Orange islands in a blue sea: Why Alberta's urban-rural political divide still exists
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The electoral map has been recoloured, but Alberta's rural blue hasn't budged an inch.
The electoral map has been recoloured, but Alberta's rural blue hasn't budged an inch.
Despite some promising gains in urban areas, the NDP was unable to find success in the less populated parts of the province during Monday's provincial election.
It's a trend that is only becoming more apparent.
"The rural/urban question is one of the most important political questions of our generation," University of Athabasca professor Paul Kellogg said. "The vote difference isn't just in Alberta, but it's definitely noticeable (here)."
The NDP will walk away from the latest provincial election firmly holding Edmonton and 11 additional seats in Calgary.
That makes the UCP the first provincial winner to not hold a majority in either of the two urban hubs.
Kellogg believes it could pull the conservative caucus into different directions.