Alberta Secession

[240B]

Alberta separation talk already affecting more than a quarter of surveyed Calgary businesses

CBC News
Joel Dryden
Mar 09, 2026

Ongoing discourse around the prospect of Alberta separation is emerging as a top concern for Calgary businesses, half of whom say the debate is already impacting the local economy, a new Calgary Chamber of Commerce survey suggests.

In a survey the chamber released Monday, 28 per cent of respondents said talk about Alberta’s separation from Canada was affecting their business, and 88 per cent of them said the impact was negative.

Fifty-one per cent said separation talk was impacting the provincial economy. Of those, 93 per cent said the impact was negative.

When respondents ranked a set of issues facing businesses by importance, 53 per cent put “Alberta separation” at the top of the list, ahead of securing a tariff-free deal with the United States or building new pipeline capacity.

(more)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/deborah-yedlin-calgary-rene-levesque-nancy-southern-9.7121058

[catfish1957]

Can you imagine the state of the Canadian economy if they lose the 3 mid continent oil laden provinces? (Calgary, Manitoba, and Sask.)

 

[ScottinVA]

In a perfect world, we would be able to trade Minnesota for Alberta straight up.

[Free Vulcan]

In a perfect world, we would be able to trade Minnesota for Alberta straight up.

I'd just go for the Twin Cities. In fact, just deport all the Somalis there.

The rest of MN like most non-urban areas of the Blue states is bright red.

[240B]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LiCuWV2D9g

Alberta Secession

[Cyber Liberty]

 

[Wingnut]

CAn we trade Albert for Miniesota.  They are about the same size and shape.  We could just swap the two.  Or transport one for the other like that Twilight Episode where the aliens took a whole town to their planet.

[Fishrrman]

Isn't Quebec scheduled to vote on secession before Alberta?

Party Quebequois (sp?) came pretty close the last time. They may do even better this time.

[Cyber Liberty]

Isn't Quebec scheduled to vote on secession before Alberta?

Party Quebequois (sp?) came pretty close the last time. They may do even better this time.

Who would want Quebec?

[Wingnut]

Who would want Quebec?

Aren't they pee soup eating French speaking Canadians?

[MeganC]

Who would want Quebec?

Old joke:

The USA won the War of 1812. Despite the British and Canadians sacking and burning numerous American cities, when the end of the war came they had to keep Quebec.

[mountaineer]

Stuff like this is why some Canadians want a split:

[Fishrrman]

From reply 7 above:
"I mourn the multicultural mosaic we used to be"

Right there, this woman has shown exactly why she DESERVES everything she (and Canada) is now getting...

Sorry if you don't care for this reply...

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I'd say no longer an 'if' but a 'when'.

Alberta will need access to US pipelines and ports to transport the massive amounts of oil it produces once out from Ottawa's yoke.

And I wish ATB Financial was publicly traded as it may swell in size exponentially with all the cash coming into it.
The largest government-owned Canadian bank might compete with the largest publicly-traded banks in Canada.

[roamer_1]

I'd say no longer an 'if' but a 'when'.

Alberta will need access to US pipelines and ports to transport the massive amounts of oil it produces once out from Ottawa's yoke.

You know that means Saskatchewan and probably Manitoba too... 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

You know that means Saskatchewan and probably Manitoba too... 

Yep.

Same with neighboring states(not New Mexico) once Texas says it has had enough.

[Hoodat]

https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2053799781957255341

[mountaineer]

I'd prefer Alberta to Venezuela as our 51st state, that's for sure.

[Wingnut]

The only 51 state will be if one of the current 50 splits off, or when the dems get back in power and let DC or PR come on in.

[Hoodat]

I'd prefer Alberta to Venezuela as our 51st state, that's for sure.

I prefer South Alberta as our 51st state, with Middle Alberta and North Alberta filling out 52 and 53.

[MeganC]

I'd prefer Alberta to Venezuela as our 51st state, that's for sure.

Trump is joking about Venezuela. Alberta OTOH would be contiguous and an easy fit for being part of the USA.

[rustynail]

The Canadians are born and raised Socialists would they be inclined to vote democrat?

[libertybele]

https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2053799781957255341

I'm thinking those in Alberta are fed up and they will likely vote to secede. As for them becoming a state or territory of the U.S. -- welcome!

[corbe]

[roamer_1]

You know... Poutine becomes way more viable if I don't have to cross an international border to go get some... 

[Cyber Liberty]

You know... Poutine becomes way more viable if I don't have to cross an international border to go get some... 

 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I prefer South Alberta as our 51st state, with Middle Alberta and North Alberta filling out 52 and 53.

Why not just ask Texas to exercise its right to split into 5 states?

Would be a better result.

[Smokin Joe]

The Canadians are born and raised Socialists would they be inclined to vote democrat?

Alberta is the Texas of Canada. They'd opt for being able to continue extracting oil and other minerals. That alone would have them lean Republican.
Health care is a wild card.
Guns might be the issue that would push them in the Right direction.
(Not to mention buying gasoline by the gallon instead of the liter.)

[Smokin Joe]

Why not just ask Texas to exercise its right to split into 5 states?

Would be a better result.

Well, if you split Alaska down the middle, Texas would be the third largest state, and at least one part of Alaska would lean real GOP.

[jafo2010]

Frankly, I do not want a 51st state of anything.  Not the PR, Washington, DC, nor Alberta.  Canadians think very different than we do.  I do not see them becoming part of the USA.  I spent a year there working, and every girl that was chasing me was only interested if I came and moved there to live in Canada.  Glad I did not make that mistake.  Made others, but not that one!

[roamer_1]

Frankly, I do not want a 51st state of anything.  Not the PR, Washington, DC, nor Alberta.  Canadians think very different than we do.  I do not see them becoming part of the USA.  I spent a year there working, and every girl that was chasing me was only interested if I came and moved there to live in Canada.  Glad I did not make that mistake.  Made others, but not that one!

That ain't right, exactly. All of Canada ain't the same as Ottowa. Alberta, Saskatchewan, and inland BC are all Western AF, love freedom, love guns, pro-industry, pro-family, pro-God, pro-farmer/cattleman... You can cross the Alberta line, and other than gas prices going metric and Timmy Horton's on every street corner instead of Starbucks, you'd never know the difference. Omitting Vancouver, and other than hockey, Western CA folks are salt of the earth.

[The_Reader_David]

Alberta is culturally more like Wyoming or Texas than it is like Ontario or Quebec.  Politics is downstream from culture (as the Left knows, but precious few on the Right seem to get).  That and the oil-extraction base of their economy would make them a fairly reliable GOP state were they to leave Canada and join the Union (at least as long as the 'Rats insist on vilifying fossil fuels as part of using "climate change" as an excuse for a state take over of the energy economy).

I think they're the only Canadian province I'd really like to see join the Union.  Maybe Saskatchewan or the Yukon.  Manitoba leans too far left (think of it as Minnnesota North), Ontario, Quebec (who wouldn't want to join anyway), BC and the Maritimes are even worse..

[Cyber Liberty]

Alberta is culturally more like Wyoming or Texas than it is like Ontario or Quebec.  Politics is downstream from culture (as the Left knows, but precious few on the Right seem to get).  That and the oil-extraction base of their economy would make them a fairly reliable GOP state were they to leave Canada and join the Union (at least as long as the 'Rats insist on vilifying fossil fuels as part of using "climate change" as an excuse for a state take over of the energy economy).

I think they're the only Canadian province I'd really like to see join the Union.  Maybe Saskatchewan or the Yukon.  Manitoba leans too far left (think of it as Minnnesota North), Ontario, Quebec (who wouldn't want to join anyway), BC and the Maritimes are even worse..

I'm good with Saskatchewan if they want to join the Union....

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Well, if you split Alaska down the middle, Texas would be the third largest state, and at least one part of Alaska would lean real GOP.

But Texas can do it unilaterally without Congress.  Alaska cannot do that.

[rustynail]

No, Canada!
It turns out that they have liberal activist government north of the border, as well. From the CBC,

Future of Alberta separation petition unclear as judge rules in favour of First Nations’ challenge.

The Alberta independence referendum was all set for a fall election until a judge decided that local native tribes hold a veto over everything that the province wants to do.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/05/no-canada-2.php

[240B]

Judge overturns Elections Alberta’s approval of separation referendum petition

CBC News
Michelle Bellefontaine
May 13, 2026

The Alberta government says it plans to appeal a decision by an Alberta Court of King’s Bench justice that has quashed the approval of a petition seeking a referendum on Alberta independence.

The judge's decision puts the future of Stay Free Alberta's independence petition, which the separatist group said has garnered more than 300,000 names, in question.

In two decisions issued Wednesday, Justice Shaina Leonard found that Elections Alberta's chief electoral officer Gordon McClure made an error in law to approve the second citizen initiative petition and failed to consider an earlier court decision that said separation would violate Indigenous people's treaty rights.

Leonard's conclusion says there was an error of law, "rendering the [chief electoral officer]'s decision unreasonable."

At an unrelated news conference, Premier Danielle Smith spoke about her government's plans to appeal Leonard's decision.

"We think that today's decision by the court will deny opportunity to well over 300,000 Albertans to have their petition verified by Elections Alberta," Smith said Wednesday afternoon.

"We think that this decision is incorrect in law and anti-democratic, and we will be appealing it as a result.

"Our cabinet and caucus will, of course, be meeting in the next couple of days to discuss the full context and make some decisions after we've had a chance to talk it through."

(more)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/judge-quashes-decision-to-approve-separation-petition-9.7198553

[libertybele]

 

[Smokin Joe]

No, Canada!
It turns out that they have liberal activist government north of the border, as well. From the CBC,

Future of Alberta separation petition unclear as judge rules in favour of First Nations’ challenge.

The Alberta independence referendum was all set for a fall election until a judge decided that local native tribes hold a veto over everything that the province wants to do.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/05/no-canada-2.php

It's far cheaper to make some promises to a few first nations folks than it is to take a chance on Alberta deciding to split and having to actually treat the province fairly. After all, such agreements promoted the widespread use of paper for personal hygiene amongst the tribes.

[dfwgator]

You knew this was coming.

[The_Reader_David]

The separatists should remove the basis for the First Nations objection by pointing out that as a successor state to the united Canada, and independent Alberta would inherit the treaty obligations even as the rump Canada minus Alberta would.

[240B]

Can a province just decide to leave Canada? Here's what the law says

CBC News
Darren Major
May 23, 2026

With the possibility of two separation referendums on the horizon, Canadians could be forgiven for wondering what would happen if voters in one province or another decide they no longer want to be a part of Canada.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has pledged that her province would hold a referendum in the fall essentially asking if voters want a second binding referendum on separation at a later date.

In Quebec, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon — who could be premier after October's election — has promised a secession referendum in his province during a first mandate.

While polls suggest the secessionist vote wouldn't prevail in either Alberta or Quebec, the process by which a province could withdraw from Canada was laid out in federal law nearly three decades ago.

Here's a breakdown of what the Supreme Court has ruled, and what is laid out in the Clarity Act.

Clear question, clear majority

Both the Supreme Court's ruling and the act state that a province could negotiate terms of separation if voters were presented with a "clear question" on separation and a "clear majority" votes in favour of leaving Canada

But both the court and the act say a province can't just leave on its own. Rather, the provincial and federal governments would have to negotiate with the province that's trying to leave.

"The Clarity Act is the reflection of the Supreme Court reference. In 1998, the court said that a province of Canada cannot secede unilaterally," former MP Stéphane Dion, who drafted the Clarity Act, told CBC News in an interview.

(more)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/can-a-province-seperate-from-canada-9.7209415

[Cyber Liberty]

It was fun to think about, while it lasted.  What's a "clear majority" if it's not 50% +1?  60%?  75%?  It's meaningless if the National Government decides to sweep it away by simply refusing to "negotiate!"

[rustynail]

Could they shoot their way out?  Seems possible if they had the will.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

'THE Law' did not prevent the colonies from leaving Great Britain.

It won't in this country preventing states to leave either in the 1860s or the future.

Secession has never been a legal process.

It is a mindset of determination for those people who wish to change their government. Read the Declaration of Independence

[mountaineer]

Could they shoot their way out?  Seems possible if they had the will.

Not enough of them are allowed to own weapons, I suspect.

[roamer_1]

Not enough of them are allowed to own weapons, I suspect.

Not true in the west.

[mountaineer]

Robby Starbuck
@robbystarbuck
I had a dream last night that we traded all the leftists in the US to Canada in return for all the right wing Canadians and… suddenly the US was firing on all cylinders. Everyone was rich and happy and Canada was a giant insane asylum that we got to laugh at. Such a good dream.

10:20 PM · May 23, 2026
 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

'THE Law' did not prevent the colonies from leaving Great Britain.

It won't in this country preventing states to leave either in the 1860s or the future.

Secession has never been a legal process.

It is a mindset of determination for those people who wish to change their government. Read the Declaration of Independence

Example:

https://www.frontpagemag.com/seattle-neighborhood-secedes-as-crime-spins-out-of-control/

[Cyber Liberty]

Example:

https://www.frontpagemag.com/seattle-neighborhood-secedes-as-crime-spins-out-of-control/

That just a part of a US city....

It appears that if the National Government doesn't want Alberta to secede, it doesn't have to do anything but refuse to negotiate.  It will require the use of arms, which can get pretty ugly!  Not saying it can't happen but if it does, it won't be confined to just one Provence.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

That just a part of a US city....

It appears that if the National Government doesn't want Alberta to secede, it doesn't have to do anything but refuse to negotiate.  It will require the use of arms, which can get pretty ugly!  Not saying it can't happen but if it does, it won't be confined to just one Provence.

I see the law not coming into play.

The Boston Tea Party revolt spread across the land and resulted in a new, free country in spite of British laws.