Albertans 'crushed' by Liberal election win rally to separate from Canada
Katheryn Speck said she used to be a Canadian nationalist, travelled the world with a maple leaf on her backpack and once lived in Quebec so she could become fluently bilingual.
But on Saturday she was among hundreds of people who rallied at the Alberta Legislature to support separation from Canada, with many in the crowd waving Alberta flags and a few even displaying the U.S. Stars and Stripes.
"I thought it was a beautiful, fantastic country. But now I'm so disappointed. I'm literally crushed that we'll never be represented in this country and there's never a chance of changing the government," Speck said.
Earlier this week, Premier Danielle Smith's government proposed legislation that would lower the bar for holding a referendum.
While Smith told reporters she won't presuppose what questions Albertans might bring to a ballot, the move would make it easier for citizens to call for a vote to secede from Canada.
The federal Liberals' election win Monday has also prompted some people in the province to demand an exit.
WATCH | Counter-protesters meet hundreds of Albertans rallying for separation:
Hundreds gather in Edmonton to call for separation from Canada
18 hours ago
Duration 1:38
In the wake of the federal election, which saw another mandate for the Liberal party, Alberta introduced legislation that could make it easier for citizens to force referendums. Now, some Albertans advocating for separation from Canada are feeling emboldened. Paige Parsons has more from a weekend rally at the Legislature.
Speck said the National Energy Program of the 1980s eroded her Canadian pride. Now a decade of Liberal policies that she said have blocked pipelines and stymied the province's energy industry have her thinking there's no fix under Confederation.
"Once the votes are counted in Ontario, the election is over. We don't matter. We never matter," she said.
Hannah Henze, a 17-year-old who attended Saturday's rally, said she might have felt differently about separation if the Conservatives had won.
"If (Conservative Leader Pierre) Poilievre was in, I feel we'd have a lot more hope than a third or fourth Liberal term, which is just going to ruin our country," Henze said.
Leo Jensen, meanwhile, said Canadians are worried about losing auto manufacturing jobs due to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, but they don't seem concerned about protecting jobs in Alberta's oil and gas sector.
"I don't see how a province like Quebec takes all of our dirty money, but they won't let a dirty pipeline go through Quebec to aid an oil refinery in New Brunswick," Jensen said.
First Nation concerns
A few dozen counter-protesters attempted to drown out the rally, many holding signs saying that separation would violate treaties with First Nations.
Piikani Nation Chief Troy Knowlton said in a letter earlier this week that it's understandable many in the West are frustrated their rejection of the federal Liberal party in the election didn't play out elsewhere. But he said Alberta doesn't have the authority to interfere with or negate treaties.
On her provincewide radio call-in show on Saturday, the premier said she fully respects treaty rights.
"Everything I do is changing Alberta's relationship with Ottawa. First Nations have their own relationship with Ottawa and that's enshrined in treaty. That does not change," Smith said.
WATCH | Premier Smith takes a swing at Ottawa post-election:
Smith slams Ottawa's clean energy plan, defends referendum move
3 days ago
Duration 2:46
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith accuses the federal government of pushing a net-zero energy plan that would be disastrous for the province, while also defending legislation that would make it easier to trigger a referendum on separating from Canada.
In March, Smith threatened a "national unity crisis" if the next prime minister doesn't acquiesce to a list of her demands within six months, but reiterated this week that she supports a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.
Rally attendee Susan Westernaier said she believed everything would be better if Alberta separated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
Opinion: Most Canadians don't support taxpayer subsidies for LNG
Proponents often claim that Canada's LNG will reduce global warming by displacing coal in other countries. However, we have run out of time for a 'transition fuel' if we're to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. In this context, new LNG infrastructure isn't a climate solution, but rather a substitute for investment in clean energy. Luckily, the price of renewables has dropped dramatically, making this transition both feasible and affordable. LNG is also a bad economic bet. The International Energy Agency has projected that LNG capacity will exceed demand by the next decade, making new capital investments especially risky. This is presumably why private investors are wavering and looking to Canadian governments to subsidize their projects with public dollars. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. A recent poll found that 56 per cent of respondents, both in B.C. and nationally, oppose multibillion-dollar public subsidies for foreign-owned LNG projects. Only 18 per cent of Canadians, and 22 per cent of British Columbians, are supportive while the rest are unsure. In B.C., where most LNG projects are proposed and LNG Canada will soon come online, people have other priorities for their tax dollars. In fact, supporting oil-and-gas is at the bottom of a list led by health care, housing, education, renewable energy and transit. The lack of public support for subsidizing fossil fuels has been consistent for years. In 2018, two-thirds of Canadians opposed subsidizing oil-and-gas, 41 per cent strongly. More than half remained unsupportive, even after being told oil-and-gas subsidies would create jobs and economic growth. In 2021, 62 per cent of Canadians wanted the federal government to stop fossil fuel subsidies and there was mounting frustration that the government hadn't acted on a 2015 campaign promise to do so. In 2023, the majority of Canadians felt that oil companies, not taxpayers, should foot the bill for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Only 30 per cent of British Columbians supported subsidies for LNG. A 2023 poll found 96 per cent of Canadians felt the federal government should disclose subsidies for fossil fuels. That year, the government of Canada signed a joint ministerial statement at the UN climate talks that committed them to do just that by the end of 2024. There is still no inventory of fossil fuel subsidies in mid-2025, undermining Canadians' ability to understand where their tax dollars are going. Canada claims to be a global leader on climate change, yet we continuously fail to meet our climate targets. The main reason is that emissions growth from oil-and-gas production has offset progress in other areas. According to the UN Environment Programme , governments around the world, including Canada, are planning for continued fossil fuel production that will result in more than double the global emissions scientists advise are consistent with limiting warming to 1.5 C. Canada, unfortunately, is one the biggest funders of the fossil fuel industry globally. That includes billions of taxpayer dollars that the federal and B.C. governments have already committed to LNG in the form of direct subsidies, lower tax and electricity rates, and public loans. Canadian taxpayers have been footing the bill for fossil fuel developments that threaten our own climate, health and economy. In this critical moment, Canada's leaders should instead use public funds to support projects that advance Canada's economy and safety, not only today but for decades to come. Kathryn Harrison is professor of political science at the University of B.C. Cara Pike is co-founder and senior adviser to at Carleton University in Ottawa.
Canada Standard
2 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Canada to meet NATO's defence spending target this fiscal year
Xinhua 10 Jun 2025, 00:15 GMT+10 OTTAWA, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday his government would increase spending on the country's defence and security and achieve NATO's defence spending target this fiscal year. Carney said in a news release that the defence spending for 2025-26 will be over nine billion Canadian dollars (6.6 billion U.S. dollars), or two percent of GDP, meeting the NATO defence commitment half a decade ahead of schedule. According to the news release, measures in the defence spending increase plan include better pay for Canadian Armed Forces; new aircraft, armed vehicles, and ammunition; bolstering Canada's defence industrial capacity, as well as expanding the reach of the Canadian Coast Guard and integrating it into the NATO defence capabilities. "Canada requires these capabilities to uphold and assert its sovereignty and ensure our defence never becomes dependent on others again. As we strengthen the Canadian Armed Forces, we will also build up Canadian industry, driving innovation and creating good careers," said Carney. Carney promised to further accelerate the investments in years to follow. According to NATO's annual report, Canada's defence spending was around 1.45 percent of GDP last year.
Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Liberals considering arming the Coast Guard amid significant pivot towards new security mandate
OTTAWA — The Liberal government is mulling arming the Canadian Coast Guard as it launches a significant reform of the civilian maritime agency to give it a bigger role in the country's security apparatus. The move is one of many significant changes that the Liberals are planning for the chronically underfunded Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) that Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to equip with new gear and a new security mandate. On the same day Carney announced his plan to accelerate defence spending this year, his office told National Post Monday that the CCG — which currently reports to the minister of fisheries — would shift to the minister of national defence's portfolio. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The move away from the fisheries minister makes it both likely easier for the CCG's budget to be included in Canada's defence spending in the eyes of NATO and is part of Carney's desire to pivot the 63-year-old civilian agency towards a more security-oriented role. 'Canadians elected our new Government on a strong mandate for change — to protect our borders and defend our sovereignty with increased focus and investment. To that end, the Prime Minister will soon initiate the process of moving the Canadian Coast Guard to the leadership of the Minister of National Defence,' PMO spokesperson Emily Williams said in a statement. 'The change will permit the Coast Guard to fulfill better both its civilian and security responsibilities.' The statement did not say when the changeover would happen, with Williams promising that 'more details will come in due course.' A senior Liberal source also told National Post that the government is considering arming the CCG, though they stressed that no decision has been made yet as officials continue to chart the reform. Arming the CCG, which would be a massive — and costly — change for the special agency that has always been an unarmed civilian organization. 'We're not there yet,' the official said of the decision. The source was granted anonymity to discuss internal government deliberations. The Coast Guard has struggled for years with its mandate, pulled between its various responsibilities such as research, search and rescue, icebreaking, marine protection and coastal surveillance, but without any law enforcement powers. Due to its icebreaking capabilities, it also has unique expertise on the Canadian Arctic within the government. In the recent election campaign, the Liberals promised to give the CCG a new mandate 'to conduct maritime surveillance operations' along with the required equipment. Last week, the Liberals tabled a border security bill that proposes to give the CCG a new security mandate, the power to conduct 'security patrols' and the ability to share information with the military and intelligence agencies. In an interview, former CCG Commissioner Jody Thomas said the agency is long overdue for significant reform and that she'd been 'nagging' the government to move the agency to the defence or public safety portfolio for years. 'It is a major change, and I think it's an important change. I think that this is just another signal that Canada is changing its perspective on our own sovereignty,' said Thomas, who was also headed the Department of National Defence and was National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Regarding armaments, she said that icebreakers currently under construction have been fitted for, but not with, weapons, meaning that arming them would be a relatively straightforward task. The real challenge of arming the Coast Guard, she warned, is training. 'It's a very expensive decision, not for the weaponry, but for the training and the constant preparation and exercising that's required,' she said. 'The Navy is always in training… for what's coming. The Coast Guard is out there working. So, it's a very different fleet and with very different purposes.' There are also talks within government of switching the Coast Guard from a special operating agency, which is still part of its host department, into a departmental agency with its own governing legislation that reports to the Minister of National Defense. I think that this is just another signal that Canada is changing its perspective on our own sovereignty In an interview in late May, Thomas argued that that needs to happen. 'It does need to be a legislative agency, the special operating agency status right now, that's a very flimsy sort of architecture and legal basis for an agency' with a security focus, Thomas said. A chronic challenge for the Coast Guard has been the deteriorating condition of its fleet while it operates on a 'shoestring' budget, according to Thomas. As of November, the CCG had 18 icebreakers , making it the second-largest icebreaking fleet in the world. Its fleet registry shows it has just over 120 ships on duty, the majority of which are small rescue vessels. But the aging fleet is also deteriorating rapidly, with ships spending more time in repairs and less time in the water. 'The CCG's aging vessels are becoming more costly to maintain and are more frequently taken out of operation for unscheduled repairs, placing further strain on the remaining fleet,' the agency said in its 2024-2025 department plans report . 'The need to replace the vessels has never been more important.' In March, the federal government contracted two new polar icebreakers which are expected to be delivered between 2030 and 2032. But Thomas said the coast guard has much bigger needs. 'We're one of the few countries that uses the same fleet for northern and southern ice breaking. We ice break year-round, essentially,' she said. 'So, you have to look at the wear and tear on the ship and the things you want them to do, and the places you want them to be, and they're going to have to plan the fleet accordingly.' National Post cnardi@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
