Elizabeth May campaigned in downtown Calgary Tuesday morning, the first party leader to visit the city during the federal election.

May greeted people in a coffee shop and then gave a speech to her supporters on Stephen Avenue Mall. Earlier in the day, May told CBC News she was surprised she was the first party leader to visit.

"Calgary is a hugely important city," she said. "I would imagine that every leader would be making it to Calgary."

In the last federal election, Green Party candidates finished third in five ridings in the city, while Margaret Chandler placed a distance second in Calgary Southeast, where Conservative Jason Kenney won.

May defends energy policies

Elizabeth May talks to supporters during a campaign stop in Calgary. (Nassima-Alexandra Ennahdi/Radio-Canada) May, who traveled to Calgary from Edmonton Tuesday morning, called for a high-speed rail link between the two Alberta cities.

"It certainly would have been great for me this morning if we already had one."

During her interview, May defended critics who described her energy policies as damaging to Alberta's economy. The Green Party's platform calls for the removal of all subsidies and supports to the oil, coal, gas and coalbed methane industries in Canada and applying an escalating carbon taxes to all CO2 emissions.

"As long as we are addicted to fossil fuels we are relying on a non-renewable resource. And frankly the fossil fuel industry is robust. It doesn't need subsidizes," she said.

For the health of Canada's economy, including Alberta's, it makes sense to bring in revenue neutral carbon pricing, she said.

"Without carbon pricing, our economy runs the risk of being skewed and continuing to shed manufacturing jobs, jobs in pulp and paper, because we are actually distorting our economy by only having one area of substantial growth."

She said bitumen from the oilsands should be refined in Canada, rather than shipped elsewhere.

May planned to meet Mayor Naheed Nenshi later in the day.