Calgary Heritage

This article is about the federal electoral district. For the history of the city of Calgary, see Calgary § History.

Calgary Heritage is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2015.

Calgary Heritage

Alberta electoral district
Boundaries of Calgary Heritage as of the 2013 Representation Order
Federal electoral district
Legislature	House of Commons
MP	Shuvaloy Majumdar Conservative
District created	2013
First contested	2015
Last contested	2023 by-election
District webpage	profile, map
Demographics
Population (2011)[1]	108,320
Electors (2019)	81,736
Area (km²)[2]	70
Pop. density (per km²)	1,547.4
Census division(s)	Division No. 6
Census subdivision(s)	Calgary

History

Calgary Heritage was created by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution and was legally defined in the 2013 representation order. It came into effect upon the calling of the 2015 Canadian federal election, which was held that 19 October. It is essentially a reconfigured version of Calgary Southwest, the riding formerly represented by Stephen Harper, who served as the Prime Minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Territory from the former Calgary Southwest comprises 99% of the new riding, with territory from Calgary Southeast making up 1%.^[3]

While Calgary as a whole has long been considered heartland for the Conservative Party of Canada and its antecedents, Calgary Heritage is located in a particularly conservative area of Calgary. Its predecessor, Calgary Southwest, frequently gave Conservative candidates some of the highest margins in the nation. Had it existed under its current boundaries in 2011, Harper would have won over 74 percent of the vote.

While Harper was handily re-elected to this riding in 2015, his Conservatives lost their bid for a fresh mandate to the Liberals.^[4] Stephen Harper resigned as prime minister on November 4, 2015, shortly before the new prime minister Justin Trudeau was sworn in. Harper then resigned as MP for Calgary Heritage on August 26, 2016.^[5] A by-election to fill the seat was held on April 3, 2017; Bob Benzen retained it for the Conservatives and was subsequently re-elected in the nationwide elections of 2019 and 2021. Benzen retired as MP on December 31, 2022.^[6] The by-election, which was scheduled for July 24, 2023, was won by Shuvaloy Majumdar of the Conservative Party.^[7]

Following the 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution, this riding will lose the neighbourhood of Kingsland to Calgary Midnapore and gain the neighbourhoods of Millrise and Shawnessy from Calgary Midnapore. These changes will come into effect at the first election held after approximately April 2024.

Geography

The riding is located in the southwestern corner of Calgary. It contains the neighbourhoods of Alpine Park, Bayview, Braeside, Bridlewood, Canyon Meadows, Cedarbrae, Chinook Park, Eagle Ridge, Evergreen, Haysboro, Kelvin Grove, Kingsland, Lakeview, North Glenmore Park (south of Glenmore Trail), Oakridge, Palliser, Pump Hill, Shawnee Slopes, Southwood, Woodbine and Woodlands.

As a safe Conservative seat, the Tories do well across the riding. However, their strongest neighbourhoods tend be in the southern part of the riding in neighbourhoods such as Shawnee Slopes and Evergreen, and in the Glenmore Reservoir area in neighbourhoods such as Bayview, Eagle Ridge (two of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city) and Pump Hill. The Conservatives are weaker in the northeastern corner of the riding in neighbourhoods like Kingsland, Southwood, and Haysboro.

Demographics

According to the 2021 Canadian census^[8]

Ethnic groups: 66.9% White, 8.8% Filipino, 5.0% Chinese, 3.9% South Asian, 3.9% Black, 3.6% Indigenous, 2.3% Latin American, 1.4% Arab, Multiple 1.0%
Languages: 73.5% English, 4.3% Tagalog, 2.6% Mandarin, 2.2% Spanish, 1.8% Russian, 1.8% French
Religions: 51.1% Christian (22.8% Catholic, 3.9% United Church, 2.9% Anglican, 2.7% Christian Orthodox, 1.2% Lutheran, 1.2% Pentecostal, 16.5% Other Christian), 3.1% Muslim, 2.2% Jewish, 1.5% Hindu, 40.0% None.
Median income: $46,000 (2020)
Average income: $65,100 (2020)

Panethnic groups in Calgary Heritage (2011−2021)

Panethnic group	2021[9]		2016[10]		2011[1]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
European[a]	72,405	66.9%	77,585	69.92%	81,100	75.88%
Southeast Asian[b]	10,430	9.64%	9,070	8.17%	6,645	6.22%
East Asian[c]	6,880	6.36%	7,515	6.77%	6,470	6.05%
South Asian	4,270	3.95%	4,275	3.85%	3,305	3.09%
African	4,170	3.85%	3,105	2.8%	2,215	2.07%
Indigenous	3,920	3.62%	3,190	2.87%	2,610	2.44%
Latin American	2,490	2.3%	2,690	2.42%	2,320	2.17%
Middle Eastern[d]	2,350	2.17%	2,380	2.14%	1,410	1.32%
Other/Multiracial[e]	1,310	1.21%	1,170	1.05%	815	0.76%
Total responses	108,225	99.16%	110,965	99%	106,885	98.68%
Total population	109,141	100%	112,087	100%	108,320	100%
Notes: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses. Demographics based on 2012 Canadian federal electoral redistribution riding boundaries.

Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following members of the House of Commons of Canada:

Parliament	Years	Member		Party
Calgary Heritage Riding created from Calgary Southeast and Calgary Southwest
42nd	2015–2016		Stephen Harper	Conservative
	2017–2019		Bob Benzen
43rd	2019–2021
44th	2021–2022
	2023–present		Shuvaloy Majumdar

Election results

Graph of election results in Calgary Heritage (minor parties that never got 2% of the vote or didn't run consistently are omitted)

2023 representation order

2021 federal election redistributed results[11]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	34,334	58.32
	New Democratic	10,172	17.28
	Liberal	9,531	16.19
	People's	3,009	5.11
	Green	838	1.42
	Others	983	1.67

2013 representation order

v t e Canadian federal by-election, July 24, 2023 Resignation of Bob Benzen
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Shuv Majumdar	15,853	65.63	+7.98
	Liberal	Elliot Weinstein	3,465	14.34	-2.39
	New Democratic	Gurmit Bhachu	3,429	14.20	-3.21
	People's	Kelly Lorencz	656	2.72	-2.29
	Green	Ravenmoon Crocker	407	1.68	+0.26
	Christian Heritage	Larry R. Heather	144	0.60	-
	Maverick	Dan Irving	131	0.54	-0.79
	No Affiliation	Donovan Eckstrom	71	0.29	-
Total valid votes			24,156	100.00
Total rejected ballots			57	0.24	-0.34
Turnout			24,213	28.89	-37.00
Eligible voters			83,799
	Conservative hold		Swing		+5.13
Source: Elections Canada[12]

v t e 2021 Canadian federal election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Bob Benzen	30,870	57.66	-13.07	$68,220.18
	New Democratic	Kathleen Johnson	9,320	17.41	+8.26	$1,119.48
	Liberal	Scott Forsyth	8,960	16.73	+2.77	$8,531.08
	People's	Bailey Bedard	2,682	5.01	+3.06	$2,115.28
	Green	Malka Labell	766	1.43	-2.08	$21.70
	Maverick	Annelise Freeman	714	1.33	–	$4,651.15
	Rhinoceros	Mark Dejewski	230	0.43	–	$0.00
Total valid votes/Expense limit			53,542	99.42	-0.13	$111,217.22
Total rejected ballots			313	0.58	+0.13
Turnout			53,855	65.89	-4.76
Eligible voters			81,735
	Conservative hold		Swing		-10.66
Source: Elections Canada[13]

v t e 2019 Canadian federal election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Bob Benzen	40,817	70.72	-0.76	$75,391.36
	Liberal	Scott Forsyth	8,057	13.96	-7.76	$6,153.00
	New Democratic	Holly Heffernan	5,278	9.14	+6.25	$143.81
	Green	Allie Tulick	2,027	3.51	+1.73	none listed
	People's	Stephanie Hoeppner	1,123	1.95	-	none listed
	Independent	Hunter Mills	228	0.40	-	none listed
	Christian Heritage	Larry R. Heather	185	0.32	-1.10	$4,539.49
Total valid votes/expense limit			57,715	99.55
Total rejected ballots			260	0.45	+0.16
Turnout			57,975	70.65	+37.19
Eligible voters			82,059
	Conservative hold		Swing		+3.50
Source: Elections Canada[14][15][16]

v t e Canadian federal by-election, April 3, 2017 Resignation of Stephen Harper
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bob Benzen	19,383	71.47	+7.71
	Liberal	Scott Forsyth	5,889	21.72	−4.25
	New Democratic	Khalis Ahmed	785	2.89	−4.39
	Green	Taryn Knorren	484	1.78	−0.35
	Christian Heritage	Jeff Willerton	385	1.42
	Libertarian	Darcy Gerow	114	0.42	−0.00
	National Advancement	Stephen J. Garvey	76	0.28
Total valid votes/expense limit			27,116	99.71	–
Total rejected ballots			78	0.29	−0.10
Turnout			27,194	33.46	−39.16
Eligible voters			81,270
	Conservative hold		Swing		+5.98
Source: Elections Canada[17]

v t e 2015 Canadian federal election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Stephen Harper	37,263	63.77	–10.61	$105,821.13
	Liberal	Brendan Miles	15,172	25.97	+18.51	$46,125.76
	New Democratic	Matt Masters	4,255	7.28	–4.84	$38,181.16
	Green	Kelly Christie	1,246	2.13	–3.36	$7,044.83
	Libertarian	Steven Paolasini	246	0.42	–	$170.00
	Independent	Larry R. Heather	114	0.20	–	$16.50
	Independent	Korry Zepik	73	0.12	–	$1,098.48
	Independent	Nicolas Duchastel de Montrouge	61	0.10	–	$277.12
Total valid votes/expense limit			58,430	99.61		$215,236.37
Total rejected ballots			228	0.39	–
Turnout			58,658	73.63	–
Eligible voters			80,767
	Conservative hold		Swing		–14.56
Source: Elections Canada[18][19]

2011 federal election redistributed results[20]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	34,761	74.38
	New Democratic	5,663	12.12
	Liberal	3,485	7.46
	Green	2,568	5.50
	Others	255	0.55

See also

• List of Canadian electoral districts
• Historical federal electoral districts of Canada

Notes

1. Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
2. Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
3. Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
4. Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
5. Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.