Latest news with #AlbertaSeparation
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Poll finds Albertans' attachment to Canada has grown as support for separatism has hardened
Like many Albertans, Michelle Schamehorn was disappointed by the Liberal victory in last month's federal election. But she's not on board with the escalating rhetoric surrounding Alberta separation. "For me, no. I don't want to separate," said the resident of Taber, Alta., who works at a local truck dealership and feels most Canadian when she's snowshoeing in the mountains. "I'm proud to be Canadian. Very, very proud to be Canadian." She remains squarely in the majority in this province, according to new polling commissioned by CBC News, which asked a random sample of 1,200 people across Alberta their views on a variety of topics. When it came to the question of whether Alberta would be better off if it separated from Canada, 67 per cent disagreed while 30 per cent agreed. The result was almost identical to a similar poll that asked the same question five years earlier. One thing that has changed, however, is the strength of support among the Alberta separatists. In May 2020, only 12 per cent "strongly" agreed. By May 2025, that had grown to 17 per cent. The poll also found a shift in public opinion at the other end of the spectrum. Asked whether they feel more attachment to Alberta or to Canada, 34 per cent now picked their country over their province. That's up from just 20 per cent five years ago. There was little change in those who feel more attachment to Alberta over that same time, while the proportion of those who said "both equally" shrunk substantially. "So, I think we're seeing polarization on both ends," said pollster Janet Brown, who conducted the public-opinion research for CBC News. "When it comes to separation, we're seeing that the number of people who strongly agree with separation is increasing," Brown said. "On the other side, we see the people who are attached to Canada, we see that group growing. The more we talk about separation, the more people are saying that they feel attached to Canada." On a straight ballot question, meanwhile, 28 per cent of Albertans said in the latest polling that they'd vote to separate if a referendum were held today, compared to 67 per cent who would vote against separation. Five per cent said they weren't sure. Trump effect CBC News visited Taber recently to ask people in Alberta's Conservative heartland about what Canada means to them after the rhetoric around separation kicked up. Several residents said they weren't ready to give up on Canada yet, despite their disappointment at seeing the Liberals win a fourth consecutive election. Daybreak Alberta 10:00 We head to Taber to talk about separatist sentiment in Alberta Elise Stolte wanted to hear what Taber residents, a real conservative stronghold, think about the suggestion that the province should separate from the rest of Canada. Schamehorn said she's not a very political person, but the combination of the election defeat, talk of independence and the U.S. tariffs shocked her. It's made her pay more attention, she said, and she doesn't believe Alberta should pick up and walk away in frustration. "We're Canada. We're Alberta. And we need to figure this out," she said. "We have countries that are trying to destroy us right now. And we can't let that happen. We have to figure out how to be strong, together." Taber resident Michelle Schamehorn describes herself as 'very, very proud' to be Canadian. (Elise Stolte/CBC) Brown, the pollster, says the recent tariffs and annexation threats from U.S. President Donald Trump have had a distinct effect on how Albertans view their province and their country. "When you look deeper at the data, there definitely is a connection there," she said. "One of the questions we asked was how stressed out people were about U.S.-Canada trade relations. And it seems like society here in Alberta is breaking into two groups: those people who are very preoccupied with tariffs and those people who aren't that preoccupied with tariffs. In fact, they are more preoccupied with Ottawa than they are with Washington." Albertans who feel stressed by the trade war expressed significantly higher attachment to Canada in the recent polling. Those who said they weren't stressed by it, in contrast, expressed significantly higher attachment to Alberta. 'I guess I'm more Canadian' Rick Tams works with Schamehorn at a truck dealership in Taber. He puts himself in the Canadian-first camp, but with a pretty big asterisk attached. "We are a member of a country first and I live in the province of Alberta, so I guess I'm more Canadian," he said. "But that being said, there's a gap within our own country. It's flawed." Rick Tams in Taber, Alta., describes himself as more Canadian than Albertan but says he's been frustrated by the past 10 years of Liberal government in Ottawa. In his circles, he believes a separation referendum would have a chance. (Elise Stolte/CBC) Tams says he's been frustrated by the past 10 years of Liberal government in Ottawa, in particular when it comes to deficit spending, oil-and-gas regulations and the lack of follow-through on once-promised electoral reform. He says he's seen, first hand, how that's hardened some Albertans' attitudes toward separation. "In the circles I travel in, I think a referendum would have a chance," he said. "That doesn't mean we have to leave. But it does mean people have got to start paying attention." As for himself? "I would like to see just a whole lot more information before there was a vote," Tams said. Political implications Brown says the polling results show a "yes" vote in a hypothetical referendum on separation would almost certainly fail, but at the same time reveal a "sizeable minority of people who are serious about this idea." "You just can't call this a fringe idea anymore," she said. "It's a strong sentiment in the population." The political implications are far-reaching, she added, especially for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Brown noted the poll results show Alberta NDP supporters are almost universally opposed to separation, while 54 per cent of UCP supporters said they would vote in favour of it, if a referendum were held today. "Danielle Smith is dealing with a voter base that's split on the issue of separatism, while [NDP Leader] Naheed Nenshi is looking at a voter base who is single-minded on this issue," Brown said. "So that makes it much more challenging for Danielle Smith to manage her way through this." At the same time, Brown said further data from the latest poll suggests Smith is "doing a better job speaking to the middle group — the group who's both attached to Canada and attached to Alberta." "That group maybe wants a new deal from Ottawa but doesn't want to separate," Brown said. "And she is speaking to that group, and I don't think the NDP is yet speaking to that group." The details of that aspect of the poll results — which party is leading in popular support, and why — will be the topic of the next story in this series, which will be published later Wednesday. EDITOR'S NOTE: CBC News commissioned this public opinion research to be conducted immediately following the federal election and leading into the second anniversary of the United Conservative Party's provincial election win in May 2023. As with all polls, this one provides a snapshot in time. This analysis is one in a series of articles from this research. More stories will follow. Methodology: The CBC News random survey of 1,200 Albertans was conducted using a hybrid method from May 7 to 21, 2025, by Edmonton-based Trend Research under the direction of Janet Brown Opinion Research. The sample is representative of regional, age and gender factors. The margin of error is +/- 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. For subsets, the margin of error is larger. The survey used a hybrid methodology that involved contacting survey respondents by telephone and giving them the option of completing the survey at that time, at another more convenient time, or receiving an email link and completing the survey online. Trend Research contacted people using a random list of numbers, consisting of 40 per cent landlines and 60 per cent cellphone numbers. Telephone numbers were dialled up to five times at five different times of day before another telephone number was added to the sample. The response rate among valid numbers (i.e., residential and personal) was 12.8 per cent.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Separatists want to 'hold Poilievre's feet to the fire' in Alberta byelection bid
OTTAWA — Currently seatless Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is eyeing an easy win in a not-yet-called byelection in rural Alberta, but locals say he could be caught in the middle of a growing firestorm over Alberta separation. The first hurdle for Poilievre, who represented suburban Ottawa as an MP for two decades before losing his seat last month, will be convincing locals that he's not just another central Canada politician who sees Alberta as a giant ATM machine. 'I'm somewhat suspect that Mr. Poilievre has said publicly that he doesn't feel there should be any big changes to the equalization formula,' said Rick Strankman, referring to the federal wealth redistribution program Alberta hasn't seen a dime from since the mid-1960s. Strankman is a third-generation resident of Poilievre's prospective riding of Battle River—Crowfoot, who represented the area as an Wildrose MLA from 2012 to 2019. He says he's seen an uptick in support for Alberta separatism within the community since last month's federal election, which saw the Liberals win their fourth-straight mandate. 'I think many people are deeply unsatisfied, and many people are frustrated in that they don't know how to achieve a positive change, unless it… evolves from a referendum,' said Strankman. Province-wide polls show up to two-thirds of Albertans who support the governing United Conservative Party would vote 'yes' in a referendum on Alberta independence. Poilievre said last week that he was 'against (Alberta) separation' but sympathized with the 'legitimate grievances' of those who were for it. Strankman, who's involved with the pro-separation Alberta Prosperity Project, noted that the group has several upcoming events in and around the riding, including a forum in the 800-person town of Castor next month. 'I just saw a poster for the Castor event at my local tractor repair shop,' said Strankman. Strankman doesn't think that Poilievre is in danger of losing the byelection but suspects that turnout could suffer if he ignores the rising tide of Alberta separatism. 'You could almost run a straw bale in our riding under the Conservative flag and that would get elected… but there might be an apathy there if (Poilievre) can't shake the label of being a parachute candidate from Ottawa,' said Strankman. Jeffrey Rath, a lawyer with the Alberta Prosperity Project, says he expects the high-profile byelection to attract 'a strong pro-independence candidate or two' with 'good local name recognition.' 'It would be fascinating to see somebody hold Poilievre's feet to the fire and make him explain how it is that federalism still works for Alberta,' said Rath. Rath publicly dared Poilievre last week to run in Battle River—Crowfoot under the slogan 'No more Alberta tax dollars for Quebec, and a dairy cow and micro-dairy in every Alberta barn that wants one.' Prime Minister Mark Carney said shortly after the election that he'd ensure Poilievre's byelection took place 'as soon as possible' if his fellow Conservatives wanted him to stay on as leader. The soonest the Battle River—Crowfoot byelection can take place under federal law is in early August, meaning it will likely follow three provincial byelections expected for earlier in the summer. One of these byelections, coincidentally, will take place in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, where Alberta's first, and thus far only, separatist MLA Gordon Kesler was elected in a 1982 byelection. Kesler was beaten soundly in a general election later that year. Cameron Davies, leader of the Republican Party of Alberta, announced on Tuesday that he will be running in the riding, hoping to follow in Kesler's footsteps as a separatist voice in the Alberta Legislature. He says that Kesler, who's still active in the riding, has been an indispensable source of support and wisdom as he embarks on his own political journey. Davies told the National Post he doesn't see Poilievre as an advocate for Alberta, even if he ends up winning a federal seat in the province. '(Poilievre) is a federal politician… he has to be a Team Canada player,' said Davies. 'Alberta no longer wants to be part of team Canada, and so at some point (he'll) have to reconcile with that.' National Post rmohamed@ 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.
National Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Separatists want to 'hold Poilievre's feet to the fire' in Alberta byelection bid
OTTAWA — Currently seatless Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is eyeing an easy win in a not-yet-called byelection in rural Alberta, but locals say he could be caught in the middle of a growing firestorm over Alberta separation. Article content Article content The first hurdle for Poilievre, who represented suburban Ottawa as an MP for two decades before losing his seat last month, will be convincing locals that he's not just another central Canada politician who sees Alberta as a giant ATM machine. Article content 'I'm somewhat suspect that Mr. Poilievre has said publicly that he doesn't feel there should be any big changes to the equalization formula,' said Rick Strankman, referring to the federal wealth redistribution program Alberta hasn't seen a dime from since the mid-1960s. Article content Strankman is a third-generation resident of Poilievre's prospective riding of Battle River—Crowfoot, who represented the area as an Wildrose MLA from 2012 to 2019. Article content He says he's seen an uptick in support for Alberta separatism within the community since last month's federal election, which saw the Liberals win their fourth-straight mandate. Article content 'I think many people are deeply unsatisfied, and many people are frustrated in that they don't know how to achieve a positive change, unless it… evolves from a referendum,' said Strankman. Province-wide polls show up to two-thirds of Albertans who support the governing United Conservative Party would vote 'yes' in a referendum on Alberta independence. Article content Article content Poilievre said last week that he was 'against (Alberta) separation' but sympathized with the 'legitimate grievances' of those who were for it. Article content Strankman, who's involved with the pro-separation Alberta Prosperity Project, noted that the group has several upcoming events in and around the riding, including a forum in the 800-person town of Castor next month. Article content 'I just saw a poster for the Castor event at my local tractor repair shop,' said Strankman. Article content Strankman doesn't think that Poilievre is in danger of losing the byelection but suspects that turnout could suffer if he ignores the rising tide of Alberta separatism. Article content 'You could almost run a straw bale in our riding under the Conservative flag and that would get elected… but there might be an apathy there if (Poilievre) can't shake the label of being a parachute candidate from Ottawa,' said Strankman.
Globe and Mail
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Letters to the editor, May 21: ‘As predictable as the sunrise: an early elimination of the Leafs … and the election of another Liberal government'
Re 'Separate out' (Letters, May 16): So now we have Preston Manning, still with matches in hand, suggesting that the forest fire he's tried to light can best be contained with Danielle Smith's referendum backfire strategy. Here's hoping that strategy backfires. Steve Pedretti Toronto I was pleased to read the sensible comments regarding Alberta separation by Jason Kenney and ATCO CEO Nancy Southern; much less so those of Preston Manning, who attempts a firefighting metaphor to justify Danielle Smith's words and actions. But firefighters would never deliberately make it easier for a fire to start in the first place. They would have no hesitation in saying that, after all, their goal is to put it out. Jamie Syer Mountain View County, Alta. A letter-writer from Saskatchewan asks if he is an 'owner' of Alberta. I say yes, and so is every other Canadian. Canada financed Alberta's development and connected it to the rest of the world, importing people and exporting its bountiful resources. All Canadians, through their elected representatives, would have to agree to any change to Alberta's status as a province within the federation. Until then, nobody's going anywhere. Jeremy Klein Ottawa Re 'Canada Post receives strike notice, workers set to walk out on Friday' (Report on Business, May 20): Here we go again, another strike that seems to ignore the seriousness and causes of the situation Canada Post faces going forward. Times, technologies and business models change all the time, and neither Canada Post nor the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have dealt with the problem in a timely fashion. I think the reality is that we do not need home delivery, and we probably don't need deliveries more than twice a week. Shift and work flexibility are likely required, along with a timeline to either adapt successfully or wind up the business. We cannot afford the current system. Richard Dean Sidney, B.C. Re 'Mark Carney's bulky and performative cabinet' (May 14): What is considered 'performative' seems to be the 'identity politics' of 'reinstituted ministers responsible for women and gender equality, seniors, children and youth.' As the term 'performative' is defined as something 'not sincere but intended to impress someone, prove something is true,' might the trade- and commerce-heavy cabinet also demonstrate the current desperate desire to exhibit a new concept of 'economy-signalling?' Chester Fedoruk Toronto Re 'The new math – the Carney math – of the new government" (Report on Business, May 16): The new cabinet is referred to as 'bloated' because there are 28 ministers and 10 junior ministers. Does it matter what we call them? If there weren't 'junior ministers,' would there not have to be 'senior associate assistants' or some such? If Mark Carney had named only 20 ministers, would that be 'lean?' Doesn't the same work still have to get done? This debate reminds me of the old story about the guy buying a pizza: When the cook asks if he wants it cut into eight pieces, the fellow says, 'Oh, I'm not that hungry. Better cut it in four.' Bob Rafuse Beaconsfield, Que. Yes, it looks like the old Ford Model T, same as before. But let's give Canadians an opportunity to open up the hood for themselves: There is a brand new engine inside. Let newly elected Mark Carney, with experience in crisis management, select the people he feels he needs. Robert Marcucci Toronto I recall some years ago visiting the British cabinet war rooms under Whitehall in London. The war cabinet had five chairs at the table. Just saying. A.S. Brown Kingston As predictable as the sunrise: An early elimination of the Leafs from playoff contention, with solemn promises of big changes to come, and the election of another Liberal government – with solemn promises of big changes to come. Even with a change of 'coaches' and the optimistic prospect of renewal, many of us pretend it will be different. But I can see it coming a mile away: the myopic focus on individual stats, or the convening of a comically wonky cabinet. I am now inured to the idea of such predictable mediocrity deriving from two groups who never seem to manage to equal the sum of their component parts. We might be fooled yet again, but I think the certainty of knowing the ultimate inadequacy of both teams makes the eventual failure oddly reassuring. Dave McClurg Calgary Re 'After another Leafs playoff failure, let The Core Four era end' (Sports, May 20): I am not upset that the Leafs lost Game 7, it's that I am disappointed at how they played. Laurie Kochen Toronto I don't pretend to be a hockey mastermind, but I have wondered for several years why the Leafs haven't gotten rid of one or more of the Core Four. In spite of the brilliance of each player separately, their collective radiance hasn't jelled. I was around the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967. It was a disappointing moment for a young Habs fan to watch the great George Armstrong hoist the vessel and parade it around the arena. Things have changed hundreds of times since then, but the definition of failure remains doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The Leafs should jettison that 'wisdom' and trade or buy out a couple of the Core Four. A move like that would cause the entire bench to give its collective head a hard wake-up shake. Nancy Marley-Clarke Cochrane, Alta. My late dad George adored the Buds. Family first, the Leafs a close second. Growing up in the 1950s, George's father was an academic type who couldn't understand the infatuation with the Leafs. So, logically, his father thought it would be good to take him to a game to see for himself it wasn't anything special. I'm glad my Dad didn't see fans throwing jerseys at Game 7. Frustration sure, but that's just disrespectful to all involved. Shame on them. Squeezing the sticks, melting under pressure: Yes, but that is a common thing and only the eventual champion can say they overcame these natural tendencies. I believe the Leafs will get there sometime soon, and it will be sweet. Can't wait. Love to the Leafs, love to Dad. Roger Wright Tokyo With the Leafs eliminated yet again, have they announced the date that ticket prices will be hiked for next season? Ian Campbell Toronto Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@
CBC
16-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Is Mark Carney taking the threat of Alberta separation seriously?
The prime minister didn't pick the only Liberal MP from Calgary for his cabinet. Is that a sign that Mark Carney isn't taking the threat of Alberta separation seriously? And how could a new legal challenge by a First Nation affect the politics of a potential referendum? CBC Calgary's Rob Brown is joined by former UCP president Erika Barootes, and Liberal strategist Jessie Chahal.
