Alberta uprising feared

Sun Media ^ | December 15, 2002

[Clive]

Premier Ralph Klein expects an uprising on the right to lead a charge for Alberta's separation from Canada.

"There are enough people who are frustrated to form a political party, but I just don't know what they are going to do, other than to mount a movement for separation," Klein told The Sun. "And yes, I am concerned about it."

Voices in favour of Alberta leaving Canada are rising, the premier said.

"I know there are people out there who want to separate. I was listening to a radio show just the other day and there was caller after caller saying, 'We should separate. We've had enough.

" 'We're being ignored, we don't count in Canada. Not only as it relates to Kyoto but the Canadian Wheat Board, gun registration, senate reform, you name it. All we do is give and give and get nothing back,' " Klein said. "I understand that frustration, and I feel the same way. But there's still hope."

Movement by Ottawa on Alberta's continuing complaints is needed, the premier said, or even some provincial Tory supporters will turn their backs on the party because it hasn't had any effect.

Alan Cruikshank, deputy leader of the Alberta Social Credit Party, said Klein is dead right.

"We are trying as a party to keep our noses clean - we haven't taken any position on separation. But we are finding that many of our members are supportive of independence," Cruikshank said.

And, he added, a burgeoning movement in that direction may not be a bad thing.

"In the past, parties that have taken a more extreme position than the Tories on things like separation have often caused the central government to take more notice of Alberta's needs. It indirectly results in a way Albertans can apply political leverage."

Peter McCormick, a political scientist at the University of Lethbridge, said it's unlikely a separatist party would have much success in Alberta's current political climate.

McCormick said the Canadian Alliance on the federal scene and the Progressive Conservatives on the provincial scene both have had recent successes.

"Why would you go for another political party?" McCormick asked.

The Alliance has had the cost of the gun control registry revealed in the House of Commons, while the Alberta PCs have kept fighting the ratification of the Kyoto accord.

"It's the easiest thing on earth to form a political party. It's the hardest thing on earth to get enough votes," said McCormick.

McCormick said it never hurts in a province to have a separatist vein, even with "vague threats" of leaving Confederation, to make other governments take you more seriously.

"It's less likely we would be taken for granted," he said.

[CARepubGal]

Good point. LA, Berkeley and the Gay Area to Canada and we get Alberta nad its RKBA fans. :-)

[warchild9]

Arizona and Texas are part of our Southland; screw the Mexicans and the Washington leviathan, as well. You Yankees can have all of Canada, as long as we still have pleasure boating rights from Seattle up through Alaska (that's some purty country up through there).

[Thomas1066]

if it was rude, stupid, and ill-considered for a canadian to call bush a moron, please apply the same rules to yourself. we are not all morons, several have IQs at least equal to yours. nor are all who govern us loons. let us respect ALL north americans. yes, we are the mouse and you are the elephant, but we do share the same bed. since we need to get along, let us start by using the common courtesy of calling each other by respectful names. we might be the mouse, but we can be the mouse that roared. you need our water. you need our air space. you need our cooperation. think back to clinton. were you proud of him? do you think we are proud of chretien? there is a legal process. what makes our countries great is that we do follow the legal process. it took you a while to get the republicans in. give us time. canadians are not known for assassinating our legally elected leaders. we do this by ballot. and in western canada, that takes a lot of doing. instead of calling us names, you might try calling on god to help us help ourselves. thanks for listening.

[Grig]

My take on this:

First, if/when Alberta separates, they will NOT go running to the USA asking to join. They will form their own nation.

Second. If the Alliance plays it's cards right, the sepratist movement can be kept at the current level and not grow out of controle before the next federal election. This will not be easy to do however.

Third. If the Liberals win a majority government again, and/or if eastern Canada turns it's nose up at the CA again, then all bets are off and you can expect Alberta to leave for good. BC is likely to follow.

[Grig]

"Ottawa would crush Alberta just like Lincoln crushed the Confederacy. But I doubt that the Albertans have enough guts to fire the first shots."

Not a well informed opinion. Canada's military would be totaly unable to enforce anything. Not only are they terribly underfunded and poorly equiped, but a large % of them are Albertans as well. Gun ownership in Alberta is pretty common, and the culture of Alberta is one of independance and hard work.

They would fire first if put to it, but I doubt it would come to that as the liberals did pass a law that created a legal method of leaving Canada. They created it with the idea of putting legal separation out of reach of Quebec, but it winds up putting in within reach of Alberta if they really want it.

[Grig]

"I don't think it is jealousy, I think they believe they are better and smarter than we are. "

No, no and no. It's not jealousy, or arrogance. The USA as a nation has a very agressive and abrasive personality that is unapealling to us easy-going Canadians. It's like the mid-west doesn't want to be part of New York City, or freepers not wanting to move to California. There is a very real personality conflict between the USA and Canada that has NOTHING to do with politics.

[quietolong]

Maybe not the 51st state. But maybe become like Guam, PR & VI

[quietolong]

CA. & SF. are some nice places. What needs to be done is clean out the RAT infestation. that’s there now! Not give them away.

[Thomas1066]

posts such as this one just show that the education system in the united states of america is sadly lacking. canada is part of north america. it might be wise to spend a few hours on canada in your curriculum.

i was born and educated in california. we learned about canada in grade 7 back in those days. in 1990 i happened to read a united states of america grade 6 geography text published in the great state of florida. the tundra and tiaga regions of north america were not specified as canada at all. i contacted the publisher and pointed out that the tundra and tiaga have a name. it is canada. canada is not part of the usa. the text was rewritten. the corrected edition at least recognizes there is a canada.

canada is not jealous, nor do they wish do join the usa. yes, we have been a teen age country. we are a lot younger than you. as a usa citizen living 34 years in canada, i have watched canada get past the teen years. we are now into the young adult stage. we see our parent--ENGLAND--(not usa)--with respect but we do not wish to be interferred with. we are on our own. we are understandably not fond of having our older sibling to the south trying to lord it over us, merely because you are older and bigger, in population only. siblings are often rivals, but just let some outside force push on them, and they stick together. they do not become one, they just work together.

we really do want our health care. we really do like our mosaic versus the melting pot. sure we do weird things--in your eyes. maybe we are idealists. maybe we will learn someday that we just have to be practical. but for now, let us be us. put us in your text books. you know, your little brother or sister gets at least one photo in the family album, right?

[friendly]

I welcome the magnificent new state of Alberta to the United States of America, our 51st state. You guys now have a much better federal government in Washington than the socialist totalitarians of Ottawa. Like your new Bill of Rights, including that 2nd amendment and free speech doncha?

Again, welcome!!

[KneelBeforeZod]

posts such as this one just show that the education system in the united states of america is sadly lacking.

You know, you're right. After all it was an American beer that ran the silly campagin about not being Canadian....or was it the other way around?????

canada is part of north america. it might be wise to spend a few hours on canada in your curriculum.

It might be wise for canadians to spend a few hours on canada. That way they'd stop spamming the internet boards, from sports to weird news sites like fark.com with "HA HA WE BURNED DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!" I guess they don't teach canadians what year they were no longer part of england.

[KneelBeforeZod]

we should trade michigan instead. let them have ann arbor and the wasteland of detriot. besides, michigan is right there.

[snopercod]

What about giving small states equal representation in the Senate?

That's working out real well, isn't it. </sarcasm>

Ever since the 17th Amendment was adopted, the populous urban areas in each state have overruled the rural minorities when electing their senators. So even in a predominantly rural state, the urban people chose their senators each year.

[badfreeper]

"I also saw part of the four-hour miniseries that was made about the project...Too bad it doesn't seem to be available on video/DVD.

This CBC miniseries is available on both VHS and DVD (and PAL too) directly from CBC. The DVD is probably your best bet, it includes two documentaries that are sold seperately from the miniseries on VHS for less than the price of the 3 videos. It's CAD$39.95 plus shipping.

[Hank Rearden]

Never say Canadians don't have a sense of humor. "Premier Ralph", indeed.

[Mark17]

I don't think it is jealousy, I think they believe they are better and smarter than we are

I guess maybe that is why they put a man on the moon huh? Oh darn, I guess they didn't did they?

[ccmay]

The new capital of Cascadia would doubtless be in a city with a huge Chinese element.

Hongcouver.

-ccm

[ccmay]

I agree with most of what you say, but had a comment about this:

canadians are not known for assassinating our legally elected leaders.

America has no monopoly on assassinations. It happens everywhere, even Canada. Follow the links below:

Thomas D'Arcy McGee
Ken Brown
Pierre Laporte

Several foreign politicians have also been assassinated in Canada.

-ccm

[Snowyman]

guess maybe that is why they put a man on the moon

We didn't have to. Before your guys took off we let them come up to Sudbury and practice driving their Rover on our own moonscape. We got an acre or two of it here , no need to look elsewhere. Cheaper too.

[Mark17]

Before your guys took off we let them come up to Sudbury and practice driving their Rover on our own moonscape. We got an acre or two of it here , no need to look elsewhere.

LOL, well, it had an atmosphere at least. Maybe it was a better idea. When I was a kid, I used to think the only things made in Canada, were hockey players, like my boyhood heroes Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. I also met Dennis Hull at the Cow Palace some years ago. He was a nice man, but I don't think he was capable of putting two sentences together. Are you a Leafs or Sens fan?