I volunteered for the social democratic New Democratic Party of Canada during the 2015 federal election, and at that time when the NDP was surging they had a real shot at even taking the Calgary seat I volunteered in (Calgary is in Alberta, often regarded as the Texas of Canada). Sadly, we didn't win, but it was an interesting experience. I didn't volunteer in 2019 cause I was in the middle of university and it seemed pretty grim; the conservatives looked poised to retake all the seats in Calgary anyways. The dominance of the Conservatives in the campaign lawn sign count really showed this.

But perhaps I'll volunteer for the provincial Alberta NDP in 2023 cause surprisingly enough they have a pretty decent shot at retaking the province. The Alberta branch of the NDP got elected to power in 2015, a shocker to the nation (that would be like if Bernie Sanders got elected Governor of Texas) that ended nearly 80+ years of unbroken conservative rule (first for 36 years it was the religious fundamentalist Social Credit Party, then they were ousted by the more moderate but still economically conservative Progressive Conservative Party who went on to rule for 44 years).

The Alberta NDP ruled pretty damn competently and progressively for a rookie at governance in the most right-wing province in Canada (listen up Joe Manchin for what you think "needs" to be done in order to be elected in a red state). Under Premier Rachel Notely they banned corporate donations to political parties and candidates, introduced a $15/hour minimum wage, universal daycare, introduced a carbon tax (which is decisive, because Alberta is responsible for a lot of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions thanks to our oil sector [as I said: Texas of Canada]), formed a committee to study means to diversify our economy away from risking it all on the oil market, strengthened LGBT rights, updated our old labour laws, updated farm workers' labour laws, initiated a study to update our education curriculum, froze tuition hikes, and undertook massive infrastructure works to upgrade several highways with more interchanges, upgrading them to freeway status, and granted funding to Calgary for our light rail train system to finally build a line to the north of our city, a section long not covered by the rail network, both things long needed for our garbage transportation network.

Premier Notley lost re-election in 2019 to former federal cabinet minister Jason Kenney to fuel his political craven ambitions (he managed to unite the feuding conservative factions in Alberta), and then people thought that was that; 2015 was a fluke and Alberta is back to its normal conservative ways.

But that's not true. Kenney's arrogant and tried and tested failed conservative governance of the province is failing. Relying solely on oil to run your economy is failing, and now he doesn't have the NDP to blame. Rural Alberta is as bulletproof conservatives as ever, but urban Alberta: Calgary and Edmonton are growing rapidly, with new people from the rest of Canada and around the world that aren't locked into the old conservative ways (how's that for another Texas North comparison, but the positive trend for both?)

Knock on wood, but in the latest opinion polls the conservatives are trailing the NDP by as much as 20%.

My own area looks to be a swing district, last provincial election the sign count was 50/50 between the NDP and the Conservatives. So yeah, imo, Alberta is a changing.