Canadian Federal Election Election
Riding-by-Riding Prediction
Calgary West

Current Prediction:
Riding Profile:

Candidates:
Liberal Party:
Frank Bruseker
Canadian Alliance:
Rob Anders
Progressive Conservative Party:
Jim Silye
New Democratic Party:
Greg Klassen
Green Party:
Evan Osenton

Incumbent:
Rob Anders

Previous Result:
28.99%
18.20%
47.20%
3.99%

Surrounding Ridings:


Misc:
Population: ?
Avg Household Income ?
Language (Home)
English ?
French ?
Submitted Information
Submit Informationhere

09/10/00 Chris Delanoy Email: chris@propertyrights.net
This riding will be a slam-dunk victory for Alliance MP Rob Anders. As a relative unknown in 1997, he trounced an enormously popular city councillor running for the Liberals, and he'll do so again no matter who the Liberals and Tories throw up against him.
11/10/00 Bluenoser Email:
I believe this is the riding where former Reform MP Jim Silye is seeking the Progressive Conservative nomination. (Mr Silye carried Centre by a 7,400+ majority in 1993.) It could be a real shoot-out in Calgary West with a possible PC win -- and a Alberta seatmate for Joe Clark.
14/10/00 Richard Email:
Rob Anders is not as popular as the Reform Mp for the area before him who is running against him as a Tory. The Tories will win two seats in Alberta, this being one of them.
14/10/00 Michael Cooper Email: michaelcooper@powersurfr.com
Despite a highly contentious nomination battle, Rob Anders should win by a wide margin in this highly conservative riding. Anders won by nearly a 10,000 vote plurality in '97 over the Liberal candidate who was a popular Calgary Alderman. Since that time the Alliance has gained considerable momentum and is much more organized. Former Calgary-Northwest Liberal MLA Frank Bruseker will likely carry the Liberal banner this time around. Bruseker was a highly unpopular MLA who lost by a wide margin in the last Provincial election after a sorry record of continually denigrating Premier Ralph Klein. He shouldn't be a factor. Former lack-lustre Reform MP Jim Silye will likely win the Tory nomination, but given his Party's dires straits he won't even be on the political radar screen.
13/10/00 L.O. Email: sprockley@hotmail.com
This riding is going to be close. I give the edge to Anders, but the Tories might put up quite a fight. CA leads in the polls in this area by 3 to 1.
17/10/00 BN Email: bwnicpon@hotmail.com
The PCs should not pose any real threat to the Alliance winning in their home territory. I doubt it matters who they run either, fact is; Traditional Alberta Reform Riding = Canadian Alliance seat.
17/10/00 Ian Berg Email: ipberg@yahoo.com
Not even Jim Silye's "star" quality will be enough to stop the Canadian Alliance from taking this seat along with every other seat in the province of Alberta. It will be a clean sweep for the Alliance.
18/10/00 Keith Marlowe Email: kmarlowe@telusvelocity.net
Jim Silye's record of respect far outshines the childish antics of Rob Anders. Expect a PC win here.
18/10/00 J Smith Email:
Jim Silye is still popular in Calgary. He is capable of winning this seat for the Conservatives. PC gain!!
18/10/00 Pundit Email:
This is the riding I live in and people are extremely keen to get rid of Anders. Many people think his ideological stands are embarassing and they will vote for a change in the next election. The PC's are putting up Jim Silye, a former Reform Party member of Parliament who switched to the PC's over Reform flip flops on pensions, Stornoway, etc. He's an excellent candidate, small business man and former Stampeder football star. While this will be closer than Clark's victory in Centre, Silye will definately carry the day in West for the PC's.
19/10/00 Mike Email:
I think the PC Party will carry this riding in a close race. The Liberals will be represented by Frank Bruseker an unpopular Liberal MLA who lost his seat in the 1997 election. But more to the point Rob Anders has been an incredibly ineffective MP who is really unpopular with the constituents. The riding is diverse and more progressive in scope than most communities in the city. The Tories recently finished a tightly contested nomination race that raised support in the community among voters. It will be close, according to the polls in this riding, but I give the edge to the PC Party, simply because of Anders unpopularity.
30/10/00 Floyd Email:
While Rob Anders has earned himself a less than glowing reputation there is NO WAY it has given rise to sufficient voter backlash and any real chance of electing the PC candidate. The same Doomsday warnings were issued during Mr. Anders' nomination race to run for the Alliance in Calgary West and he still won the contest easily. To issue any prediction but a firm win for the Alliance in Calgary West is the product of daydreams by die-hard PC supporters.
30/10/00 A.S. Email:adma@interlog.com
As a Ref-to-PC defector, Silye's less silly than Jan Brown. But even if he wins, I suspect Joe Clark's coattails will be not much better than John Turner's--though it's possible that PC might establish itself as the nominal "non-Alliance" party in Calgary much like the Liberals are in Edmonton. But like it or not, Bruseker's no slouch either; and "star" PC ex-MP + "star" Lib ex-MPP = an even more assured return for Anders...
30/10/00 Chris Delanoy Email:chris@propertyrights.net
The Tory plants trying really, really hard to sell their sunken party need a serious reality check about their chances in Calgary West. First of all, their notion that Rob Anders' libertarianism is going to backfire on him is totally out-to-lunch. Calgarians - especially the largely upper-middle class ones in this riding - love Anders' radical freedom-oriented rhetoric, not the other way around. Secondly, they may think they've hit upon some brilliant strategy by bringing in the phenomenally bitter Jim Silye as the archetypical disaffected Reformer to explain to the unknowing population how mean and nasty those Alliance guys really are and why they've been tricked into voting for them all along, but it's really old hat. This Badass-Reformer-cum-Tory schtick doesn't work in Calgary. Just ask Jan Brown. Remember her? Didn't think so.
31/10/00 historian Email:
This is also the former (provincial) riding of the Honourable Peter Lougheed, the very popular former Premier -- and a hero to all Alberta Tories (including those in the CA). Lougheed is opening swinging punches for the federal Tories and his friend Joe Clark. Expect this to help convert Calgary West to the Tories' column...not to even mention who their candidate is
31/10/00 Adam Daifallah Email:8ad5@qlink.queensu.ca
Anyone who thinks the Tories have a shot at taking down Anders in this riding (or any other riding in Alberta, for that matter) better have their head examined. The Tories are running hypocrite, lacklustre former Reform MP Jim Sylie in this riding, a man who once embraced the notion of a flat tax and who know castigates the idea. Sylie also recently lost a provincial Tory nomination. Look for Sylie to finish a distant third on November 27. Perhaps the former CFLer should look for a coaching job somewhere, God knows he's finished in politics.
31/10/00 Blake Robert Email:albertatory@hotmail.com
Some people seem to think that resurrecting a former Reform MP guarantees a PC win in Calgary West. These people are clearly out of touch with reality. The fact is that, while Rob may not be as popular as some of the other Calgary MPs... his leader is. Rob Anders will definetly win this riding over Jim Silye decisively. Jim, Joe, and the rest of the PC candidates out west will be riding their "little Fokker that could" right into oblivion.
01/11/00 Brad Nicpon Email:bwnicpon@hotmail.com
Reality Check... the chances of Calgary West going to the PCs are next to none. Whether the PC candidate was once a Reform MP or not is meaningless. The people of Alberta are voting for the CA because of the party not because of the candidate. The PCs were destroyed here last time... it would be more accurate to think the Liberals could take this seat than the PCs, though I assume you neither will happen. All signs show that PC support is falling nationwide and the CA dominates Alberta with 62% popularity in the last poll. Note that the 2nd place party is the Liberals (around 20%) meaning the PCs are in no position to be upsetting strong CA seats. Joe Clark isn't even expected to win Calgary Centre. Furthermore last time the Reform won 47% over the PCs 18% here, and support for the Alliance has certainly not dropped in AB since then. I will say with confidence that this ridng will not be won by the PC Party... I'm 99% sure it's an Alliance re-election.
02/11/00 David Agren Email:timmy2000@alberta.com
While Rob Anders is far from being all that likeable a candidate, he will win handily. He has gained all of the media coverage in this race - all of it negative (even from Alliance friendly media outlets,) but Silye has been invisible. Silye left federal politics originally to pursue the provincial scene with the PC's, but finished last in his nomination battle; things won't change this time. If Anders doesn't win by a landslide I'll be stunned.
02/11/00 Buhay Email:
I can't believe all these Tories (these are probably the same ones who think Clark can win). I saw Silye at the Tory news conference a few days ago and he was unfocussed and unclear. I was ashamed just watching him. He said he switched to the Tories because of what Manning did with Stornaway among other things. Though Anders supported Manning, there's no way Albertans in this riding will blame the Alliance for Manning's actions. Also knowing some insider info on his time at the Hill, he certainly wasn't the stellar MP that he looks like on paper. The Tories would do well with one seat int the West (none in Alberta). And can someone please tell Clark that to be a national party, you also need support west of Brandon?
03/11/00 Mike Wakefield Email:
For every person who intends to vote Tory in Calgary, there are eight others who intend to vote for the Alliance (Ipsos-Reid).
10/11/00 Keith Marlowe Email:
PCs have picked up tremendous steam going into the last stretch of the campaign as Jean and Stock trail behind. Momentum is momentum is momentum. If anything, the momentum the PCs have picked up will at least help voters to consider the PCs, or at the VERY least consider the candidates without Party labels. Rob Anders is no match for Jim Silye.
15/11/00 S Graham Email:sggraham@hotmail.com
Rob Anders will win comfortably with about 50% of the vote, perhaps two or three points higher. Liberals will finish 2nd with close to half of Rob's vote. Bruseker will poll quite well in areas where he was once an MLA for 2 terms in NW Calgary. PC's will probably not get their deposit back. Die hard Reformers are turned off by Silye turning his back on Reform. Except for die hard PC's other soft PC voters will vote for someone else because they know this is a "wasted vote" and the Federal Tory's are basically done nationally. Rob and Frank have some name recognition (and support) but Silye is less well known in this riding.
17/11/00 initial Email:corinnecookshaw@home.com
It seems to me that there is a lot of viscious comments here coming from the Reform supporters, directed to the PC supporters. I think that despite what you say you feel threatened. Why else would PC support make you mad? It bothers me how many of the comments offered up here talk about support for the party. In our political system the primary principle is that you vote for the person who will represent you best in parliament. I don't think Rob Anders has shown that he can do that, in fact, quite the opposite. Both the PCs and the Liberals are offering better choices with regard to their history of representing their constituents (sometimes without regard to party policies). That's the kind of representation I seek. Commentators here that suggest that PC support is decreasing should take a second look. The PCs have already hit the bottom with support and with a strong, honest, likable leader in Joe Clark they are on their way back up. What have the Reformers in parliament done for you lately besides blow a lot of steam and point accusatory fingers?
18/11/00 GM Email:
I live in this riding and I know many people who do as well. Since the debates I have noticed a few, not a huge number, but a good proportion of people who I meet in the area saying that they are displeased with the performance of both Mr. Day and especially our local CA candidate. Mr. Anders had a rough ride at a recent all candidates meeting, a performance which was given a fair amount of press across the city. Although I thought that a PC win was a long shot at the start of the campaign, I am beginning to think that Joe's debate performance has raised his profile as a credible alternative choice. The more that Day and our PM engage in nasty and negative politics, I think more and more of the people I know here are going to vote Tory. Its going to be close,But I give the Tories a chance to win this one in a tight race. By the way, in the last week Clark has pulled away in Calgary Center. The CA-Reformers are in for a surpise there!
20/11/00 R. McBean Email:rwmcbean@telusplanet.net
you can always tell the reform supporters by their tone and attitude. but anyway...the liberal pc vote split will probably make it tougher for the pc candidate. however, the liberal candidate does not seem to be running to win so hopefully there is still a chance to make a positive change.

Submit Information here
Back to Alberta Index
Back to Home

Last Updated 22 November 2000

© 2000 Milton Chan
This site is maintained by Milton Chan