EDMONTON — Rolling to victory across Canada on Monday, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals also carved out a tiny – but historic – beachhead of four seats at the base of the Conservative fortress in Alberta.
Darshan Kang and Kent Hehr – both former provincial legislature members – became the first federal Liberals elected in Calgary in almost half a century.
Kang edged out Conservative incumbent Devinder Shory in a nailbiter in Calgary Skyview. Hehr upset Conservative incumbent Joan Crockatt in Calgary Centre.
READ MORE: Liberal Kent Hehr beats out Joan Crockatt in close Calgary Centre race
The last Liberal to win in Calgary was Patrick Mahoney in Calgary-South in 1968. It was one of four Alberta seats taken by the Liberals in the euphoria of Trudeaumania under Trudeau’s father, Pierre.
A tent outside Kang’s campaign office was crammed to the edges by the time the results were official.
Bollywood-style music blared as Kang made his way through the raucous crowd to deliver his victory speech.
He acknowledged the historical significance of the occasion, calling it a “new dawn” for someone who came to Canada from India’s Punjab 45 years ago.
“This country gave me a chance to build my life and my family,” he said.
“In Canada the sky is the limit if one is willing to work hard.”
Hehr call the victory the greatest moment of his life.
“I believe we have changed this city and Canada for the better,” said Hehr. “I’ve had a lot of great moments in my life, but truly going to Ottawa to represent a better future for this great city and this great country, nothing has come close.”
WATCH: Four Alberta ridings went to the Liberals in the 2015 Federal Election, marking a breakthrough in a traditionally Conservative province. Global’s Jayme Doll reports.
Both Kang and Hehr acknowledged the many Albertans who voted Conservative, and assured them the best interests of the province would be top of mind while they’re in government.
“Albertans have nothing to fear, nothing to fear,” Kang told Global News. “I think Canada is going to prosper; Alberta is going to prosper.”
“I have to keep my ear to the ground, speak with my constituents—Calgarians—and take their voice to the Liberal caucus, and everything will be fine,” added Hehr.
In Edmonton Mill Woods, Liberal Amarjeet Sohi, a city councillor, took down Conservative cabinet minister Tim Uppal by just 80 votes.
“Today you’ve defeated the politics of division!” Sohi shouted to the cheering crowd.
READ MORE: Amarjeet Sohi wins seat for Liberals in Edmonton Mill Woods
In Edmonton Centre, Liberal candidate Randy Boissonnault knocked out a fellow rookie, Conservative James Cumming.
It had been a long time in the political desert for federal Liberals in Alberta. The party last won a federal seat when cabinet minister Anne McLellan and David Kilgour triumphed in Edmonton in the 2004 campaign.
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson threw his support between both Liberals in his city.
“In both Councillor Sohi and Randy Boissonnault, we have two extremely capable members of parliament, and we are hoping they will be in leadership positions as well.”
Political analyst David Taras told Global News Trudeau now needs an Alberta face at the cabinet table.
“Not having a cabinet post would send a really bad message to Alberta,” said Tarras. “But… sitting at the table, there’s maybe one from Alberta, one from Ontario—that’s a sizable job.”
Political scientist Chaldeans Mensah said the late surge in popularity by the Liberals helped them break new ground in Calgary while splitting the vote and costing the NDP in their traditional base in Edmonton.
“In terms of Alberta, the Conservative support has really held from the fact that the Trudeau wave resulted in a split,” said Mensah, with MacEwan University in Edmonton.
Stephen Harper’s team once again won all but a handful of seats in the province.
Harper, Health Minister Rona Ambrose and Defence Minister Jason Kenney were among those winning again.
READ MORE: Conservative leader Stephen Harper wins Calgary Heritage riding
Other members of Harper’s cabinet – Michelle Rempel, Kevin Sorenson, and Deepak Obhrai – were also re-elected.
WATCH: Federal Election 2015: Jason Kenney expects Stephen Harper to resign
NDP incumbent Linda Duncan, the only non-Conservative elected in the last campaign in 2011, won in Edmonton-Strathcona for a third term.
The New Democrats had hoped the history-making May election victory by Rachel Notley and the provincial wing of the party would aid federal fortunes, but it was reduced to third-party status.
The NDP has always been a mere pinprick on Alberta’s federal electoral map. Only two NDPers have ever won in the province: Ross Harvey in Edmonton East in 1988 and Duncan in 2008, 2011 and 2015.
Duncan said the NDP MPs would hold the Liberals accountable and she predicted the party will be back.
“We’ve got four years to build and we’re going to do it this time,” she said.
WATCH: Linda Duncan speaks following her victory
Full results from the 2015 federal election
With files from Global’s Jayme Doll and Canadian Press reporters Lauren Krugel, Ian Bickis and Rob Drinkwater
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