Alberta NDP Calgary-Shaw candidate says residents deserve a representative who will fight for them

EDMONTON — From school shortages to health care wait times to the cost of living, Calgary-Shaw byelection nominee Kyle Campbell says the area faces serious issues, and residents in the historically conservative riding agree it is time for change. "If you interact with the system right now, you will see the cracks and the flaws, and all you have to ask yourself is, ‘Has it been getting better or worse?’” said Alberta NDP nominee Campbell during an interview with the Western Standard. "And our current leadership in the government says that things are good, and all you have to do is look at your own life and say, things are not good."Campbell, a Somerset resident with experience in employee benefit insurance, said witnessing the flaws in Alberta's health care system throughout his battle with cancer and seeing his sons enrolled in the area's public school helped push him to enter politics. "I knew that I needed to take action to advocate better for my family," Campbell said. "Make sure that my boys’ education was as good or better than my own growing up here in Alberta, which doesn't seem to be the case right now.".The Sept. 14 byelection will see Campbell face UCP nominee Mike Derry, Progressive Tory Party of Alberta candidate Kyle Joseph, Alberta Liberal Party leader John Roggeveen, and independent candidate Rolly Ashdown.Byelections are unique, however, as candidates who are not representing the governing party must convince residents to vote for their MLA to sit in the opposition caucus.The UCP won Calgary-Shaw in the 2023 election, with former MLA Rebecca Schulz gathering 56.3% of the vote. Additionally, the Alberta NDP won the riding in 2015, but they appeared to benefit split conservative vote.Some argue Campbell faces an uphill battle, but he said residents have shown little hesitation. "I've had almost no people say, ‘The best way to get your voice heard is by being in government,’” Campbell said. "I think we know what we've received for the last seven years from UCP leadership. Most people are actually quite interested in having their voices heard.""Politics is a marketplace of ideas, and people, their vote is their currency, and they can choose which idea best resonates and aligns with them. I've been getting a lot of feedback from folks that they don't align with the provincial government.".According to him, the most pressing issue is the lack of schools to support the ever-expanding Calgary-Shaw population.Public schools in south Calgary had a 92% enrollment rate in the 2025/26 school year, and Catholic schools around Calgary-Shaw had 101%. The Government of Alberta has approved five school projects in the Calgary-Shaw area, but school boards have requested more than ten additional schools. "We're not making meaningful progress on these," Campbell said. "School bussing costs have increased this year, and as parents are paying elementary schools their lunch supervision fees, people are wondering, 'I'm paying all these fees, but where are the services that should be accompanying these?’” With roughly one month sitting between the byelection and Alberta's Oct. 19 referendum, Campbell said the other issue weighing on the minds of Calgary-Shaw residents is the Alberta independence debate. The Alberta NDP have publicly stated their federalist support, including having each of their MLAs sign a declaration confirming it. Campbell agrees and stands with his colleagues, saying there are over 1 million reasons Alberta should remain in Canada. "Canada has so much going for it, and I think a lot of our issues around separatism are about our provincial leadership doing a poor job of coordinating with the federal government," Campbell said. "Canada is awesome, and people have fought and died for it, and I think it's worth advocating for now." .According to Campbell, most Calgary-Shaw residents share that view. "Folks in Calgary-Shaw are really proud Canadians," Campbell said. "They don't want to separate. They think that this separation referendum is a fantastic waste of money. It's sowing division in a moment when our country is under attack from external forces."He believes the byelection is the time for Calgary-Shaw residents to elect a representative who will serve the issues that matter to them. "It's a fantastic moment to vote for change, and I think that the Alberta NDP has the right team and the right plan to execute quickly on the things that matter most to people and just be laser focused on the elements of provincial politics that intersect directly with our everyday lives," Campbell said.

Alberta NDP Calgary-Shaw candidate says residents deserve a representative who will fight for them

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