Understanding the Alberta separatist movement...
Why do some people want to break up Canada and go it alone?
Sure, Alberta has legitimate grievances with how the country is working, but is it worth breaking up the country?
As the old song says, breaking up is hard to do.
Some, like Keith Wilson, see independence as the best path forward. Wilson has lived most of his life in Alberta but has also lived in Ontario and British Columbia. In his view, Alberta is just different than the rest of the country and no amount of internal agreements will change that.
I’ve chatted with Keith several times over the years on various issues, he’s been involved in politics for a while now.
In the last while, he’s been one of the leading voices for Alberta separation.
We sat down again recently for this week’s episode of the Full Comment Podcast.
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This is why so many Albertans want to separate…
From the official show notes:
If you haven’t been paying attention to the Alberta separatism movement, you really should. It’s been making huge and rapid strides, with significant support and evidently enough momentum to trigger an independence referendum this year. To find out what’s driving the movement, Brian talks to Keith Wilson, an Alberta constitutional lawyer and leading voice for secession. Wilson explains why he thinks there is no future for the province as part of Canada — regardless of who’s in charge in Ottawa — because Confederation will always be a bad deal for Albertans compared to what they could achieve on their own. And he explains why he believes most of his fellow Albertans will soon come around to seeing that, too. (Recorded May 7, 2026)
Maybe if the Energy-East pipeline did not get cancelled and Quebec paid their own bills, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. In my opinion, I don’t think any politician (including Carney) can clean up this mess.
"Most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government."
Milton Friedman
Being from Toronto originally now living in Alberta for 32 years, and still going every year to visit family and hang out at the cottage
There is a fundamental difference between the West and East and especially Alberta
And the pure fing hatred and
abuse of Alberta from everyone but at the same time everyone sucking billions from this province and the Taxpayers is bloody criminal!!!
I am not aware of any other country in the world that does this to the most prosperous region of its Country !!!!
Alberta must separate just to prove a point to the rest of Canada and we will be as rich as Saudi Arabia