Alberta’s Secession Vote Opens Up a Bitter Divide in Canada

Prime Minister Mark Carney tries to rally oil-rich province to stick with country

SUNDRE, Alberta—This town nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is known for its annual pro rodeo in June, which includes a parade of cowboys and cowgirls on horseback, school marching bands and colorful floats celebrating the heritage of rural Alberta.

This year, a feud erupted over a proposed parade float festooned with Alberta provincial flags. Volunteer parade organizers rejected the idea as too political amid campaigning around a referendum on Alberta staying in Canada or moving toward independence—and were then met with an onslaught of harassment and online abuse from supporters of the float.

They reversed their decision, but the harassment continued. Other floats pulled out. Soon, organizers canceled the decades-old parade altogether.

The uproar reflects the divide across Alberta ahead of a historic referendum Monday on whether it should remain part of Canada or take steps toward holding a second, binding referendum on separation. While the campaign has been relatively muted compared with past constitutional battles in Canada, the friction in Sundre shows the tensions bubbling below the surface.

“There will literally be marriages that break up over this, neighbors that don’t talk to each other, business partnerships that rupture, communities that get divided,” said Jason Kenney, a former conservative premier of Alberta who is leading a campaign to keep the province in Canada. “This is the political equivalent of a civil war.”

Nathan McCullough, who runs a butcher shop in Sundre, was undecided about the referendum, which asks Albertans nine other questions, including whether the province should have greater power over immigration and the appointment of judges—all of which could foment tensions with the...

Sounds like the TDS/TWS divide.

Alberta is the “Texas” of Canada, Ottawa is the “New York State”, and British Columbia is the “California”.

It is entirely possible that Alberta breaks out of the Canadian federation, as an independent country. They may then, if they so desire, petition the US government to become a state in the United States, an outcome which is the worst nightmare of most of the rest of Canada.

And once again, Trump has it right.

Alberta’s departure would rupture Canada forever. The western most provinces would be cut off land wise from the remainder of Canada, Quebec would almost certainly go it’s own way and prehaps Manitoba would come with Alberta. BC would also go it alone. See ya Canada.

My understanding there’s a lot unemployment there - high welfare numbers. Much of the reason is seasonal employment (maritime work). One friend described it as Canada’s Appalachia.

Not sure we need more of that!

I’d rather Alberta force genuine federalism onto Canada, putting member provinces in control of their own taxation, economies, trade, immigration, domestic jurisprudence, and social policy. Now the provinces seem to be slaves of Ottawa.

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