CALGARY — Jann Arden put a pointed political spin on one of her best-known songs Sunday, dedicating her smash hit Insensitive to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith while headlining a Calgary concert organized in opposition to Alberta independence.Arden made the dedication during Forever Canadian’s Calgary Concert for Unity at The Confluence, where thousands gathered for the free outdoor event less than a month before Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum.The song choice was notable given the subject matter of Insensitive, Arden’s 1994 song about the aftermath of a painful relationship and the frustration of dealing with someone who appears unable or unwilling to recognize the hurt they have caused.''I'm going to dedicate this one to Danielle Smith,'' Arden stated before starting the song. The moment came during an afternoon of music, speeches and political messaging at Fort Calgary Sunday..Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas also addressed the crowd during the afternoon, telling attendees that Alberta and Canada are stronger together.“Canada is so much stronger because of Alberta, and Alberta is so much stronger because of Canada,” Farkas said during his speech.“And when something isn’t working, we aren’t losers who walk away,” he added.Farkas has been increasingly vocal in his opposition to Alberta separation. Just days before the concert, he warned that separation could mean higher taxes and lower incomes for Calgary families and urged Calgarians to get involved in the debate. He has also said that “a stronger Calgary and a stronger Alberta mean a stronger Canada.”The concert featured a wide range of Alberta and Canadian performers, including Kue Varo & the Only Hopes, Dan the One Man Band, Celeigh Cardinal, John Wort Hannam, Lindi Ortega, the Heebee-jeebees, Montuno West, Damase Elis, Caity Gyorgy, Tom Phillips and Reuben Bullock, before Arden took the stage as the headliner..Forever Canadian founder Thomas Lukaszuk addressed the crowd, describing the concert as an opportunity for Albertans to come together and demonstrate their connection to Canada.In an interview surrounding the event, Lukaszuk described the gathering as “Canada Day on steroids,” saying he wanted Albertans to unite and send a message to the Alberta legislature, the rest of Canada and the international community.“We need to unite, we need to pull together,” Lukaszuk said.He said the event was taking place during a period of political division and what he described as fragile geopolitical circumstances, adding that Canadians wanted to demonstrate that the country could not be “broken up” or “fractured.”.The event drew an estimated 10,000 people, according to a figure announced from the stage, with the crowd filling much of the grounds at Fort Calgary. Organizers had previously said about 6,000 people had registered, while Lukaszuk had anticipated a crowd of up to 12,000.While the event was organized around the case for keeping Alberta in Canada, the separation debate was visible at the concert itself. A number of attendees carried Alberta flags, while vehicles displaying Alberta flags drove past the grounds and honked their horns.The gathering was otherwise structured as a large outdoor concert, with performances from Alberta and Canadian artists, food trucks, children's activities and speeches from political figures and organizers.The concert comes as both sides of Alberta's separation debate prepare for the Oct. 19 vote.
