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Most Edmonton and Calgary Hopefuls Shun New Party Labels in First Test of Alberta’s Municipal Reforms

Most candidates are choosing independence despite the new option to display party labels.

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 review shows 47 of 150 declared candidates in Edmonton and Calgary, about 31 per cent, are running with a local party affiliation.
  • In Edmonton, 21 of 81 candidates are tied to PACE or Better Edmonton, while in Calgary, 26 of 69 are affiliated with ABC, the Calgary Party or Communities First.
  • Last year’s provincial overhaul allows party names on ballots for the first time in decades and reopens corporate and union donations, with party-linked candidates permitted to outspend independents.
  • Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams’ office says the goal is giving voters clearer signals about candidates’ priorities rather than increasing party dominance.
  • Alberta Municipalities, the opposition NDP, and the mayors of Calgary and Edmonton oppose the changes, pointing to a 2023 government survey showing about 70 per cent of respondents rejected adding party labels; nominations close Sept. 22 with election day set for Oct. 20.