BURTON: Alberta’s independence question is no longer hypothetical — Canada needs to pay attention

Terry Burton is a retired veteran of Alberta’s oil and heavy construction industry, and a former member of the Alberta Apprenticeship Board.For years, the idea of Alberta independence was easy to dismiss. Ottawa dismissed it. Much of Central Canada mocked it. Even many Albertans treated it as an emotional outlet rather than a serious political possibility.That era is over.What is now unfolding in Alberta is not a protest movement looking for attention, nor a fleeting reaction to a particular federal government. It is a sustained and deepening loss of confidence in Confederation itself. More Albertans are asking, openly and seriously, whether remaining in Canada still allows them meaningful control over their economic future, political institutions, and cultural life.Canada ignores this shift at its peril.This Did Not Come Out of NowhereAlbertans have raised the same core concerns for decades: energy development blocked or delayed by Ottawa, regulatory uncertainty that scares away investment, an equalization formula widely viewed as punitive, and a federal political structure that leaves Alberta permanently outvoted..OLDCORN: Floor crossing to Liberals isn’t about one MP — it’s about breaking Pierre Poilievre.What has changed is not the list of grievances, but the conclusion being drawn from them.Increasingly, Albertans no longer believe these problems can be fixed within the existing federal framework. They see promises made and broken, consultations held and ignored, and elections that change governments without changing outcomes. No matter who Albertans vote for, Ottawa’s direction remains largely the same.When Alberta’s economy suffered severe downturns, many residents felt abandoned. There was no national urgency, no sense of shared sacrifice. The message received — fairly or not — was unmistakable: Alberta is essential when revenues are flowing, optional when hardship arrives..That perception has hardened into something far more dangerous than frustration: resignation.What Independence Supporters are DemandingThose now advocating independence are not driven by hostility toward Canadians elsewhere. They are driven by a belief that self-government is the only remaining path to accountability.They want the authority to make their own decisions about immigration, policing, pensions, and taxation. They want to develop Alberta’s resources according to local priorities rather than federal political calculations. They want relief from an equalization system that transfers billions out of the province while offering little transparency or reciprocity..BONDY: Carney’s China gamble — trade diversification is smart — a ‘strategic partnership’ is not.They want representation that reflects population, not a Senate frozen in irrelevance and a House of Commons where Alberta’s votes rarely matter. They want provincial control over healthcare, education, infrastructure, justice, environmental approvals, and emerging technologies without constant federal interference.Above all, they want to be treated as full partners in Confederation — not as a region to be managed.A Growing Cultural and Democratic CrisisPolicy disputes alone do not explain the urgency now felt in Alberta. A deeper concern is driving the movement: the belief that Canada is becoming increasingly intolerant of dissent..Many Albertans believe the country is drifting toward ideological enforcement rather than democratic debate. They see compelled speech, institutional orthodoxy, and bureaucratic mandates replacing persuasion and consent. In workplaces, schools, and public institutions, expressing the “wrong” view can carry professional or social consequences.This is not theoretical. Albertans are responding to lived experience.They worry that disagreement is no longer something to be answered, but something to be punished. That merit is being replaced with mandated outcomes. That free expression is becoming conditional. That power is concentrating upward, while ordinary citizens are told to comply quietly for the greater good.Whether one agrees with these concerns is beside the point. What matters is that a large and growing number of Albertans believe their values and freedoms are no longer secure within Canada’s current trajectory..STIRLING: A tale of two Vaclavs, ‘climate cartel’ Carney vs trade deal Trump.Independence is Difficult — But So is DenialNo serious observer claims independence would be easy. The Supreme Court of Canada has made the requirements clear: a clear question and a clear majority. Beyond that lie indigenous treaty rights, debt division, pensions, borders, federal lands, currency, banking, international recognition, constitutional design, and national defense.These challenges are real, and they should temper recklessness.But they should not be used as an excuse for dismissal. Complexity does not negate legitimacy. The fact that independence would be hard does not make the question illegitimate. It makes it urgent to address why so many Albertans believe it is necessary..The Cost of Doing NothingCanada must understand what is at stake.Alberta is not a marginal province. It is a cornerstone of national prosperity, energy security, and fiscal stability. A Canada without Alberta would be economically weaker, geopolitically diminished, and psychologically fractured.But the greater risk is not independence itself. It is the continued refusal to confront why unity is failing..BERNARDO: Ottawa flips the switch on the gun confiscations and hands the keys to the RCMP.Federations do not collapse because people talk about leaving. They collapse because grievances are ignored until exit seems like the only remaining option.A Democratic, Nonviolent AppealMany Alberta independence advocates explicitly reject hostility and coercion. Drawing — carefully and respectfully — on ideas associated with Mahatma Gandhi, they frame independence as a nonviolent, democratic pursuit of self-rule, not power over others.In this vision, independence belongs to the people of Alberta. It would be achieved through negotiation, not force. It would rest on equal freedom, civic responsibility, and the consent of the governed..Most importantly, it would not be driven by hatred of Canada. Many Albertans still consider themselves very close friends and supporters of their fellow Canadians. But friendship does not require silence. In fact, it demands honesty — especially when a country appears to be drifting toward deeper division and centralized control.This is the Warning MomentEven if Alberta never leaves Canada, the independence movement is a warning Canada must not ignore. It signals that federalism is no longer functioning as intended for a major part of the country.The question now is not whether Alberta is serious. It is whether Canada is..AUBUT: When ideology replaces truth, persecution follows.If Ottawa continues to manage Alberta rather than engage it, dismiss its concerns rather than address them, and lecture rather than listen, this conversation will not fade. It will accelerate.The question facing Canada is not whether Alberta will leave. It is whether Canada is willing to change enough that Albertans no longer feel compelled to Abexit.Canada still has a choice. But choices delayed too long have a habit of being made when vulnerabilities are the greatest and often with disastrous unintended consequences.Canada is on notice, but will they take notice — such that Albertans see themselves and their aspirations being valued in a manner that sees Albertans wanting to remain in Canada!Terry Burton is a retired veteran of Alberta’s oil and heavy construction industry, and a former member of the Alberta Apprenticeship Board.

BURTON: Alberta’s independence question is no longer hypothetical — Canada needs to pay attention

Related Stories