Tough night for conservatives in municipal elections
Despite strong backing from Calgary's conservative establishment, Monday night's municipal election results were tough for many candidates.
Jeromy Farkas who brought his populist approach to his first term on council four years ago, was soundly defeated.
The unabashedly progressive candidate Jyoti Gondek topped him by nearly 59,000 votes. With former federal Liberal cabinet minster Amarjeet Sohi winning the mayor's seat in Edmonton, Alberta's two largest cities are now lead by progressive people of colour.
"Calgary does have this history of electing progressive mayors and I have to laugh every time we're surprised we vote a new progressive mayor," said pollster Janet Brown. She said Albertans may be conservative when it comes to taxation, but are more progressive on social issues than is often perceived.
Brown said across the city's wards, conservative candidates had a tough night, something that should send the governing UCP a message.
"I think it has to give them pause, when you look at the premier's approval numbers, when you look at how poorly conservative candidates did here in the city," Brown said. "Those people who are of a conservative strike, the ones who had dark blue lawn signs, the only ones that got elected running as conservatives had a lot competition - multiple competitors - on the progressive side of things."
Former PC cabinet minister Gary Mar said the change in council make up is also an opportunity.
"The public is demanding a sort of non-partisan approach to dealing with some of these complex problems and they want to see a collaboration. And that's the real opportunity," Mar said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.