They're right. It is dangerous. It encompasses all races, genders, political stripes and ages.
Alberta GTFO?
- Thread starter Serryah
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Geoff Russ: Alberta separatists can't be ignored if Canada is to survive — National Post
Ottawa needs to get out of the way
It’s not just Alberta flirting with western separatism now: Full Comment podcast — National Post
An electronic billboard ad calling for an independent Alberta is seen in Edmonton in 2019. Torn at for nine years by the divisive Trudeau Liberals, Canadian unity is seriously frayed, with Alberta now preparing for a possible secession referendum. In this episode, Brian Lilley talks with Reform...
Terry Newman: Mark Carney won on phoney values. They won't fix Canada — National Post
Carney's success hinged on an actual, foolish, and unhumble Canadian value — our deep-seated belief that we are somehow better than Americans, partially due to their ambitious natures
Indigenous self-government in Yukon holds lessons for all of Canada
Few know the story of Yukon’s journey toward self-government. But if Canada is serious about reconciliation, it should take notes on the process.
policyoptions.irpp.org
Sohi is clueless just like the rest of them. They don't LISTEN to what's being said. They're just putting their own spin on what wasn't said instead so that people become more afraid. It's disgusting but it works, unfortunately.Calgary, Edmonton mayors call potential separatism referendum ’dangerous’
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Matthew Scace
Published May 10, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
CALGARY — Alberta’s two big-city mayors say a separation referendum would be “devastating” to their local economies and is a needless distraction during a period in which the country should be focused on unity.
“It is very dangerous talk,” Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “It is dangerous talk for our economy. It’s dangerous talk for our social cohesion. It’s going to tear apart communities.”
Discontent in Western Canada has picked up renewed traction with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals winning a mandate in the recent election and a new bill from Premier Danielle Smith’s government that would make it easier to bring citizen-led questions to a referendum.
The bill would lower the number of signatures needed for a citizen-led referendum on a constitutional question to 177,000 signatures from more than 600,000. It would also extend the time frame allowed for those signatures to be collected to 120 days from 90.
The Supreme Court of Canada has dictated that a province cannot unilaterally separate from the country. A vote to sever ties would send the province and federal government into negotiations over a litany of issues ranging from First Nation treaties to ownership of federal land such as national parks. While Smith has deferred to legal scholars on those questions, constitutional experts have said there is no road map for separation negotiations.
Critics have charged Smith with stoking the embers of separatism during a period in which Canada’s relationship with its closest ally has frayed under U.S. President Donald Trump. Smith, meanwhile, has said the government has been targeting those changes for a long time because it felt the previous bar for signatures was impossibly high.
Earlier this week, Smith told CTV that she doesn’t want to see the separatism movement splinter into a mainstream party like the Bloc Quebecois or Parti Quebecois in Quebec. “If there isn’t an outlet (for frustration) it creates a new party,” she said.
Sohi, who unsuccessfully ran for the Liberals in the federal election and is not running for re-election in Edmonton this fall, said having a referendum on the question of separation would cause “full flight of investment from our communities.”
“I am already hearing from business community members here in Edmonton that are deeply concerned about this question,” Sohi said. “If there were to be a referendum, it will definitely cause full flight of investment from our communities.”
Alberta Municipalities, Rural Municipalities of Alberta, and the Business Council of Alberta declined to comment.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said in an interview that lowering the threshold to bring forward a referendum is a distraction during a time when Canada needs to strengthen its economy.
“It creates uncertainty. It creates lack of confidence from investors,” Gondek said. “It’s a dangerous game to play at a time that we should be looking out for ourselves.”
She added that Calgary and other Alberta municipalities have butted heads with the province on many occasions, but they have never considered leaving. Calgary and the provincial government have sparred in recent years over numerous issues, including the fate of the billion-dollar Green Line transit project and a bill granting the province greater control over funding deals between the city and federal government.
“Municipalities in this province have been through a lot. We have been surprised by legislation that has stripped us of abilities to do our job. But not once have you seen a municipality say, ‘I wish to remove myself from the province. I wish to be an independent entity.’ We don’t do that because we know it’s not sustainable,” Gondek said.
“So how on Earth can this province think it’s a good idea to separate from the rest of Canada?”
Calgary, Edmonton mayors call potential separatism referendum ’dangerous’
Alberta's two big-city mayors say a separation referendum would be "devastating" to their local economies and is a needless distraction.torontosun.com
Sorry ‘bout the length (48 minutes), & I haven’t even listened to it myself yet, but it’s the full podcast mentioned above a couple of posts.
Albert introducing Bill 54 Tuesday, & here’s CBC’s take on this (that I also haven’t watched yet):
(YouTube & How realistic is an Alberta separation? | Hanomansing Tonight)
Rookie Liberal MP Corey Hogan fully accepts that the Liberals have a long way to go to build up credibility in Alberta, after failing to grow their seat count in the province.
He adds that one silver lining is that Ottawa-Alberta relations have nowhere to go but up from their dismal state under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
“Anybody who’s ever worked at a job where the boss has changed, can see that sometimes what happened was largely driven by the former boss,” said Hogan.
Hogan said that he’s interested to see how Alberta and the other western provinces are represented in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first post-election cabinet, set to be announced Tuesday.
apple.news
He adds that one silver lining is that Ottawa-Alberta relations have nowhere to go but up from their dismal state under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
“Anybody who’s ever worked at a job where the boss has changed, can see that sometimes what happened was largely driven by the former boss,” said Hogan.
Hogan said that he’s interested to see how Alberta and the other western provinces are represented in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first post-election cabinet, set to be announced Tuesday.
'The boss has changed': Rookie Calgary Liberal MP says he's ready to fight for Alberta's place in Canada — National Post
Corey Hogan said a silver lining is that Ottawa-Alberta relations have nowhere to go but up after Trudeau
Alberta separatist group releases proposed referendum question, plans to push for vote this year
Once the group reaches its petition goal, they plan to push Premier Smith to hold the referendum this year
Author of the article
evika Desai
Published May 12, 2025 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 3 minute read
Jeff Rath with the Alberta Prosperity Project speaks during a press conference at Hotel Arts in Calgary on Monday, May 12, 2025. The organization’s draft of a referendum question for Alberta independence was released at the event.
Jeff Rath with the Alberta Prosperity Project speaks during a press conference at Hotel Arts in Calgary on Monday, May 12, 2025. The organization’s draft of a referendum question for Alberta independence was released at the event. Gavin Young/Postmedia
An Alberta separatist group has released a proposed referendum question on sovereignty from Canada, saying they will push the premier for a vote as soon as this year.
That is, if they can garner support from enough provincial residents.
During a news conference Monday, Jeffrey Rath — a lawyer with the Alberta Prosperity Project — pulled a blue provincial flag off an easel, revealing the question printed in large font: “Do you agree that the province shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province of Canada?”
“It’s not a wishy-washy question like what they had in Quebec,” Rath said, referring to a similar separatism referendum held in 1995 that very nearly saw the French-Canadian province separate from the country.
The question of Alberta separatism returned to the forefront of social debate after Premier Danielle Smith tabled legislation in late April to reduce the threshold for a petition to trigger a referendum.
If passed, the legislation would significantly reduce the number of signatures required and extend the time period for signatures to be collected.
Since the federal election, the APP has seen thousands of people join, according to CEO Mitch Sylvestre. He said the party has received 220,000 pledges, leaving only 177,000 remaining to meet the required number of registered supporters.
“But our goal is to get to 600,000 pledges — to not just get the referendum but to win the referendum,” he said.
Starting Monday with an event at the Astoria Hall, the group plans to hold 50 town halls across the province as part of an Alberta-wide “educational campaign on the rationale and merit of Alberta sovereignty,” Rath said.
“We intend to knock on every door at least twice,” he added, saying that if the group were to “educate” Albertans on the real issues, the province would vote for independence.
The group, which also included Dennis Modry, former heart surgeon and group chair, and former Conservative MP LaVar Payne, painted a vision of Alberta as an independent nation with no regulations from Ottawa, no obligations to eastern Ottawa, lower provincial taxes and zero federal taxes.
Residents of an independent Alberta would see oil and gas development double within five years, a free-market free-trade agreement with the United States, and a flat 10 per cent income and corporate tax, while being able to keep their Canadian passports and Canada Pension Plan entitlements.
“We’d be the lowest tax regime in North America,” Rath said. “Who wouldn’t want to locate their corporate headquarters in Edmonton or Calgary with a flat 10 per cent corporate tax rate and a flat 10 per cent income tax rate? We think we have a robust economic message to sell.”
Dennis Modry and LaVar Payne
Dennis Modry and LaVar Payne with the Alberta Prosperity Project take part in a press conference at Hotel Arts in Calgary on Monday, May 12, 2025. The organization’s draft of a referendum question for Alberta independence was released at the event. Gavin Young/Postmedia
Once the group reaches its petition goal, they plan to push Smith to hold the referendum this year.
Sylvestre said the premier told him in a call last week that she plans to give Ottawa six months before holding a referendum.
“She says she owes it to Alberta to give it six months and, after that, if she doesn’t come over to our side, then there’s going to be a problem,” he said, adding that if she decides against the referendum vote, she would be acting contrarily to the desires of her electoral base.
The premier has reiterated in previous news conferences that while she would support the outcome of a separatism referendum vote, it does not mean she’s in favour of Alberta leaving Canada.
Since the federal election, Smith has made a number of demands of Prime Minister Mark Carney, ranging from dropping federal energy and climate policies, and changing the federal transfer system within the next six months so Alberta gets more money from Ottawa.
But Albertans won’t be moved by “whatever little box of chocolates Mark Carney can bring to the table,” Rath said, and can decide which is more valuable for them — that or a country without federal regulation or federal taxes.
“They can decide what is more valuable to them.”
DDesai@postmedia.com
![alberta-politics-041225-gya-7-copy[1].jpg](https://forums.canadiancontent.net/data/attachments/27/27405-e6043448218201da918c090a6c801a70.jpg "alberta-politics-041225-gya-7-copy[1].jpg")
torontosun.com
Once the group reaches its petition goal, they plan to push Premier Smith to hold the referendum this year
Author of the article
evika DesaiPublished May 12, 2025 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 3 minute read
Jeff Rath with the Alberta Prosperity Project speaks during a press conference at Hotel Arts in Calgary on Monday, May 12, 2025. The organization’s draft of a referendum question for Alberta independence was released at the event.
Jeff Rath with the Alberta Prosperity Project speaks during a press conference at Hotel Arts in Calgary on Monday, May 12, 2025. The organization’s draft of a referendum question for Alberta independence was released at the event. Gavin Young/Postmedia
An Alberta separatist group has released a proposed referendum question on sovereignty from Canada, saying they will push the premier for a vote as soon as this year.
That is, if they can garner support from enough provincial residents.
During a news conference Monday, Jeffrey Rath — a lawyer with the Alberta Prosperity Project — pulled a blue provincial flag off an easel, revealing the question printed in large font: “Do you agree that the province shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province of Canada?”
“It’s not a wishy-washy question like what they had in Quebec,” Rath said, referring to a similar separatism referendum held in 1995 that very nearly saw the French-Canadian province separate from the country.
The question of Alberta separatism returned to the forefront of social debate after Premier Danielle Smith tabled legislation in late April to reduce the threshold for a petition to trigger a referendum.
If passed, the legislation would significantly reduce the number of signatures required and extend the time period for signatures to be collected.
Since the federal election, the APP has seen thousands of people join, according to CEO Mitch Sylvestre. He said the party has received 220,000 pledges, leaving only 177,000 remaining to meet the required number of registered supporters.
“But our goal is to get to 600,000 pledges — to not just get the referendum but to win the referendum,” he said.
Starting Monday with an event at the Astoria Hall, the group plans to hold 50 town halls across the province as part of an Alberta-wide “educational campaign on the rationale and merit of Alberta sovereignty,” Rath said.
“We intend to knock on every door at least twice,” he added, saying that if the group were to “educate” Albertans on the real issues, the province would vote for independence.
The group, which also included Dennis Modry, former heart surgeon and group chair, and former Conservative MP LaVar Payne, painted a vision of Alberta as an independent nation with no regulations from Ottawa, no obligations to eastern Ottawa, lower provincial taxes and zero federal taxes.
Residents of an independent Alberta would see oil and gas development double within five years, a free-market free-trade agreement with the United States, and a flat 10 per cent income and corporate tax, while being able to keep their Canadian passports and Canada Pension Plan entitlements.
“We’d be the lowest tax regime in North America,” Rath said. “Who wouldn’t want to locate their corporate headquarters in Edmonton or Calgary with a flat 10 per cent corporate tax rate and a flat 10 per cent income tax rate? We think we have a robust economic message to sell.”
Dennis Modry and LaVar Payne
Dennis Modry and LaVar Payne with the Alberta Prosperity Project take part in a press conference at Hotel Arts in Calgary on Monday, May 12, 2025. The organization’s draft of a referendum question for Alberta independence was released at the event. Gavin Young/Postmedia
Once the group reaches its petition goal, they plan to push Smith to hold the referendum this year.
Sylvestre said the premier told him in a call last week that she plans to give Ottawa six months before holding a referendum.
“She says she owes it to Alberta to give it six months and, after that, if she doesn’t come over to our side, then there’s going to be a problem,” he said, adding that if she decides against the referendum vote, she would be acting contrarily to the desires of her electoral base.
The premier has reiterated in previous news conferences that while she would support the outcome of a separatism referendum vote, it does not mean she’s in favour of Alberta leaving Canada.
Since the federal election, Smith has made a number of demands of Prime Minister Mark Carney, ranging from dropping federal energy and climate policies, and changing the federal transfer system within the next six months so Alberta gets more money from Ottawa.
But Albertans won’t be moved by “whatever little box of chocolates Mark Carney can bring to the table,” Rath said, and can decide which is more valuable for them — that or a country without federal regulation or federal taxes.
“They can decide what is more valuable to them.”
DDesai@postmedia.com
Alberta separatist group releases proposed referendum question, plans to push for vote this year
An Alberta separatist group has released a proposed referendum question on sovereignty from Canada.