The Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot is roughly 3,000 kilometres away physically, and a good few light years away culturally, from the Ontario riding of Carleton, which Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held for the last 20 years – up until the recent federal election.
Yes, both are historically blue ridings, though Battle-River’s blue is that deep, rich, saturated hue that can disappear a bit of red in an instant, like a drop of blood in the ocean. Yes, both encompass rural areas, but Battle-River’s population density was 2.1 per square kilometre in 2021, compared to 111.5 per square kilometre for Carleton in the same year (notably, pre-redistribution). Roughly half the population of Battle River-Crowfoot had no education beyond high school according to 2021 census data, compared to just a third in Carleton.
