Ontario is well positioned to insulate itself from potential geographical problems that would result from Alberta or Quebec opting to quit the federation; Canada’s most populous province does not have to fret about getting cut off from the rest of the country.
asserted
province → position → country
Atlantic Canadians were traumatized back in the 1980s and ‘90s at the prospect of being severed from central and Western Canada during the two referendum votes in Quebec.
asserted
Canadians → traumatize → Quebec
And now, British Columbians, squeezed between Alaska to the north and Washington State in the south, have a big stake in Albertans rejecting Monday’s sovereignty referendum.
asserted
Albertans → squeeze → referendum
Yet, barely a peep of worry has been heard in B.C.
asserted
peep → hear → B.C.
That’s because West Coast folks believe Monday’s referendum will fail, and badly.
asserted
referendum → ’ → ?
They also believe Alberta does not have sufficient justification for such an extreme initiative.
asserted
Alberta → believe → initiative
From this side of the Rockies, the entire adventure looks like a costly, manufactured crisis (price tag: $130 million, according to Elections Alberta), all courtesy of a premier trying to politically assuage the separatist wing of her party.
uncertain
adventure → look → party
The endeavour appears to be led by a bunch of hotheaded, wannabe-Texans, fuelled by a long-ago grievance that Albertans just can’t let go of.
asserted
Albertans → appear → that
It was nearly half a century ago that Pierre Trudeau’s National Energy Program caused outrage, ensuring affordable energy costs for Eastern Canada at Alberta’s expense.
asserted
Program → cause → expense
More recently, Trudeau, the son, in good measure redressed that perceived injustice by having Ottawa sponsor the TMX pipeline, against the will of the environmentally conscious B.C. government.
asserted
Ottawa → redress → government
And now, a second pipeline from Alberta to the coast is being rammed through against B.C.’s wishes.
asserted
pipeline → ram → wishes
This one, to be known as the Pacific Link.
asserted
one → know → Link
The feds are also bending over to avoid putting counter tariffs or export controls on Alberta oil despite the fact that would be a real ace in the hole in this country’s fight against the Trump tariffs.
asserted
that → bend → tariffs
Indeed Alberta has not been much affected by Trump’s sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminum, wood products and textiles while they have caused employment bloodbaths in Ontario, Quebec and B.C.
asserted
they → affect → Ontario
None of that is good enough for the cowboy-hatted crowd that is pushing Alberta independence.
asserted
that → push → independence
They have gone so far as to offer Alberta’s water and critical mineral goodies to a clutch of mendacious Americans who recently travelled north to encourage the carving up of Canada.
asserted
who → go → Canada
Alberta should be careful what it wishes for.
asserted
it → wish → what
Submitting to the leadership of U.S. President Donald Trump likely would not be a joyful experience.
asserted
Submitting → submit → Trump
If Alberta felt pushed around by Canada with the NEP, wait until Trump laid down his avaricious plans for the province.
Moreover, someone needs to show Albertans a national map.
asserted
someone → push → map
The province is landlocked, affixed to Canada on three sides, which could present an assortment of challenges.
uncertain
which → affix → challenges
Perhaps the toughest thing to understand about Alberta’s discontent is why it would want to leave given its relative economic success within Canada.
asserted
it → understand → Canada
Alberta is the only province that can boast a Heritage Fund, with $32 billion in it at last count.
asserted
that → boast → count
It has the fastest economic growth of all provinces, according to ATB Financial, Alberta’s provincial financial institution, which has projected 2.6 per cent GDP growth this year, 2.3 per cent next.
uncertain
which → have → growth
By contrast, B.C. will grow 1.3 per cent this year, 1.8 per cent in 2027.
asserted
B.C. → grow → 2027
Ontario’s growth in 2026 is projected at less than one per cent, moving to 1.5 per cent in 2027.
asserted
growth → project → 2027
Alberta expected a budget deficit of $9.4 billion this year but, chirps the council, if oil prices average in the ($80 per barrel range), “this government’s provincial coffers would swing … to a $6 billion surplus.”
asserted
coffers → expect → surplus
Western Canadian Select was trading at $80.62 CAD this week.
asserted
Select → trade → CAD
Alberta is also leading all provinces in population growth, at 1.5 per cent growth, says Statistics Canada, predicting that Alberta’s demographic weight will continue to expand, “potentially surpassing B.C. as the country’s third-largest province in future decades.
asserted
weight → lead → decades
Right now, Alberta boasts an unemployment rate at seven per cent, the same as that of Ontario and higher than B.C.’s which is 6.4 per cent.
asserted
which → boast → B.C.
The province complains, it contributes an outsized share of equalization within Confederation, and that it has not itself received equalization cash since 1964.
asserted
it → complain → 1964
In fact Alberta was an equalization-receiving province from 1957 to 1964, and, like other provinces, cannot predict when it may require additional help from the rest of the country.
uncertain
it → receive → country
From next door in B.C., and in Ontario, Alberta’s separation adventure surely looks a lot like a capricious hissy fit.
asserted
adventure → look → fit
The Aporia
