For decades, Quebec has been the province to voice desire for referendums, but recently talk of separating has been blowing over the prairies. This latest iteration is being pushed under the banner of autonomy and fairness, driven by frustration over another federal Liberal government and a growing sense of Western alienation.
As a born and raised Albertan, currently living in B.C., I know what it feels like to have the election called before our polls are even closed. I’m not void of empathy, but let’s call Alberta separatism what it is: a distraction.
The notion of Alberta breaking off from Canada is not only legally and logistically unfeasible — it’s political theatre that drains energy from real, achievable reform. If Albertans genuinely want their voices to count in Ottawa, the only path forward is not separation. It’s electoral reform.
Under the , Alberta would need to hold a referendum with a clearly worded question and, after that, a “clear majority” of votes in favour. Only then would the federal government be required to negotiate the terms of separation — not grant it. These negotiations would include all provinces and the federal government, and would require a constitutional amendment, needing unanimous consent from every provincial legislature and Parliament.
Even if Alberta passed a referendum tomorrow, it would still be many years — possibly decades — before secession could be realized, if ever. Premier Danielle Smith’s efforts might fast-track a referendum vote, but she can’t bypass the legal and constitutional obligations that follow.
And then there’s the logistics. More than — federally owned and controlled. That’s not going anywhere. The same applies to borders: Alberta doesn’t own its border with the U.S. It’s a national boundary under federal jurisdiction. Any trade across it, particularly vital oil and gas exports, would suddenly become subject to negotiation.
Most critically, . The majority of the province, including all major cities, sits on land covered by treaties signed between Indigenous nations and the crown — agreements that predate Alberta’s creation. First Nations leaders across the province have repeatedly . These treaties are with Canada, not Alberta.
If all of this sounds complicated, it’s because it is. And that’s before we even get into the economic chaos that would follow — questions around CPP, EI, OAS, federal pensions, veterans’ benefits, and health-care funding. A referendum alone could cost several millions of dollars. That should mean something to conservatives who tend to vote for fiscal restraint.
Separating is not an actionable plan, it’s reactive and chaotic.
Albertans feel ignored. The governing Liberal party won only a sprinkling of seats in Alberta. Yet that same government now sets policy for the entire country. It’s easy to see why that feels unjust to an Alberta voter.
The issue isn’t that Alberta is part of Canada — it’s that Alberta is part of a system that routinely discounts large swaths of the population. First-past-the-post, Canada’s current electoral system, turns minority parties into majority governments and treats entire regions as irrelevant if they vote the “wrong” way. It makes your vote matter only if you live in a swing riding.
Electoral reform — specifically proportional representation — would change that.
In a proportional system, the number of seats a party receives in Parliament more accurately reflects the number of votes it received nationwide. That means if a party wins 30 per cent of the vote, it gets about 30 per cent of the seats — not a majority, not a landslide, just a fair share.
This kind of system would transform Alberta’s role in the federal landscape. Conservatives wouldn’t just sweep Alberta and then get ignored in government — they’d actually hold seats in proportion to their national support. Smaller parties like the NDP, Greens, or even region-specific parties could gain influence without being penalized by vote concentration. Indigenous-led or Western-focused parties could finally find footing in federal politics without being sidelined by geography.
are not radical. They’re used in more than 90 countries, including Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, and Scotland.
Proportional representation would also alleviate the polarization we’re seeing in Canadian politics. Under first-past-the-post, political parties focus on a handful of battleground ridings, ignoring the rest. That’s why voters in Alberta and the prairies feel invisible. In a proportional system, every vote would count — regardless of postal code.
Instead of shouting “We’re leaving,” Albertans should be leading the charge for national reform.
The way forward isn’t out — it’s through democracy that actually reflects the will of the people.
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