Understanding Albertans

[DasFX]

I’ve been to Alberta once and I loved it. I came back to Toronto and immediately wanted to resettle in Calgary, but alas family ties have swayed me into settling here in the east GTA.

Before I went there, I had a very different opinion of Albertans; I thought they would all be rural type folk with redneck and narrow-minded views. This was not the case. Here in Ontario, we only hear of the extremist view in Alberta, however it would be safe to say that most Albertans are for the most part are no different from the people in other parts of the country. I did sense some Eastern resentment and/or alienation but nothing too extreme.

Over the past few decades Alberta has evolved into a thriving province and become quite the power in Canada. Much of this is due to their luck in having an abundant amount of a non-renewable resource. However, a lot has to do with the hard working nature of the people that live there.

What I don’t get is the arrogance of the Albertan politicians. Yes, Alberta is now probably the strongest province economically in the federation, however it wasn’t always. Alberta used to be a have not province with a much smaller economy. During those times it was Ontario and Quebec who helped support it. Much of the new population that Alberta has is from Eastern Canadians who moved out there during the oil boom, so to insult and turn your backs on the other provinces is just unfair.

Economics is based on cycles, so you can be sure that the wealth and power that Alberta enjoys today in relationship to the other provinces will not always exist. Look how power has slowly shifted from East to West in this country. The Maritimes used to be the centre of our nation with Halifax being our most important city. Then it shifted to Montréal, which was the hub of the nation for many decades until it shifted to Toronto. Then we saw a shift westward to Vancouver and now Calgary and Edmonton are our up and coming centres.

By relying on such a volatile industry like oil and gas, I suspect that the balance of economic power will shift once again.

So to Albertan extremist: Yes, Alberta is doing great today and will for the foreseeable future, but one day it may not. Canada is supposed to be a family. We should support each other. If one member is doing well, it should help the other. I do not think regular Albertans are as selfish as their politicians portray them as.

 

[missile]

I agree with what you say. I have a lot of relatives living out in Alberta

 

[missile]

My brother-in-law was just at the door[an Albertan] and waws commenting on how nice and warm it was here. living out there has cetainly toughened him up

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Understanding Alberta

The whole arrogant politican thing probably stems from the fact that the party in power..well..they seem to stay there FOREVER. You rarely get an extreme political shift in Alberta.

Edmonton votes Liberal or NDP. Calgary and the rest of Alberta for the most part vote conservative, give or take the odd riding.

So if you have the same party in power for the better part of 30 years...it tends to breed arrogance. A conservative member more or less stays there over and over unless they retire. They seldom get voted out. Ralph Klein has been in power since the early 90's.

 

[Said1]

Re: RE: Understanding Alberta

The whole arrogant politican thing probably stems from the fact that the party in power..well..they seem to stay there FOREVER. You rarely get an extreme political shift in Alberta.

Edmonton votes Liberal or NDP. Calgary and the rest of Alberta for the most part vote conservative, give or take the odd riding.

So if you have the same party in power for the better part of 30 years...it tends to breed arrogance. A conservative member more or less stays there over and over unless they retire. They seldom get voted out. Ralph Klein has been in power since the early 90's.

early 90's, his reign began in the early 80's as mayor.

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Understanding Alberta

I will probably die...and my great-grandkids will grow old and die before there is ever a non conservative government in Alberta.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Understanding Alberta

I wouldn't bet on that, Semperfi. Generally as populations grow and become more diverse, they shift left on the political spectrum. It's one of the realities of shifting demographics.

What you are likely to see in Alberta is the cities beginning toward the Liberals and NDP in the cities and the Conservatives remaining popular in the rural areas.

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Understanding Alberta

But Reverand..trust me...maybe change happens in other provinces...but not in Alberta. Name one Liberal or even remotely close to Liberal government in the last 100 years.

Seriously...the type of conservative party might change (ie/ Social Credit to PC) but the stripe stays the same.

The only potentially close thing that might disrupt that political structure is vote splitting. Conservatives who vote for the seperatist or Socred party added to the voter who would vote Liberal or NDP anyways, and add an influx of the easterner coming here for a job that would not vote PC..and than it becomes a challenge.

But not anytime soon.

 

[Reverend Blair]

They've lost votes the last two elections at least though, Semperfi. I'm not saying that it will be happen immediately or that Alberta will elect the NDP in the next provincial election, just that the Conservative vote will erode over time and things will slowly change.

It happened in Rome, it happened in Greece, it happened all over Europe, it happened in the US, and it's happened in the rest of Canada.

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Understanding Alberta

I can only pray rev!! Ha ha. Seriously, even thinking of voting anything but conservative or conservative like gets you lynched. Hahahah.

But for the most part, even if the PC party falls, there will be a clone that steps up in its place. Like a Reform or Socred or god knows what else. Ist choice...PC..second choice...faux pc.

 

[Roy]

DASFX, i think you hit the nail on the head. Albertans are not a bunch of rednecks we are the same as the rest of Canada.

Although I do have to disagree with the changing demographic and the statement that Edmonton is liberal and NDP. Federally Edmonton is overwhelmingly conservative withonly 2 of its seats liberal, which were each won by 130 and 700 votes respectivey..a real squeaker.

Now on the issue of changing demographics, Albertas growth is attributed mainly to interprovincial migration, so it is Canadians that flock here, not immigrants. Although I believe there is something like 17,000 immigrants moving here each year. Ususally Canadians are less succeptable to vote for one single party which is why you have not seen the liberal shift as has been seen in ontario.

 

[Roy]

It is an interesting subject though, and I would like to make a prediction if I may. The Torys will sweep Alberta 28 seats in the next election. The 2 liberals Anne Mclellan and David Kilgour will loose their ridings seeing as how they were just barely voted in last time. Actaully Kilgour is not running in this next election so I think that liberal seat will be gone.
In terms of the NDP I don't know if they will gain more support or not, but they will not win any seats in Alberta.

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Understanding Alberta

Edmonton is not overwhelmingly conservative. Federally, almost all of the Cons got by without overwhelming margins. Provincially and on a municipal level, it is very much Liberal/NDP.

For a while there provincially, the shift moved to conservative hoping to get more along the lines of what Calgary gets..but we got the shaft over and over again and so we said, screw that and went back to Liberal/NDP...the conservatives lost every seat (or close to) in the last provinical election.

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Understanding Alberta

But i agree with your asessment roy on the federal election.

NDP will definately not win with their increase oil tariffs to remove the softwood lumber dispute stance. (among others).

I live in Annes riding and i really don't know if she will win again. She might and at most there might be a surprise liberal win somewhere else.

 

[Roy]

Edmonton is not overwhelmingly conservative. Federally, almost all of the Cons got by without overwhelming margins. Provincially and on a municipal level, it is very much Liberal/NDP.

Other then the 2 liberal seats (Mclellan 700 votes), and (kilgour 130 votes), the rest of the seats were won by the conservatives quite easily. The closes win was the Strathcona Country riding but the conservatives still won it by around 5000 votes.

You also have to take into consideration that there is alot of dissapointment and anger towards the Liberals in Alberta, which is why I will make the prediction of the the 28 seat sweep. But how about a little wager Semperfi_dani. :wink:

 

[Reverend Blair]

Now on the issue of changing demographics, Albertas growth is attributed mainly to interprovincial migration, so it is Canadians that flock here, not immigrants.

So? The rest of the country alternates between NDP/Liberal governments and Conservative governments. Canadians don't move to Alberta and decide to vote for Ralph and Stevie.

I can only pray rev!! Ha ha. Seriously, even thinking of voting anything but conservative or conservative like gets you lynched. Hahahah.

I know somebody who runs for the NDP in rural Alberta. Not only didn't she get lynched last time around, but she increased the vote share in her riding.

I'm not going to claim that she'll ever get elected, although she's young enough that she might be able to hang around that long, but the change is happening.

 

[Roy]

So what are your 28 seat Alberta predictions for the 2006 election guys?

 

[Calberty]

I'll predict 27 Conservatives. Landslide Annie 'might' sneak through and hold a seat for the Liberals.
The Liberals have no chance of increasing their votes but chance falling even further off the radar in most of the province. The NDP has no hope of coming better than 3rd in any seat and will be lucky to keep ahead of the Greens anywhere but Edmonton. They'll lose out even greater margins this time to the Greens in some Calgary ridings, Macleod, than last time.

The only potential break in Conservative strength is after this election. 'If' the electorate is split even more so than last time with Ontario ruling the country, then a strong and credible independence party will emerge to compete with the Conservatives. The same base as the Reform Party but the slogan won't be 'the West wants in' but 'Alberta wants out'.

 

[Roy]

The only potential break in Conservative strength is after this election. 'If' the electorate is split even more so than last time with Ontario ruling the country, then a strong and credible independence party will emerge to compete with the Conservatives. The same base as the Reform Party but the slogan won't be 'the West wants in' but 'Alberta wants out'.

that sucks I thinks i needs to go buy some duct tape to keep this country together. damn why do the fed libs keep touching the tape and getting hairs and fingerprints on it...do they know it will make it less sticky.

lol...nah Alberta is safe, its those quebecers that we need to worry bout. After all we have given them, well if they leave they should leave with the little narrow strip of land they came inwith, the rest is Canada.

 

[Calberty]

Alberta won't leave (unless there was another NEP or similar bozo move). An independence party here could be like the PQ in Quebec and win the legislature but not a referendum. I'd guess about 30% vote for independence at this time.

The question is more one of a firewall being put up around the province. Basically to ignore the feds and move ahead in those areas of provincial jurisdiction the feds use the money purse to control.