Latest news with #Modry
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
'Fully in support': Some Alberta separatists try to rally support in the Trump White House
Article content U.S. support Article content In some ways, Alberta, with its resource-rich land and strong conservative, pro-oil and anti-regulatory leanings, seems perfectly aligned with Trump's drive to roll back efforts aimed at achieving net-zero emissions. Article content To help forge such an alliance, Modry's APP met with 'the highest echelons of the US administration' back in April, he said, noting that he's been asked not to divulge names. Before the talks, the APP created a document detailing the benefits of Alberta sovereignty to the U.S., outlining 'opportunities in which the U.S. administration could facilitate Alberta sovereignty.' Article content He refused to share details about those benefits, but Modry said they left the meeting 'very confident that the U.S. would be supportive of Alberta's sovereignty.' Article content When asked whether the U.S. is doing anything now to support their independence bid, Modry said the U.S. team asked what they could do. He stressed that the APP told the Americans it was not asking for anything in particular. Article content Article content No other meetings are planned between the APP and the U.S. administration, and the next talks would come only after the petition succeeds and before a referendum is held, Modry said. Article content Not all separatist leaders think such outreach is wise. Cameron Davies, the president of the Republican Party of Alberta, which has a memorandum of understanding with the Independence Party of Alberta — both organizations want Alberta to become a constitutional republic — said he has not been in touch with the White House and that any such contact would be 'improper' until after a vote. 'As a sovereign independent Alberta Republic,' he added, 'we would of course reach out to international leaders, seeking support and recognition.' Article content Some analysts are skeptical that the U.S. would really support or get involved with Alberta separatism. 'I really don't see a situation whereby the United States would interfere in another country's affairs like that,' said Andrew Hale, a senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. Article content Article content Trying to boost Albertan separatism might have the opposite effect, he added. 'I think it would backfire because everything President Trump has done so far with Canada has backfired.' Article content 'The bullying of Canada has actually increased Canadian unity,' Hale said, noting how bizarre it is to see Quebec separatists waving Canadian flags and rallying around Canadian unity. Article content Adrienne Davidson, assistant professor of political science at McMaster University, tends to agree, noting how Trump's tariffs have only worked 'to bolster a stronger sense of Canadian national identity' and 'national solidarity to push back against American bullishness.' Article content 'Albertans have been frustrated for a long time with Ottawa,' says Jamie Tronnes, executive director of the Center for North American Prosperity and Security, a project of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, 'and they feel that their voices aren't being heard.' Article content The list of complaints includes limited provincial powers, initial loss of control over natural resources, and perceived unequal treatment and representation. Article content While the true independence movement is 'a relatively recent manifestation of long-held grievances between Albertans and Ottawa,' said Davidson, 'the grievances that Alberta has with respect to the Canadian federation, with respect to Ottawa … those date back to the creation of Alberta (in 1905).' Article content Leaders within the movement say momentum has been building for at least five decades. Modry pointed to Alberta's boom in the 1970s and how the region was devastated by the National Energy Program of 1980 under Pierre Trudeau. 'People lost their homes, lost their businesses,' Modry said, citing efforts by Trudeau's energy minister, Marc Lalonde, to increase Ottawa's economic power at the expense of the provinces. Article content Article content 'So what we've recognized over decades now is that very thing: The structure of Canada, the way Confederation has been set up, makes it impossible for Alberta to have a meaningful voice,' Modry said. Article content Smith, meanwhile, is aware that the independence movement has been gaining steam. After Carney's election, she suggested she would support a citizen-led petition for a referendum. Article content 'I believe in Alberta sovereignty within a united Canada,' Smith said in April. Article content 'However, there is a citizen initiative referendum process that if citizens want to put a question on a ballot and get enough of their fellow citizens to sign that petition, then those questions will be put forward.' Article content Smith is 'walking a very fine line,' said Davidson, by putting 'wind into the sails of separation' with such talk and with her Alberta Next panel tour. Article content But Tronnes sees it another way. 'There needs to be an outlet for (Albertans') frustration,' she said. 'Given the growing demand for a referendum, blocking one could be very politically damaging for (Smith),' she added. Article content Article content Legal wrangling may continue, and the petition may be shot down. But Davies, for one, doesn't see this as a barrier. 'At any time,' he said, 'a referendum can be conducted, and so what we've been consistently calling for is the UCP to schedule a referendum on Alberta's independence. Article content 'They don't have to take a side, but they need to schedule a referendum. Stop wasting time.' Article content Polling predictions Article content Whether Alberta's independence movement gets a public nod from Trump in the future is anyone's guess — and it might hurt the movement, as Hale and Davidson suggested — but Davies and Modry remain confident that they are on the path towards an independent Alberta. Article content Polling suggests that a growing number of Albertans favour independence compared to 2021, but the numbers still fall well below a majority. Article content Modry said he's seen polling with numbers closer to 48 per cent in favour of independence, while Davies said he's seen fluctuations between 38 and 42 per cent. And while those numbers are still shy of the 'clear majority' stipulated in the Clarity Act for any province seeking secession, both are convinced that the campaign ahead of a referendum will get the numbers where they need to be. Article content If a referendum is called for next spring, Davies' Republicans would push Alberta to claw back power in all the areas that are constitutionally permissible. He said this should include control over immigration, taxation, and pensions. Article content 'And, at every step of the way, if Ottawa chooses to push back … I believe that (pro-independence) number that you see today would organically increase as Albertans begin to see that Ottawa views Alberta as nothing more than a resource colony.' Article content Independence dreams Article content Davies and Modry said both Alberta and Washington want tariff-free trade and would work toward an agreement if Alberta gains independence. When asked what they would do to promote free trade with the U.S., Davies pointed out that 'Alberta doesn't have free trade within Canada.' Article content Once independent, he sees Alberta pursuing its own economic trade agreements with the U.S, Japan, South Korea and other Western democracies, and engaging on their own terms to market and export Alberta's emerging industries: energy, mining, forestry and agriculture. Article content Article content This would be done 'without the interference from Ottawa,' he said, predicting success. Article content 'I would suggest that an independent Alberta would, in fact, have greater access to foreign markets, which is something that we've lacked.' Article content Davies also mentioned the market case for LNG, saying that Alberta would negotiate additional LNG terminals as an independent nation. If British Columbia pushes back, he added, 'then Alberta may have to look at going south of the border and accessing new LNG terminals that are being built every single year in the United States to get our energy to market.' Article content Still, few outside the separatist movement believe an independence referendum will succeed — and even if it did, secession would face additional barriers at the federal level — but holding a referendum still sends a strong signal to both Ottawa and Washington. Article content Article content Strengthening its hand Article content Whatever the outcome of a referendum — if one is held — Alberta may still emerge stronger, analysts suggest. Article content 'Alberta is well-positioned, no matter what happens, to be able to negotiate its future in Washington, D.C.,' said Tronnes. 'Alberta has a lot of things that America needs, particularly energy, but not just energy.' Article content Smith is now a well-known entity in the U.S. — Americans would be hard-pressed to name other provincial premiers, apart from Doug Ford — and Alberta has successfully raised its international street cred in recent years. Article content 'The province has made the strategic choice to ensure that it has allies and friends throughout Washington, D.C., on both sides of the aisle, to make sure that when we're in a moment like this, that there is a network of people it can call upon to speak about what Alberta brings to the table,' Tronnes noted.
Edmonton Journal
3 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
'Fully in support': Some Alberta separatists try to rally support in the Trump White House
Article content U.S. support Article content In some ways, Alberta, with its resource-rich land and strong conservative, pro-oil and anti-regulatory leanings, seems perfectly aligned with Trump's drive to roll back efforts aimed at achieving net-zero emissions. Article content To help forge such an alliance, Modry's APP met with 'the highest echelons of the US administration' back in April, he said, noting that he's been asked not to divulge names. Before the talks, the APP created a document detailing the benefits of Alberta sovereignty to the U.S., outlining 'opportunities in which the U.S. administration could facilitate Alberta sovereignty.' Article content He refused to share details about those benefits, but Modry said they left the meeting 'very confident that the U.S. would be supportive of Alberta's sovereignty.' Article content When asked whether the U.S. is doing anything now to support their independence bid, Modry said the U.S. team asked what they could do. He stressed that the APP told the Americans it was not asking for anything in particular. Article content Article content No other meetings are planned between the APP and the U.S. administration, and the next talks would come only after the petition succeeds and before a referendum is held, Modry said. Article content Not all separatist leaders think such outreach is wise. Cameron Davies, the president of the Republican Party of Alberta, which has a memorandum of understanding with the Independence Party of Alberta — both organizations want Alberta to become a constitutional republic — said he has not been in touch with the White House and that any such contact would be 'improper' until after a vote. 'As a sovereign independent Alberta Republic,' he added, 'we would of course reach out to international leaders, seeking support and recognition.' Article content Some analysts are skeptical that the U.S. would really support or get involved with Alberta separatism. 'I really don't see a situation whereby the United States would interfere in another country's affairs like that,' said Andrew Hale, a senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. Article content Article content Trying to boost Albertan separatism might have the opposite effect, he added. 'I think it would backfire because everything President Trump has done so far with Canada has backfired.' Article content 'The bullying of Canada has actually increased Canadian unity,' Hale said, noting how bizarre it is to see Quebec separatists waving Canadian flags and rallying around Canadian unity. Article content Adrienne Davidson, assistant professor of political science at McMaster University, tends to agree, noting how Trump's tariffs have only worked 'to bolster a stronger sense of Canadian national identity' and 'national solidarity to push back against American bullishness.' Article content 'Albertans have been frustrated for a long time with Ottawa,' says Jamie Tronnes, executive director of the Center for North American Prosperity and Security, a project of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, 'and they feel that their voices aren't being heard.' Article content The list of complaints includes limited provincial powers, initial loss of control over natural resources, and perceived unequal treatment and representation. Article content While the true independence movement is 'a relatively recent manifestation of long-held grievances between Albertans and Ottawa,' said Davidson, 'the grievances that Alberta has with respect to the Canadian federation, with respect to Ottawa … those date back to the creation of Alberta (in 1905).' Article content Leaders within the movement say momentum has been building for at least five decades. Modry pointed to Alberta's boom in the 1970s and how the region was devastated by the National Energy Program of 1980 under Pierre Trudeau. 'People lost their homes, lost their businesses,' Modry said, citing efforts by Trudeau's energy minister, Marc Lalonde, to increase Ottawa's economic power at the expense of the provinces. Article content Article content 'So what we've recognized over decades now is that very thing: The structure of Canada, the way Confederation has been set up, makes it impossible for Alberta to have a meaningful voice,' Modry said. Article content Smith, meanwhile, is aware that the independence movement has been gaining steam. After Carney's election, she suggested she would support a citizen-led petition for a referendum. Article content 'I believe in Alberta sovereignty within a united Canada,' Smith said in April. Article content 'However, there is a citizen initiative referendum process that if citizens want to put a question on a ballot and get enough of their fellow citizens to sign that petition, then those questions will be put forward.' Article content Smith is 'walking a very fine line,' said Davidson, by putting 'wind into the sails of separation' with such talk and with her Alberta Next panel tour. Article content But Tronnes sees it another way. 'There needs to be an outlet for (Albertans') frustration,' she said. 'Given the growing demand for a referendum, blocking one could be very politically damaging for (Smith),' she added. Article content Article content Legal wrangling may continue, and the petition may be shot down. But Davies, for one, doesn't see this as a barrier. 'At any time,' he said, 'a referendum can be conducted, and so what we've been consistently calling for is the UCP to schedule a referendum on Alberta's independence. Article content 'They don't have to take a side, but they need to schedule a referendum. Stop wasting time.' Article content Polling predictions Article content Whether Alberta's independence movement gets a public nod from Trump in the future is anyone's guess — and it might hurt the movement, as Hale and Davidson suggested — but Davies and Modry remain confident that they are on the path towards an independent Alberta. Article content Polling suggests that a growing number of Albertans favour independence compared to 2021, but the numbers still fall well below a majority. Article content Modry said he's seen polling with numbers closer to 48 per cent in favour of independence, while Davies said he's seen fluctuations between 38 and 42 per cent. And while those numbers are still shy of the 'clear majority' stipulated in the Clarity Act for any province seeking secession, both are convinced that the campaign ahead of a referendum will get the numbers where they need to be. Article content If a referendum is called for next spring, Davies' Republicans would push Alberta to claw back power in all the areas that are constitutionally permissible. He said this should include control over immigration, taxation, and pensions. Article content 'And, at every step of the way, if Ottawa chooses to push back … I believe that (pro-independence) number that you see today would organically increase as Albertans begin to see that Ottawa views Alberta as nothing more than a resource colony.' Article content Independence dreams Article content Davies and Modry said both Alberta and Washington want tariff-free trade and would work toward an agreement if Alberta gains independence. When asked what they would do to promote free trade with the U.S., Davies pointed out that 'Alberta doesn't have free trade within Canada.' Article content Once independent, he sees Alberta pursuing its own economic trade agreements with the U.S, Japan, South Korea and other Western democracies, and engaging on their own terms to market and export Alberta's emerging industries: energy, mining, forestry and agriculture. Article content Article content This would be done 'without the interference from Ottawa,' he said, predicting success. Article content 'I would suggest that an independent Alberta would, in fact, have greater access to foreign markets, which is something that we've lacked.' Article content Davies also mentioned the market case for LNG, saying that Alberta would negotiate additional LNG terminals as an independent nation. If British Columbia pushes back, he added, 'then Alberta may have to look at going south of the border and accessing new LNG terminals that are being built every single year in the United States to get our energy to market.' Article content Still, few outside the separatist movement believe an independence referendum will succeed — and even if it did, secession would face additional barriers at the federal level — but holding a referendum still sends a strong signal to both Ottawa and Washington. Article content Article content Strengthening its hand Article content Whatever the outcome of a referendum — if one is held — Alberta may still emerge stronger, analysts suggest. Article content 'Alberta is well-positioned, no matter what happens, to be able to negotiate its future in Washington, D.C.,' said Tronnes. 'Alberta has a lot of things that America needs, particularly energy, but not just energy.' Article content Smith is now a well-known entity in the U.S. — Americans would be hard-pressed to name other provincial premiers, apart from Doug Ford — and Alberta has successfully raised its international street cred in recent years. Article content 'The province has made the strategic choice to ensure that it has allies and friends throughout Washington, D.C., on both sides of the aisle, to make sure that when we're in a moment like this, that there is a network of people it can call upon to speak about what Alberta brings to the table,' Tronnes noted.
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
'Fully in support': Some Alberta separatists try to rally support in the Trump White House
Article content U.S. support Article content In some ways, Alberta, with its resource-rich land and strong conservative, pro-oil and anti-regulatory leanings, seems perfectly aligned with Trump's drive to roll back efforts aimed at achieving net-zero emissions. Article content To help forge such an alliance, Modry's APP met with 'the highest echelons of the US administration' back in April, he said, noting that he's been asked not to divulge names. Before the talks, the APP created a document detailing the benefits of Alberta sovereignty to the U.S., outlining 'opportunities in which the U.S. administration could facilitate Alberta sovereignty.' Article content He refused to share details about those benefits, but Modry said they left the meeting 'very confident that the U.S. would be supportive of Alberta's sovereignty.' Article content When asked whether the U.S. is doing anything now to support their independence bid, Modry said the U.S. team asked what they could do. He stressed that the APP told the Americans it was not asking for anything in particular. Article content Article content No other meetings are planned between the APP and the U.S. administration, and the next talks would come only after the petition succeeds and before a referendum is held, Modry said. Article content Not all separatist leaders think such outreach is wise. Cameron Davies, the president of the Republican Party of Alberta, which has a memorandum of understanding with the Independence Party of Alberta — both organizations want Alberta to become a constitutional republic — said he has not been in touch with the White House and that any such contact would be 'improper' until after a vote. 'As a sovereign independent Alberta Republic,' he added, 'we would of course reach out to international leaders, seeking support and recognition.' Article content Some analysts are skeptical that the U.S. would really support or get involved with Alberta separatism. 'I really don't see a situation whereby the United States would interfere in another country's affairs like that,' said Andrew Hale, a senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. Article content Article content Trying to boost Albertan separatism might have the opposite effect, he added. 'I think it would backfire because everything President Trump has done so far with Canada has backfired.' Article content 'The bullying of Canada has actually increased Canadian unity,' Hale said, noting how bizarre it is to see Quebec separatists waving Canadian flags and rallying around Canadian unity. Article content Adrienne Davidson, assistant professor of political science at McMaster University, tends to agree, noting how Trump's tariffs have only worked 'to bolster a stronger sense of Canadian national identity' and 'national solidarity to push back against American bullishness.' Article content 'Albertans have been frustrated for a long time with Ottawa,' says Jamie Tronnes, executive director of the Center for North American Prosperity and Security, a project of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, 'and they feel that their voices aren't being heard.' Article content The list of complaints includes limited provincial powers, initial loss of control over natural resources, and perceived unequal treatment and representation. Article content While the true independence movement is 'a relatively recent manifestation of long-held grievances between Albertans and Ottawa,' said Davidson, 'the grievances that Alberta has with respect to the Canadian federation, with respect to Ottawa … those date back to the creation of Alberta (in 1905).' Article content Leaders within the movement say momentum has been building for at least five decades. Modry pointed to Alberta's boom in the 1970s and how the region was devastated by the National Energy Program of 1980 under Pierre Trudeau. 'People lost their homes, lost their businesses,' Modry said, citing efforts by Trudeau's energy minister, Marc Lalonde, to increase Ottawa's economic power at the expense of the provinces. Article content Article content 'So what we've recognized over decades now is that very thing: The structure of Canada, the way Confederation has been set up, makes it impossible for Alberta to have a meaningful voice,' Modry said. Article content Smith, meanwhile, is aware that the independence movement has been gaining steam. After Carney's election, she suggested she would support a citizen-led petition for a referendum. Article content 'I believe in Alberta sovereignty within a united Canada,' Smith said in April. Article content 'However, there is a citizen initiative referendum process that if citizens want to put a question on a ballot and get enough of their fellow citizens to sign that petition, then those questions will be put forward.' Article content Smith is 'walking a very fine line,' said Davidson, by putting 'wind into the sails of separation' with such talk and with her Alberta Next panel tour. Article content But Tronnes sees it another way. 'There needs to be an outlet for (Albertans') frustration,' she said. 'Given the growing demand for a referendum, blocking one could be very politically damaging for (Smith),' she added. Article content Article content Legal wrangling may continue, and the petition may be shot down. But Davies, for one, doesn't see this as a barrier. 'At any time,' he said, 'a referendum can be conducted, and so what we've been consistently calling for is the UCP to schedule a referendum on Alberta's independence. Article content 'They don't have to take a side, but they need to schedule a referendum. Stop wasting time.' Article content Polling predictions Article content Whether Alberta's independence movement gets a public nod from Trump in the future is anyone's guess — and it might hurt the movement, as Hale and Davidson suggested — but Davies and Modry remain confident that they are on the path towards an independent Alberta. Article content Polling suggests that a growing number of Albertans favour independence compared to 2021, but the numbers still fall well below a majority. Article content Modry said he's seen polling with numbers closer to 48 per cent in favour of independence, while Davies said he's seen fluctuations between 38 and 42 per cent. And while those numbers are still shy of the 'clear majority' stipulated in the Clarity Act for any province seeking secession, both are convinced that the campaign ahead of a referendum will get the numbers where they need to be. Article content If a referendum is called for next spring, Davies' Republicans would push Alberta to claw back power in all the areas that are constitutionally permissible. He said this should include control over immigration, taxation, and pensions. Article content 'And, at every step of the way, if Ottawa chooses to push back … I believe that (pro-independence) number that you see today would organically increase as Albertans begin to see that Ottawa views Alberta as nothing more than a resource colony.' Article content Independence dreams Article content Davies and Modry said both Alberta and Washington want tariff-free trade and would work toward an agreement if Alberta gains independence. When asked what they would do to promote free trade with the U.S., Davies pointed out that 'Alberta doesn't have free trade within Canada.' Article content Once independent, he sees Alberta pursuing its own economic trade agreements with the U.S, Japan, South Korea and other Western democracies, and engaging on their own terms to market and export Alberta's emerging industries: energy, mining, forestry and agriculture. Article content Article content This would be done 'without the interference from Ottawa,' he said, predicting success. Article content 'I would suggest that an independent Alberta would, in fact, have greater access to foreign markets, which is something that we've lacked.' Article content Davies also mentioned the market case for LNG, saying that Alberta would negotiate additional LNG terminals as an independent nation. If British Columbia pushes back, he added, 'then Alberta may have to look at going south of the border and accessing new LNG terminals that are being built every single year in the United States to get our energy to market.' Article content Still, few outside the separatist movement believe an independence referendum will succeed — and even if it did, secession would face additional barriers at the federal level — but holding a referendum still sends a strong signal to both Ottawa and Washington. Article content Article content Strengthening its hand Article content Whatever the outcome of a referendum — if one is held — Alberta may still emerge stronger, analysts suggest. Article content 'Alberta is well-positioned, no matter what happens, to be able to negotiate its future in Washington, D.C.,' said Tronnes. 'Alberta has a lot of things that America needs, particularly energy, but not just energy.' Article content Smith is now a well-known entity in the U.S. — Americans would be hard-pressed to name other provincial premiers, apart from Doug Ford — and Alberta has successfully raised its international street cred in recent years. Article content 'The province has made the strategic choice to ensure that it has allies and friends throughout Washington, D.C., on both sides of the aisle, to make sure that when we're in a moment like this, that there is a network of people it can call upon to speak about what Alberta brings to the table,' Tronnes noted.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'We have more in common with America than the rest of Canada'
The threat to Canada's sovereignty from US President Donald Trump has dominated the election campaign, but the country also faces a challenge from within. Some western Canadians, fed up with a decade of Liberal rule, are openly calling for separation. Standing in front of a crowd of about 100 squeezed into a small event hall in the city of Lethbridge, Dennis Modry is asking locals about Alberta's future. Who thinks Alberta should have a bigger role in Canada, he asks? A dozen or so raise their hands. Who thinks the province should push for a split from Canada and form its own nation? About half the crowd raise their hands. "How many people would like Alberta to join the US?" Another show of support from half the crowd. Mr Modry, a retired heart surgeon, is a co-leader of the Alberta Prosperity Project, a grassroots organisation pushing for an independence referendum. The possibility of a split has long been a talking point in this conservative-leaning province. But two factors have given it new momentum: Trump's comments about making Canada the 51st US state, and the subsequent boost that has given the Liberal Party in the polls ahead of Monday's federal election. Mr Modry told the BBC the separatist movement has grown in recent months - driven in part, he believes, by the president's rhetoric. "We're not interested in that", he said. "We're interested in Alberta sovereignty." Jeffrey Rath, however - a lawyer and rancher from Calgary who is another of the project's co-founders - was not as dismissive of Trump's 51st state suggestion. Although he agrees independence is the priority, he could see a future where Alberta joined with the US. "We have a lot more culturally in common with our neighbours to the south in Montana … (and) with our cousins in Texas, than we do anywhere else," he said. Previously on the political fringes, the possibility of a unity crisis is now being discussed out in the open. In an opinion piece for national newspaper the Globe and Mail, Preston Manning - an Albertan considered one of the founders of the modern conservative movement in Canada - warned "large numbers of Westerners simply will not stand for another four years of Liberal government, no matter who leads it". Accusing the party of mismanaging national affairs and ignoring the priorities of western Canadians, he added: "A vote for the Carney Liberals is a vote for Western secession – a vote for the breakup of Canada as we know it." This sense of "western alienation", a term used to describe the feeling that the region is often overlooked by politicians in Canada's capital, is nothing new. For decades, many in the oil and gas-rich prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskachtewan have bemoaned how they are underrepresented, despite the region's economic significance for the country as a whole. That resentment grew under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, which brought in environmental policies some Albertans view as a direct attack on the region's economic growth. National polls suggest the Liberals, now under the leadership of Mark Carney, could be headed for their fourth consecutive win come election day on Monday. That it could come in part because of a surge of support in Ontario and Quebec - the eastern provinces where so much of the population is concentrated - only adds to the regional divide. Judy Schneider, whose husband works in the oil industry in Calgary, told the BBC she would vote "yes" in an independence referendum. She said she didn't see Carney, who spent much of the last decade away from Canada but was raised in Edmonton, Alberta's capital, as a westerner. "He can come and say 'I'm from Alberta,' but is he?" Ms Schneider said. An independent Alberta remains an unlikely prospect - a recent Angus Reid poll suggested that only one in four Albertans would vote to leave Canada if a referendum were held now. A majority of Canadians, however, feel the issue should be taken seriously, a separate Nanos poll indicated. Political analysts say the divide will pose a challenge to the country's next prime minister, especially if Carney wins. And even a victory for Calgary-born Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre would "not solve the imbalance that presently exists between the East and the West," Mr Modry, the activist, said. That wider sentiment has pushed Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who leads the United Conservative Party, to strike her own path in trade talks with the US, while other provincial leaders and the federal government have co-ordinated their efforts closely. She even visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. In Canada, Smith has publicly warned of a "national unity crisis" if Alberta's demands - which centre around repealing Trudeau-era environmental laws to accelerate oil and gas production - are not met by the new prime minister within six months of the election. While Smith has dismissed talk of outright separation as "nonsense", critics have accused her of stoking the flames at such a consequential time for Canada's future. Even those within the separatist movement have different ideas on how best to achieve their goals. Lorna Guitton, a born-and-bred Albertan and a volunteer with the Alberta Prosperity Project, told the BBC in Lethbridge that her aim was for the province to have a better relationship with the rest of Canada. She described the current union as "broken", and believes a referendum, or the threat of it, will give Albertans "leverage" in future negotiations with Ottawa. But Ms Guitton also dismissed any notion of it becoming a 51st US state. "They've got enough of their own problems. Why would I want to be part of that?" she said. "I would rather be my own independent, sovereign province, or a province with a better deal in Canada." Patriotism surges in Quebec as Trump rattles Canada Who's who in Canada's federal election Canada's top candidates talk up fossil fuels as climate slips down agenda At his ranch outside of Calgary in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Mr Rath has a different view. As he tended to his race horses, he spoke of the political and social attitudes of free enterprise and small government that are shared by Albertans and many Americans. "From that perspective, I would see Alberta as being a good fit within the United States," he said. He is currently putting together a "fact-finding" delegation to travel to Washington DC and bring the movement directly to the Trump administration. Many voters in Alberta, however, dismiss the notion of independence altogether, even if they agree that the province has been overlooked. Steve Lachlan from Lethbridge agrees the West lacks representation in Ottawa but said: "We already have separation, and we need to come together." And the Liberals are not entirely shut out from the province. Polls suggest that Alberta may send more Liberal MPs to Ottawa than in 2021, partly due to changing demographics that led to the creation of new ridings in urban Edmonton and Calgary. James Forrester, who lives in the battleground Calgary Centre district, told the BBC he had traditionally voted Conservative but has leaned left in recent years. This time, he will vote Liberal because of the "Carney factor". "I feel he's the best guy to deal with Trump," he said. As for the separation sentiment: "I'm not worried about it." The Canadian Conservative trying to sweet talk Trump Canada's oil patch rattled by Trump's tariff threat Canada's top candidates talk up fossil fuels as climate slips down agenda Five takeaways from Canada party leaders' big TV debate
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'We have more in common with America than the rest of Canada'
The threat to Canada's sovereignty from US President Donald Trump has dominated the election campaign, but the country also faces a challenge from within. Some western Canadians, fed up with a decade of Liberal rule, are openly calling for separation. Standing in front of a crowd of about 100 squeezed into a small event hall in the city of Lethbridge, Dennis Modry is asking locals about Alberta's future. Who thinks Alberta should have a bigger role in Canada, he asks? A dozen or so raise their hands. Who thinks the province should push for a split from Canada and form its own nation? About half the crowd raise their hands. "How many people would like Alberta to join the US?" Another show of support from half the crowd. Mr Modry, a retired heart surgeon, is a co-leader of the Alberta Prosperity Project, a grassroots organisation pushing for an independence referendum. The possibility of a split has long been a talking point in this conservative-leaning province. But two factors have given it new momentum: Trump's comments about making Canada the 51st US state, and the subsequent boost that has given the Liberal Party in the polls ahead of Monday's federal election. Mr Modry told the BBC the separatist movement has grown in recent months - driven in part, he believes, by the president's rhetoric. "We're not interested in that", he said. "We're interested in Alberta sovereignty." Jeffrey Rath, however - a lawyer and rancher from Calgary who is another of the project's co-founders - was not as dismissive of Trump's 51st state suggestion. Although he agrees independence is the priority, he could see a future where Alberta joined with the US. "We have a lot more culturally in common with our neighbours to the south in Montana … (and) with our cousins in Texas, than we do anywhere else," he said. Previously on the political fringes, the possibility of a unity crisis is now being discussed out in the open. In an opinion piece for national newspaper the Globe and Mail, Preston Manning - an Albertan considered one of the founders of the modern conservative movement in Canada - warned "large numbers of Westerners simply will not stand for another four years of Liberal government, no matter who leads it". Accusing the party of mismanaging national affairs and ignoring the priorities of western Canadians, he added: "A vote for the Carney Liberals is a vote for Western secession – a vote for the breakup of Canada as we know it." This sense of "western alienation", a term used to describe the feeling that the region is often overlooked by politicians in Canada's capital, is nothing new. For decades, many in the oil and gas-rich prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskachtewan have bemoaned how they are underrepresented, despite the region's economic significance for the country as a whole. That resentment grew under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, which brought in environmental policies some Albertans view as a direct attack on the region's economic growth. National polls suggest the Liberals, now under the leadership of Mark Carney, could be headed for their fourth consecutive win come election day on Monday. That it could come in part because of a surge of support in Ontario and Quebec - the eastern provinces where so much of the population is concentrated - only adds to the regional divide. Judy Schneider, whose husband works in the oil industry in Calgary, told the BBC she would vote "yes" in an independence referendum. She said she didn't see Carney, who spent much of the last decade away from Canada but was raised in Edmonton, Alberta's capital, as a westerner. "He can come and say 'I'm from Alberta,' but is he?" Ms Schneider said. An independent Alberta remains an unlikely prospect - a recent Angus Reid poll suggested that only one in four Albertans would vote to leave Canada if a referendum were held now. A majority of Canadians, however, feel the issue should be taken seriously, a separate Nanos poll indicated. Political analysts say the divide will pose a challenge to the country's next prime minister, especially if Carney wins. And even a victory for Calgary-born Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre would "not solve the imbalance that presently exists between the East and the West," Mr Modry, the activist, said. That wider sentiment has pushed Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who leads the United Conservative Party, to strike her own path in trade talks with the US, while other provincial leaders and the federal government have co-ordinated their efforts closely. She even visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. In Canada, Smith has publicly warned of a "national unity crisis" if Alberta's demands - which centre around repealing Trudeau-era environmental laws to accelerate oil and gas production - are not met by the new prime minister within six months of the election. While Smith has dismissed talk of outright separation as "nonsense", critics have accused her of stoking the flames at such a consequential time for Canada's future. Even those within the separatist movement have different ideas on how best to achieve their goals. Lorna Guitton, a born-and-bred Albertan and a volunteer with the Alberta Prosperity Project, told the BBC in Lethbridge that her aim was for the province to have a better relationship with the rest of Canada. She described the current union as "broken", and believes a referendum, or the threat of it, will give Albertans "leverage" in future negotiations with Ottawa. But Ms Guitton also dismissed any notion of it becoming a 51st US state. "They've got enough of their own problems. Why would I want to be part of that?" she said. "I would rather be my own independent, sovereign province, or a province with a better deal in Canada." Patriotism surges in Quebec as Trump rattles Canada Who's who in Canada's federal election Canada's top candidates talk up fossil fuels as climate slips down agenda At his ranch outside of Calgary in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Mr Rath has a different view. As he tended to his race horses, he spoke of the political and social attitudes of free enterprise and small government that are shared by Albertans and many Americans. "From that perspective, I would see Alberta as being a good fit within the United States," he said. He is currently putting together a "fact-finding" delegation to travel to Washington DC and bring the movement directly to the Trump administration. Many voters in Alberta, however, dismiss the notion of independence altogether, even if they agree that the province has been overlooked. Steve Lachlan from Lethbridge agrees the West lacks representation in Ottawa but said: "We already have separation, and we need to come together." And the Liberals are not entirely shut out from the province. Polls suggest that Alberta may send more Liberal MPs to Ottawa than in 2021, partly due to changing demographics that led to the creation of new ridings in urban Edmonton and Calgary. James Forrester, who lives in the battleground Calgary Centre district, told the BBC he had traditionally voted Conservative but has leaned left in recent years. This time, he will vote Liberal because of the "Carney factor". "I feel he's the best guy to deal with Trump," he said. As for the separation sentiment: "I'm not worried about it." The Canadian Conservative trying to sweet talk Trump Canada's oil patch rattled by Trump's tariff threat Canada's top candidates talk up fossil fuels as climate slips down agenda Five takeaways from Canada party leaders' big TV debate
