Facts and figures about the federal riding of Edmonton Mill Woods

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/10/2019 (2156 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Edmonton Mill Woods

Another heavyweight political rematch. This one pits Liberal Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi against former Conservative junior cabinet minister Tim Uppal in this multicultural southeast city suburb. Sohi won by just 92 votes over Uppal in 2015 — a vote so close it needed a judicial recount.

Population: 118,561 (2016 census)

Incumbent: Sohi won the seat in 2015 aided by his profile as a popular three-term city council member. He was named to the natural resources portfolio in 2018 and has become the face of a federal government viewed as helping the oil industry by buying and approving the Trans Mountain pipeline but also hampering it by passing legislation such as Bills C-69 and C-48.

Main challenger: Uppal has name recognition and political bona fides. Prior to the 2015 loss, he was a two-term MP for Edmonton-Sherwood Park and served in former prime minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet as minister for state for democratic reform and later for multiculturalism.

Election history: A new riding in 2015, when Sohi squeaked by Uppal. The area has shown it will vote Liberal, electing David Kilgour in the 1990s and again in 2004. After 2006, when surrounding rural areas were included, it went Conservative.

Fun fact: Mill Woods is set to benefit from a massive infrastructure project currently being built in Edmonton. The Valley Line will provide a light-rail link between the neighbourhood and downtown.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2019.