CALGARY — Lawyer Keith Wilson has said the Alberta independence movement can no longer solely rely on grassroots enthusiasm and volunteer activism if it hopes to succeed politically.Speaking on Monday night in Calgary at an event titled “The Path to Alberta Nationhood,” hosted by Econ Americas director Fergus Hodgson and featuring Wilson and lawyer Eva Chipiuk — famous for her work with the Freedom Convoy — Wilson said the independence side won’t win by “being the little engine that could.”“If we don’t transition from an undirected, unstrategic campaign, there’s a certain result, and it’s failure.”Wilson — who had debated former premier Jason Kenney earlier in the evening on independence — also announced he was creating a new organization to help the movement called “Alberta’s Next Step,” which he described as a third-party advertiser designed to run more coordinated campaigns using both traditional methods and social media.“We're gonna have to match the level of sophistication of the campaigns of the government and of the unions... I think we absolutely have to transition... We don't need to convince ourselves we're right. We need to convince those who are very busy with their lives. We need to convince those who don't engage with politics,” he said..“We cannot stay in our echo chambers. I love social media influencers, but they’re not going to save us because the people we need to reach aren’t watching them.”Chipiuk added that, in order to move forward and win hearts and minds, the independence movement needs to figure out “different messaging and different outlets” for speaking to different demographics, in particular urban voters as well as youth.She said the women’s movement within the movement was “doing very well,” but acknowledged engagement with First Nations communities was also needed in the coalition to broaden support beyond the movement’s existing base.The panel also discussed the issues independence proponents have with dealing with mainstream media and how to approach the growing interest the US has in the movement.Hodgson, who is based in Colorado, warned activists to avoid leaning into talk of Alberta becoming the “51st state,” calling the issue “radioactive” when dealing with American media.“Even if we have strong economic arguments, very strong arguments for self-determination, we're up against a well-funded and professional political class, and even, you might say, the establishment conservatives in Canada,” Hodgson said.“We have basically an army of volunteers who do this as a labour of love or a passion project.”Wilson argued independence supporters should not avoid media interviews even if they fear hostile coverage..He pointed to previous appearances on programs hosted by American conservative commentator Glenn Beck and interviews with Turning Point USA as evidence that US audiences are increasingly paying attention to political tensions in Canada.“If the reporter wants to make you look bad, they don’t need to interview you to make you look bad,” Wilson said, adding that speaking to journalists at least gives supporters a chance to have their side of the story heard.“Go into it with confidence, not hostility.”Talking to the Western Standard after the event, Hodgson said one of his main goals was to broaden the discussion around Alberta independence and encourage supporters to become more proactive instead of waiting for movement leaders to dictate strategy.While he acknowledged there were tensions between some figures within the movement, he suggested proponents of independence should focus less on internal disputes and more on building support independently.Hodgson, who is originally from New Zealand, described himself as “Albertan by heritage” and views the current situation in the province as one of the key “pressure points for freedom in the world.”“I’m highly motivated,” he said, adding his involvement is driven more by personal passion than political ambitions.“I see Canada becoming a one-party state like California, where the other parties are irrelevant, and there’s just really rampant corruption, and I see Alberta as leading the way against that. I really do have admiration for the Albertan brand and identity.”
