The Unsteady Reign of Danielle Smith

In a previous version of this article, statements were attributed to Caylan Ford that she does not hold. We have since removed that section and apologize to Ms. Ford for any harm caused by its publication. On a sunny Saturday morning in April, supporters of the United Conservative Party gathered for a campaign rally in Calgary. The atmosphere was tense, with polls showing a close race between the UCP and the NDP. As UCP Leader Danielle Smith took the stage, she delivered a speech outlining the party’s platform and rallying the volunteers to go door-to-door. However, as the volunteers canvassed, they encountered resistance from voters who expressed hesitation to support the UCP due to Smith’s controversial statements and actions. Smith has a history of making polarizing and false statements, including promoting conspiracy theories and spreading misinformation about COVID-19. We regret any negative impact this may have had on Ms. Smith’s reputation and apologize for any harm caused by our previous reporting.