Over the last couple of weeks it had become cliché to say that Alberta polls cannot be trusted which is why so many people may be waking up this morning so what feels like an Alberta earthquake.
Although polls have predicted an NDP majority government since the televised provincial debate on April.23, many people couldn’t or wouldn’t believe it.
But that’s exactly what happened.
“I think we have made a little bit of history tonight,” NDP leader Rachel Notley told her supporters on Tuesday night. “Friends, I believe that change has finally come to Alberta. New people, new ideas and a fresh start for our great province.”
The NDP made major gains across the province, winning 53 of the 87 ridings. Wildrose took 21 seats and the PCs are left with only 10.
Total voters was up across Alberta. The Chestermere-Rocky View riding was exceptionally high with a 64.6% voter turnout. One of the closest races in the election, the riding was filled with controversy from the beginning of the race and began when current MLA Bruce McAllister crossed over from Wildrose to PC’s before Christmas.
But in the end it was Leela Aheer with the Wildrose Party that ended up on top by 222 votes. A total of 64.6% of eligible voters came out the cast their ballot in the riding that hugs the east, north and west sides of Calgary. Here is how the riding ended up:
Chestermere Rocky View
Elector Count: 32,094
Vote total: 20,735
Wildrose Party (Leela Aheer) 7679 or 37.03%
PC (Bruce McAllister) 7457 or 35.96%
NDP (William Pelech) 3704 or 17.86%
IND (Jamie Lall) 1096 or 5.29%
Green Party (Coral Bliss Taylor) 415 or 2%
IND (Matt Grant) 384 or 1.85%
Aheer and her supporters gathered at The Chestermere Landing while the results were coming in. “I am so proud of Brian and the rest of the group,” says Aheer, “We have worked so hard and you are all amazing, together we fought a good fight.”
“At the end of the day I was not expecting it to be this close but we knew it would be close,” said Aheer.
