Vote Compass: Calgary, Edmonton a tale of two cities

Alberta Vote Compass has revealed differences in how respondents from Edmonton and Calgary answered questions posed by the online feature.

"It really is a tale of two cities in Alberta," said Vote Compass executive director Cliff van der Linden.

"We see that respondents to Vote Compass from Calgary typically adopt more conservative views than respondents from Edmonton."

Vote Compass allows respondents to determine where they fit in the province's political landscape by answering questions on a number of issues including the oilsands, health care and social issues.

When asked if reports of environmental damage in the oilsands are exaggerated, Calgarians were more likely to agree than their Edmonton counterparts.

Lowering the blood alcohol limit for drivers from .08 to .05 a measure contained in new legislation introduced by the Progressive Conservativeswas favoured by more respondents in Edmonton.

Vote Compass found Calgarians were more likely to agree that people should be able to pay for faster medical treatment.

They are also less in favour of increasing royalties for resource companies than their neighbours to the north.

Calgary-based pollster Bruce Cameron from Return on Insight Inc. says the results highlight differences he's noticed between the province's two largest cities.

"In Calgary, there's always been a much more individualistic streak and a sort of just get it done attitude," he said. "In Edmonton, there's been more of a communal kind of focus."

People in Edmonton aren't surprised by the findings and warn that having a broad appeal will be a challenge for political parties

"The issues are so diverse," said Sydney Lancaster. "We're a big province with two major urban centres and a big rural population still. So it's hard to speak to all of that at once."

Vote Compass is not intended to be a poll or survey.

Thequizhas been taken more than 42,000 times since it launched March 26th, the day Premier Alison Redford called the April 23rd election.

So far there have been 6,600 responses from Edmonton and nearly 8,200 from Calgary.