Ah, Quebec, that perennial enfant terrible of the Canadian confederation, always flirting with the exit door like a diva in a bad marriage, threatening to storm out unless we all applaud her uniqueness. Well, mes amis, the latest Léger poll from June tells us the flirtation might be turning serious: 36% of Quebecers now support sovereignty, with nearly half of the under-35 crowd waving the fleur-de-lis like it’s a TikTok trend. That’s up from the doldrums of 29% in February, and if the Parti Québécois keeps surging under Paul St-Pierre Plamondon — currently polling at a commanding lead — it could mean a third referendum by 2030. For once, let’s not wring our hands in Ottawa-style panic. Instead, let’s raise a glass of Alberta crude to the idea: Quebec’s independence wouldn’t just be their liberation — it’d be ours, especially out here in the West, where Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia have been footing the bill for this dysfunctional family reunion.Picture Canada without Quebec: no more tiptoeing around linguistic landmines, no more constitutional kabuki theatre where every reform dies on the altar of “distinct society.” Alberta and Saskatchewan, those oil-rich workhorses of the federation, have long grumbled about secession themselves. Recent Angus Reid data shows 3 in 10 folks in both provinces think their home should bolt, with half calling for a referendum on the matter. Why? Because the current setup feels like a shotgun wedding to a spendthrift spouse. .But with Quebec gone, the West could remake Canada in its own image — practical, resource-driven, and free from endless appeasement. No need for Alberta to go full Texas; we’d reform the remnant into something acceptable, perhaps even likeable. Imagine a federation where pipelines get built without federal virtue-signalling, and carbon taxes don’t punish the very provinces keeping the lights on.Of course, Quebec would feel the pinch. They’ve been sucking up billions in equalization payments — $13.6 billion this year alone, part of a whopping $29.3 billion in total federal transfers. And who’s bankrolling that largesse? Mostly the West, with Alberta’s energy wealth redistributed like socialist poutine gravy. Without those handouts, an independent Quebec would be poorer, sure — poorer than a Montreal winter without subsidies. But they’d be free — free to chase their nationalist dreams, to make French the lingua franca from the St. Lawrence to the Gaspé without Ottawa’s bilingual bureaucracy meddling. Let them build their Gallic utopia, complete with language police and sovereignty parades. We’d wave fondly from afar, like exes who finally admit the spark was gone.Then there’s the constitutional quagmire, that endless swamp where good ideas go to die. Remember Meech Lake? The 1987 accord aimed to bring Quebec into the 1982 Constitution but collapsed in a mess of provincial vetoes and hurt feelings, thanks in part to Quebec’s demands for special status. Or the Charlottetown Accord in 1992, another grand bargain torpedoed by referendums and Quebec’s intransigence? Quebec has effectively blocked meaningful amendments for decades, holding the amending formula hostage. Sans Quebec, we’d shatter that deadlock. Picture it: a streamlined Constitution, ripe for rebalancing. Senate reform could finally happen — the Triple-E model (Elected, Equal, Effective) pushed by the old Reform Party, giving each province equal clout instead of the current appointed rubber-stamp chamber dominated by Central Canada. Alberta, Saskatchewan, and BC would get real veto power, ensuring no more lopsided deals where the West pays but doesn’t play..Financially, it’s a no-brainer. Right now, the West subsidizes a massive “have-not” behemoth in Quebec, population 8.5 million, gobbling up over half of all equalization funds — $13.5 billion out of $26.2 billion total. Compare that to the pint-sized Atlantic provinces (total pop under 2.5 million) or Manitoba (1.4 million), whose needs are a fraction. Without Quebec’s voracious appetite, Alberta, BC, and Saskatchewan could redirect those savings — perhaps to infrastructure, tax cuts, or even (gasp) balanced budgets. No more dividing the pie with a province that treats the federation like an ATM. The Maritimes and Manitoba? Manageable. Quebec? A black hole.Finally, the electoral math: Quebec’s 78 seats in the House of Commons inflate Central Canada’s grip, leaving the West’s 90-odd seats (Alberta 34, Saskatchewan 14, BC 42) as mere footnotes in a 338-seat chamber — about 27% of the vote. Lop off Quebec, and suddenly the West commands over 35% in a slimmer 260-seat House. Add Manitoba’s 14 for good measure, and we’re pushing 40%. Politically, we’d be unignorable — no more governments formed solely on Ontario-Quebec alliances, ignoring prairie grievances. Western voices would echo in Ottawa like thunder over the Rockies, forcing policies on energy, trade, and immigration that actually reflect our realities, not just Toronto’s latte liberalism.In the end, Quebec’s departure wouldn’t fracture Canada; it’d forge a stronger one. Like a couple realizing they’re better as neighbours than roommates, we’d both thrive. Quebec gets its cultural cocoon, the West gets equity. And who knows? Maybe in time, we’d even trade — your maple syrup for our beef, no hard feelings. But for now, as the polls tick upward, let’s not dread the divorce. Let’s embrace it. Vive le Québec libre? Absolutely. And vive le Canada renewed.
