Conservative Canadian province is looking to secede

Daily Mail​

22-05-2025

A conservative Canadian province plans to secede from its liberal-learning neighbors, and some residents are even open to becoming the 51st American state. Alberta, a western province known for its oil and gas resources, has just about had it with the overwhelmingly liberal country - especially since a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, took office. The area, often referred to as 'Canada's Texas' because of its political views and oil industry, is home to a small batch of conservatives who have recently gained momentum amidst Trump's controversial call for the US to take over Canada.
Despite Carney being from Alberta, he plans to continue on the same path as his predecessor Justin Trudeau and not allow the US leader to take control of the country or allow provinces to separate. But now that the liberal movement continues in Canada, many of Alberta's about five million residents feel that they are different enough from the rest of the country to branch off on their own. 'If there was a referendum on it, I would not hesitate to say separation,' Bob Gablehaus, a local resident and retired government worker, told The New York Times.
'I don't like the way the liberals treat Western Canada. I think it's unfair,' he added. Gablehaus is not the only one who believes the province could be better off leaving the rest of the county behind as approximately 30 percent of Albertans were in favor of independence if the liberals won a fourth time in office, according to polling numbers before the election. When Trudeau was in office, many Alberta residents disliked his climate-focused agenda because they said it limited the province's ability to make money through the export of its minerals and fossil fuel.
Danielle Smith (pictured), also known as Alberta's 'MAGA-style conservative leader,' is not in favor of Alberta seceding, but plans on negotiating the province's relationship with Ottawa's federal government to untangle the area's oil industry. Despite not being in favor of it, Smith said her conditions will most likely lead to a vote about where Alberta stands in the country. Now that there has also been a change in Canada's leadership, Smith said it is the perfect opportunity for her to talk to the federal government about her ideas.
Without waiting a full 24 hours to present her conditions to Carney, she introduced a new bill that would make it easier for citizens to launch a referendum. 'The federal government has taken hostile actions against Alberta and against the Constitution and against our right to develop our resources,' Smith told the outlet. The new rules she's presented will drastically slash the amount of signatures needed from 600,000 to 177,000, and will also give petitioners an additional month to get people to sign.
'The world looks at us like we've lost our minds,' she told Albertans this month. 'We have the most abundant and accessible natural resources of any country on earth, and yet we land lock them, sell what we do produce to a single customer to the south of us, while enabling polluting dictatorships to eat our lunch. 'For Albertans, these attacks on our province by our own federal government have become unbearable,' she continued.
Some groups have already collected thousands of signatures, including Dennis Modry, the founder of a volunteer organization leading a referendum campaign known as the Alberta Prosperity Project. 'It's a very serious turning point,' the retired surgeon said, adding that he has so far gathered about 240,000 signatures. Similarly, Sean Fuller, a tattoo artist located in Leduc, Alberta, said many people feel like they 'are Ottawa's piggy bank.'
'Ottawa needs a wake-up call from Alberta. Most of us feel like we are Ottawa's piggy bank and we don't get anything in return for that,' Fuller explained. 'Maybe, if there is enough political noise over here, maybe Carney's new government will have to pay attention.' One resident, Paulette McCulloch, has even been selling 'Alberta, U.S.A' merchandise, including baseball caps and mugs, to spread her support for the province to break free.
'We're being abused badly,' the 83-year-old said. 'We've got to do something about it.' While many are for Alberta seceding, the push for a referendum on the topic is infuriating Indigenous people who live there. Several First Nations leaders have rejected Smith's proposal, accusing her of violating their rights and sparking a nation unity crisis, the New York Times reported. Carney has long made it clear how he feels about separatism as he has tried to steer his country into a better place, especially with the ongoing trade war brought on by Trump.
'Canada is stronger when we work together. As an Albertan, I firmly believe that you can always ask a question, but I know what I would respond,' he said following his first official visit to the White House this month. Others have opted to give Carney a chance and see if he will truly better the country. Doug Hayden is one of those people, as he credited Carney and his liberal team for ending an unfavored carbon tax on consumers that was introduced by Trudeau's administration. 'He changed relatively quickly. These two parties probably have more in common than they have differences,' Hayden said.