =2023
}}
'''Calgary-Varsity''' is a [[Provinces and territories of Canada|provincial]] [[electoral district (Canada)|electoral district]] in [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada. The district was created in 1993 and returns a single member to the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta]].

It comprises the communities of [[Varsity, Calgary|Varsity]], [[Dalhousie, Calgary|Dalhousie]], [[Brentwood, Calgary|Brentwood]], [[Banff Trail, Calgary|Banff Trail]], [[University Heights, Calgary|University Heights]], [[Parkdale, Calgary|Parkdale]], [[Point Mckay, Calgary|Point Mckay]], and [[Charleswood, Calgary|Charleswood]] (part of the [[Triwood, Calgary|Triwood]] community which also includes [[Collingwood, Calgary|Collingwood]] west of 19th St NW).

==History==
The electoral district was created in the 1993 boundary redistribution out of parts of three electoral districts. They were Calgary-Foothills, Calgary-North Hill and Calgary-North West.

The 2010 boundary redistribution saw the district only slightly altered. It picked up some land from [[Calgary-Bow]] and [[Calgary-Mountain View]] when the south boundary was moved south to run completely along the [[Bow River]] and it also picked up a few blocks of houses from [[Calgary-North Hill]] when the east boundary between 17th Ave NW and 24 Ave NW was moved one block over to 18 Street NW

===Boundary history===
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"
!colspan=4|23 Calgary-Varsity 2003 boundaries<ref name="2003bound">{{cite book|title=Statutes of the Province of Alberta|chapter=E‑4.1|url=http://www.qp.alberta.ca/574.cfm?page=E04P1.cfm&leg_type=Acts&isbncln=0779738748|publisher=Government of Alberta|year=2003|page=15}}</ref>
|-
!colspan=4|Bordering districts
|-
!North
!East
!West
!South
|-
|[[Calgary-Foothills]] and [[Calgary-Nose Hill (provincial electoral district)|Calgary-Nose Hill]]
|[[Calgary-North Hill]]
|[[Calgary-Bow]] and [[Calgary-North West]]
|[[Calgary-Mountain View]]
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|''riding map goes here''
|colspan=2 align=center|[[File:Calgary Provincial Riding - Calgary Varsity.svg]]
|-
!colspan=4|Legal description from the Statutes of Alberta 2003, Electoral Divisions Act.
|-
|colspan=4|Starting at the intersection of Sarcee Trail NW with John Laurie Boulevard NW; then 1. southeast along John Laurie Boulevard NW to 19 Street NW; 2. south along 19 Street NW to 16 Avenue NW; 3. west along 16 Avenue NW to Shaganappi Trail NW; 4. north along Shaganappi Trail NW to 32 Avenue NW; 5. west along 32 Avenue NW and its westerly extension to the right bank of the Bow River; 6. north along the right bank of the Bow River to the southerly extension of Silver Springs Boulevard NW; 7. north along the extension and Silver Springs Boulevard NW to Silver
Springs Gate NW; 8. east and north along Silver Springs Gate NW to Sarcee Trail NW; 9. north along Sarcee Trail NW to the starting point.
|-
|colspan=4|'''Note:'''
|}
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"
!colspan=4|26 Calgary-Varsity 2010 boundaries
|-
!colspan=4|Bordering districts
|-
!North
!East
!West
!South
|-
|[[Calgary-Foothills]] and [[Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill]]
|[[Calgary-Klein]]
|[[Calgary-Bow]] and [[Calgary-Hawkwood]]
|[[Calgary-Currie]] and [[Calgary-Mountain View]]
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|[[File:CalgaryVarsity electoral district 2010.jpg|200px]]
|colspan=2 align=center|[[File:CalgaryVarsity in Calgary.jpg|200px]]
|-
!colspan=4|Legal description from the Statutes of Alberta 2010, Electoral Divisions Act.
|-
|colspan=4|
|-
|colspan=4|'''Note:'''
|}

===Representation history===
{| class="wikitable" align=right
!colspan=5|Members of the Legislative Assembly for Calgary-Varsity
|-
!Assembly
!Years
!colspan="2"|Member
!Party
|-
|align="center" colspan=5|''See [[Calgary-Foothills]] and [[Calgary-North Hill]] 1971-1993,<br /> [[Calgary-North West]] 1979-1993''
|-
|[[23rd Alberta Legislative Assembly|23rd]]
|[[1993 Alberta general election|1993]]–1997
|rowspan=3 {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}}|
|rowspan=3|[[Murray Smith (Alberta politician)|Murray Smith]]
|rowspan=3|[[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservative]]
|-
|[[24th Alberta Legislative Assembly|24th]]
|[[1997 Alberta general election|1997]]–2001
|-
|[[25th Alberta Legislative Assembly|25th]]
|[[2001 Alberta general election|2001]]–2004
|-
|[[26th Alberta Legislative Assembly|26th]]
|[[2004 Alberta general election|2004]]–2008
|rowspan=2 {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|background}}|
|rowspan=2|[[Harry B. Chase|Harry Chase]]
|rowspan=2|[[Alberta Liberal Party|Liberal]]
|-
|[[27th Alberta Legislative Assembly|27th]]
|[[2008 Alberta general election|2008]]–2012
|-
|rowspan=3|[[28th Alberta Legislative Assembly|28th]]
|[[2012 Alberta general election|2012]]–2014
|{{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}}|
|rowspan=3|[[Donna Kennedy-Glans]]
|Progressive Conservative
|-
|2014
|{{Canadian party colour|AB|Independent|background}}|
|Independent
|-
|2014–2015
|{{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}}|
|Progressive Conservative
|-
|rowspan=2|[[29th Alberta Legislative Assembly|29th]]
|[[2015 Alberta general election|2015]]–2019
|{{Canadian party colour|AB|NDP|background}}|
|[[Stephanie McLean (politician)|Stephanie McLean]]
|[[Alberta New Democratic Party|New Democratic]]
|-
|2019
|{{Canadian party colour|AB|Vacant|background}}|
|colspan=2|Vacant
|-
|[[30th Alberta Legislative Assembly|30th]]
|[[2019 Alberta general election|2019]]–2023
|{{Canadian party colour|AB|UCP|background}}|
|[[Jason Copping]]
|[[United Conservative Party|United Conservative]]
|-
|[[31st Alberta Legislative Assembly|31st]]
|[[2023 Alberta general election|2023]]–present
|{{Canadian party colour|AB|NDP|background}}|
|[[Luanne Metz]]
|[[Alberta New Democratic Party|New Democratic]]
|}

The electoral district was created in 1993 and comprised land that had existed in three electoral districts. The region at that era had returned a mixture of Liberal and Progressive Conservative representatives.

In the first election in the district held in 1993, the district saw a closely contested race between Progressive Conservative candidate Murray Smith and Liberal candidate Carrol Jaques. Smith would win with a plurality of 47%. Premier Ralph Klein appointed Smith to his first cabinet post as Minister of Economic Development and Tourism in 1994. He would be shuffled to the Labour portfolio in 1996.

Smith and Jaques faced each other again in the 1997 election with both candidates losing popular vote. Smith however won his second term by taking a majority of the ballots cast. After the election Smith kept his Labour portfolio until 1999 when he was shuffled to be the Minister of Gaming.

The 2001 election would see Jaques and Smith face each other for the third time. The result would be a near landslide in Smith's favour. After the election Smith would once again change cabinet portfolios this time becoming Minister of Energy until he retired at dissolution of the assembly in 2004.

Liberal candidate Harry Chase was elected as the second representative of the riding in the 2004 election with nearly 45% of the vote. He won his second term in 2008 with a slightly larger plurality.

In 2012 Progressive Conservative candidate Donna Kennedy-Glans was elected with 46% of the vote. She briefly sat as an independent in protest of [[Alison Redford]]'s leadership.

In 2015 New Democrat candidate Stephanie McLean was elected with 44% of the vote. After serving in the cabinet of [[Rachel Notley]], she stepped down as MLA shortly before the 2019 election.

In 2019 despite the NDP attracting a star candidate to run in Calgary-Varsity, [[Anne McGrath]], she was defeated by [[United Conservative Party|United Conservative]] candidate [[Jason Copping]]. 

In 2023 NDP candidate [[Luanne Metz]] - a clinical neurologist and researcher - defeated the incumbent Minister of Health, [[Jason Copping]]. 

==Legislative election results==

===2023===
{{2023 Alberta general election/Calgary-Varsity}}

===Elections in the 2010s===
{{2019 Alberta general election/Calgary-Varsity}}

{{2015 Alberta general election/Calgary-Varsity}}
{|class=wikitable
!colspan=4|[[2015 Alberta general election]] redistributed results
|-
!colspan=2|Party
!Votes
!%
{{Canadian party colour|AB|NDP|row-name}}
|align=right|8,322
|align=right|40.16
{{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|row-name}}
|align=right|6,137
|align=right|29.61
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Wildrose|row-name}}
|align=right|3,034
|align=right|14.64
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row-name}}
|align=right|2,510
|align=right|12.11
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Green|row-name}}
|align=right|456
|align=right|2.20
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Alberta|row-name}}
|align=right|233
|align=right|1.12
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|row-name}}
|align=right|32
|align=right|0.15
{{CANelec/source|hide=Source: [https://election-atlas.ca/ridingbuilder/rb.php?prov=48 Ridingbuilder]}}
|}

{{2012 Alberta general election/Calgary-Varsity}}

===Elections in the 2000s===
{{CANelec/top|AB|2008|Calgary-Varsity|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|AB|Liberal|[[Harry B. Chase|Harry Chase]]|6,907|47.34| +2.70}}
{{CANelec|AB|PC|Jennifer Diakiw|5,353|36.69|-2.63}}
{{CANelec|AB|Wildrose Alliance|Brennan Lytle|1,043|7.15| +1.77}}
{{CANelec|AB|Greens|Sean Maw|758|5.19|-0.16}}
{{CANelec|AB|NDP|Tim Stock-Bateman|530|3.63|-0.85}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|14,591|99.41|-0.07}}
{{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled and declined|87|0.59| +0.07}}
{{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout|32,883|44.64|-9.67}}
{{CANelec/hold|AB|Liberal| +2.67}}
{{CANelec/source|hide={{cite book|title=The Report on the March 3, 2008 Provincial General Election of the Twenty-seventh Legislative Assembly|url=https://archive.org/details/reportonmarch3202008elec|publisher=Elections Alberta|date=July 28, 2008 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/reportonmarch3202008elec/page/260 260–263]}}}}
|}

{{CANelec/top|AB|2004|Calgary-Varsity|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|AB|Liberal|[[Harry B. Chase|Harry Chase]]|6,347|44.64| +16.01}}
{{CANelec|AB|PC|Michael Smyth|5,591|39.32|-20.10}}
{{CANelec|AB|Alliance|Ronald Beniger|765|5.38|''New''}}
{{CANelec|AB|Greens|Richard Larson|761|5.35| +2.92}}
{{CANelec|AB|NDP|Mark Gabruch|637|4.48|-5.04}}
{{CANelec|AB|Social Credit|[[Len Skowronski]]|118|0.83|''New''}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|14,219|99.48| +0.01}}
{{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled and declined|75|0.52|-0.01}}
{{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout|26,318|54.31|-5.14}}
{{CANelec/gain|AB|Liberal|PC| +18.06}}
{{CANelec/source|hide={{cite web|url=http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/files/Statements/23.pdf |title=Calgary-Varsity Statement of Official Results 2004 Alberta general election | publisher=Elections Alberta | access-date=March 3, 2012}}}}
|}

{{CANelec/top|AB|2001|Calgary-Varsity|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|AB|PC|[[Murray Smith (Alberta politician)|Murray Smith]]|8,173|59.42| +8.00}}
{{CANelec|AB|Liberal|Carrol Jaques|3,938|28.63|-9.87}}
{{CANelec|AB|NDP|Susan Scott|1,309|9.52| +4.97}}
{{CANelec|AB|Greens|Tavis Du Preez|334|2.43| +1.49}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|13,754|99.47|-0.37}}
{{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled and declined|73|0.53| +0.37}}
{{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout|23,260|59.45| +0.24}}
{{CANelec/hold|AB|PC| +8.94}}
{{CANelec/source|hide={{cite web|url=http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/Public%20Website/files/2001StatmentOfResults/2001_SOR_22.pdf| title=Calgary-Varsity Official Results 2001 Alberta general election | publisher=Elections Alberta | access-date=March 27, 2010}}}}
|}

===Elections in the 1990s===
{{CANelec/top|AB|1997|Calgary-Varsity|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|AB|PC|[[Murray Smith (Alberta politician)|Murray Smith]]|7,232|51.42| +3.54}}
{{CANelec|AB|Liberal|Carrol Jaques|5,414|38.50|-0.05}}
{{CANelec|AB|Social Credit|Mike Bressers|646|4.59|''New''}}
{{CANelec|AB|NDP|Dirk Huysman|640|4.55|-5.48}}
{{CANelec|AB|Greens|Joel Ashworth|132|0.94|-2.04}}
{{CANelec/total|Total|14,064|99.84| +0.10}}
{{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled and declined|23|0.16|-0.10}}
{{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout|23,792|59.21| -5.53}}
{{CANelec/hold|AB|PC| +1.80}}
{{CANelec/source|hide={{cite web| url=http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/758.htm| title=1997 General Election| publisher=Elections Alberta| access-date=January 26, 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214035402/http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/758.htm| archive-date=2012-02-14| url-status=dead}}}}
|}

{{CANelec/top|AB|1993|Calgary-Varsity|percent=yes}}
{{CANelec|AB|PC|[[Murray Smith (Alberta politician)|Murray Smith]]|8,520|47.88}}
{{CANelec|AB|Liberal|Carrol Jaques|6,860|38.55}}
{{CANelec|AB|NDP|Sharon Kimmel|1,785|10.03}}
{{CANelec|AB|Greens|Mike Sawyer|531|2.98}}
{{CANelec|AB|Natural Law|Santo Esposito|99|0.56}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|17,795|99.74}}
{{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled and declined|47|0.26}}
{{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout|27,560| 64.74}}
{{CANelec/pickup|AB|PC}}
{{CANelec/source|hide={{cite web | url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1993&Constit=Calgary-Varsity | title=Calgary-Varsity results 1993 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=March 15, 2010 | url-status=bot: unknown | archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208200702/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1993&Constit=Calgary-Varsity | archive-date=December 8, 2010 }}}}
|}

==Senate nominee election results==
{| class="wikitable"
|colspan="5" align=center|'''[[2004 Alberta Senate nominee election|2004 Senate nominee election results]]: Calgary-Varsity'''<ref name="senresults2004">{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/files/Reports/SN_snetabulation.pdf |title=Senate Nominee Election 2004 Tabulation of Official Results |publisher=Elections Alberta |access-date=March 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704143923/http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/files/Reports/SN_snetabulation.pdf |archive-date=July 4, 2009 }}</ref>
| colspan="2"|'''Turnout 54.44%'''
|-
!style="width: 10px;"|
|'''Affiliation'''
|'''Votes'''
|'''% votes'''
|'''% ballots'''
|'''Rank'''
{{CANelec|AB|PC|[[Bert Brown]]|5,387|16.92%|49.83%|1}}
{{CANelec|AB|PC|[[Jim Silye]]|4,891|15.36%|45.25%|5}}
{{CANelec|AB|PC|[[Betty Unger]]|4,072|12.79%|37.67%|2}}
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Independent|row}}
|Independent
|[[Link Byfield]]
|3,812
|11.97%
|35.26%
|4
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Independent|row}}
|Independent
|[[Tom Sindlinger]]
|2,920
|9.17%
|27.01%
|9
{{CANelec|AB|PC|David Usherwood|2,682|8.42%|24.81%|6}}
{{CANelec|AB|PC|[[Cliff Breitkreuz]]|2,536|7.96%|23.46%|3}}
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Alliance|row-name}}
|Vance Gough
|2,105
|6.61%
|19.47%
|8
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Alliance|row-name}}
|Michael Roth
|1,895
|5.95%
|17.53%
|7
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Alliance|row-name}}
|Gary Horan
|1,547
|4.61%
|14.31%
|10
|-
|colspan="3" align="right"|'''Total votes'''
|'''31,847'''
|colspan="3"|'''100%'''
|-
|colspan="3" align="right"|'''Total ballots'''
|'''10,810'''
|colspan="3"|'''2.95 votes per ballot'''
|-
|colspan="3" align="right"|'''Rejected, spoiled and declined'''
|colspan="4"|'''3,517'''
|}
''Voters had the option of selecting four candidates on the ballot''

==Student vote results==
{| class="wikitable" align=right
!Participating schools<ref name="school">{{cite web|url=http://www.studentvote.ca/admin/election/Schools.htm |title=School by School results |publisher=Student Vote Canada |access-date=2008-04-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005211819/http://www.studentvote.ca/admin/election/Schools.htm |archive-date=October 5, 2007 }}</ref>
|-
|Banff Trail School
|-
|Brentwood Elementary
|-
|Ecole Varsity Acres School
|-
|[[F. E. Osborne Junior High School]]
|-
|H.D. Cartwright Junior High School
|-
|Jerry Potts Elementary
|-
|Sir William Van Horne High School
|-
|[[William Aberhart High School]]
|-
|}
On November 19, 2004, a student vote was conducted at participating Alberta schools to parallel the 2004 Alberta general election results. The vote was designed to educate students and simulate the electoral process for persons who have not yet reached the legal majority. The vote was conducted in 80 of the 83 provincial electoral districts with students voting for actual election candidates. Schools with a large student body that reside in another electoral district had the option to vote for candidates outside of the electoral district then where they were physically located.

{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="5" align="center"|'''2004 Alberta student vote results'''<ref name="stu2004">{{cite web|url=http://www.studentvote.ca/admin/election/Candidate.htm |title=Riding by Riding Results - the Candidates |publisher=Student Vote Canada |access-date=2008-04-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006095842/http://www.studentvote.ca/admin/election/Candidate.htm |archive-date=October 6, 2007 }}</ref>
|-
!style="width: 10px;"|
|'''Affiliation'''
|'''Candidate'''
|'''Votes'''
|'''%'''
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row}}
|[[Alberta Liberal Party|Liberal]]
|[[Harry B. Chase|Harry Chase]]
|424
|30.44%
{{CANelec|AB|PC|Michael Smyth|373|26.78%}}
{{Canadian party colour|AB|Green|row-name}}
|Richard Larson
|282
|20.24%
{{Canadian party colour|AB|NDP|row}}
|[[Alberta New Democratic Party|NDP]]
|Mark Gabruch
|203
|14.57%
{{CANelec|AB|Alliance|Ronald Beniger|60|4.31%}}
{{CANelec|AB|Social Credit|[[Len Skowronski]]|51|3.66%}}
|-
|colspan="3" align="right"|'''Total'''
|'''1,393'''
|'''100%'''
|-
|colspan="3" align="right"|'''Rejected, spoiled and declined'''
|colspan="2"|'''95'''
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of Alberta provincial electoral districts]]
* [[Canadian provincial electoral districts]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.assembly.ab.ca/ The Legislative Assembly of Alberta]

{{AB-ED}}
{{Authority control}}

{{coord |51.09|N|114.14|W|display=title}}

[[Category:Alberta provincial electoral districts]]
[[Category:Politics of Calgary]]