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2h ago

Most Edmonton and Calgary Candidates Bypass New Municipal Party Labels

Independents still dominate nominations despite provincial reforms introducing party labels alongside broader fundraising.

A sign welcoming visitors to Carberry, Man., is seen in this file photo. Organizers of the town’s annual Homecoming Festival say the event has been cancelled this year and rebranded as the Prairie Harvest Festival after an internal probe uncovered financial irregularities that have been turned over to the RCMP.
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A cyclist makes their way past a home with both Amarjeet Sohi and Mike Nickel mayoral election signs in the front yard in Edmonton, on Oct. 4, 2021.

Overview

  • Postmedia’s late‑August review found 47 of 150 declared candidates in Edmonton and Calgary list a local party, with roughly 70% running as independents.
  • Edmonton shows 21 party‑affiliated candidates out of 81, tied to PACE and Better Edmonton; Calgary has 26 of 69 aligned with A Better Calgary, the Calgary Party, or Communities First.
  • A law passed last year permits party identifiers on municipal ballots for the first time in decades and overhauls financing rules.
  • The legislation reintroduced union and corporate donations and allows party‑affiliated candidates to outspend independents, a move the province frames as increasing voter transparency.
  • Municipal associations, the mayors of both cities, and the Alberta NDP oppose the changes, citing big‑money risks; nominations close Sept. 22 with voting set for Oct. 20.