Calgary Centre

This central Calgary riding is bordered by the Bow Trail Southwest and the Bow River in the north, the Sarcee Trail Southwest to the west, the Glenmore Trail and Highway 8 to the south and the Macleod Trail Southwest and CP Rail line in the east.

This riding has an immigrant population of almost 24 per cent. Twenty-two per cent of residents have a mother tongue other than English or French, with Chinese heading the list at five per cent of the total. Thirty-eight per cent of residents over age 25 have a university certificate or degree.

The service sector is the major employer in Calgary Centre, with retail trade, construction, and mining and oil and gas extraction also providing significant numbers of jobs. The 2006 census shows an average family income of $145,427 – the highest in the province – and an unemployment rate of 4.2 per cent.

This riding was created in 2004, bringing together nearly 71,000 residents from Calgary Centre, 38,889 from Calgary West and 7,578 from Calgary Southwest.

Population: 124,197 (2006 census; an increase of 5.8% since 2001)

Political History

In 2006, Conservative candidate and incumbent Lee Richardson defeated Liberal Heesung Kim. During the 2004 election, Richardson won the vote over previous Liberal candidate Julie Turnbull.

The former Calgary Centre was Tory territory from 1968 to 1993 and was dominated for 21 of those years by Harvie Andre, who held a number of cabinet positions. The Reform Party took over in 1993 and 1997. In 2000, the Tories returned, with then-leader Joe Clark unseating Eric Lowther by 4,304 votes.

Calgary Centre:

• 1968-1988 - PC
• 1993, 1997 - REF
• 2000 - PC
• 2006 - CON

Calgary South Centre:

• 2004, 2006 - CON