Alberta’s Separatism: A Response to Grievances
11:45 am Sunday, February 8, 2026 Politics often brings together unlikely allies, and few pairings are as unexpected as B. C.’s NDP premier David Eby, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Still, all three – the left-leaning former civil rights lawyer, the centrist banker turned politician, and the conservative businessman with a populist streak – have recently found themselves united. Their shared mission: keeping Canada intact against the push for separatism. This autumn is set to see a referendum regarding Alberta’s potential separation from Canada. It’s at least a shift from the Quebec issue (although another Quebec referendum might surface in 2027). The desire for Alberta’s secession arises from grievances. Many residents feel that their wealthy province is being unfairly taken advantage of by Ottawa, despite 1) receiving funding for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion and 2) being presented with another pipeline opportunity by Carney. But who cares about those facts? According to self-styled heroes of Alberta independence, leaving Canada seems like the answer. (Polls indicate support hovers around 30 percent.) This situation sparked quite a diplomatic uproar last week when news broke that Alberta separatists had met with officials from the American State Department. Eby condemned these actions as treasonous. Ford urged Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to confront them directly. Carney felt compelled to assert that he expects respect for Canadian sovereignty from the U. S., which sounds mild until you realize how absurd it is for a Canadian PM to even have to say that. And what about Smith? She delivered an oddly desperate message – claiming she supports “a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada,” while also asserting her province has been “relentlessly attacked” under Justin Trudeau’s administration. Right-tripling their oil pipeline size at federal expense was such an affront. Smith proceeded to portray Alberta’s separatists as simply downtrodden individuals who’ve “lost hope” after facing this federal treatment. “I’m not going to demonize or marginalize a million of my fellow citizens when they’ve got legitimate grievances,” she stated. Alberta isn’t on track to secede anytime soon. No matter how frustrated they might be with Ottawa (and let’s be honest-who isn’t sometimes?), most Albertans appreciate being part of Canada. Those opposed are generally savvy enough to see that separating would only complicate future pipeline prospects. The challenge for Smith lies within her own party’s ranks. At last year’s UCP conference, she faced boos after mentioning the new pipeline MOU endorsed by Carney while expressing hope that her party members would feel “more confident that Canada works.” The UCP base tends to loathe Ottawa-or at least Liberal governments-more than they cherish oil or avoiding PST payments. In her comments on January 29, Smith mentioned that Albertans need hope. Yet she depends on backing from an angry anti-Canadian movement instead. She aligned herself with grievance rather than hope. Now she’s caught in a tricky situation.Source link
