UCP and NDP make final push day before Alberta election
The UCP and NDP are making a final push as voters from across Alberta prepare to go to the polls on Monday to cast their ballot in the provincial election.
UCP leader Danielle Smith spent the final leg of the election race running the 5K in the Calgary Marathon. She crossed the finish line and received a medal for participating.
Smith didn’t hold a media availability over the weekend.
Meanwhile, NDP leader Rachel Notley made her way back to Edmonton after spending several days in Calgary.
She stopped in Red Deer before holding a rally in the provincial capital with her supporters.
“My commitment to you is that our team will work everyday to be the government that you deserve,” Notley said to the large crowd.
Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, along with several former progressive conservative cabinet ministers, will support the NDP.
While, federal conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre and former prime minister Stephen Harper have endorsed the UCP.
Mark Crawford, a political science professor at Athabasca University, says this final push can make all the difference in who comes out on top.
“I would say more important for these two leaders than just about any Alberta election I can remember because of the closeness of the election,” he said.
As the campaign nears the end, there have been some missteps from both parties along the way.
From Smith navigating her party’s controversial candidates, to the ethics commissioner finding she violated the Conflict of Interest Act by making a call to the justice minister about Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski’s COVID criminal charges.
“The NDP campaign was very well-suited to capitalizing on those early errors that Danielle Smith made,” Crawford said.
“The question is whether maybe the NDP’s misstep was to focus too much on that, and not enough on maybe clarifying its own agenda.”
Prior to the writ being dropped, all but three of the 26 seats in Calgary were held by the UCP. The others belonged to the NDP.
With the UCP’s core support lying in the rural ridings and the NDP’s in Edmonton, Crawford says Calgary will determine the winner.
“The NDP will need 15 or 20 seats in Calgary if things go as the polls have suggested they probably will. The conservatives might only need, let’s say, eight to 12, something like that. So it’s a narrower path to victory for the NDP,” he said.
Advance voting ended on Saturday, with 758,550 people casting a ballot, beating the 2019 record of 696,000.
Unlike advance voting, people can only vote at their assigned polling station on election day.
People can find their exact voting location, which is based on where they live, on the Elections Alberta website.
All polling stations are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.