We cannot afford to let regional divisions stand in the way of a unified response to the threat from the Trump Administration.
I would like to draw your attention to the following Tweet, not to pile on against Evan, but to highlight the kind of divisiveness that Canada can’t afford right now:
“I know I will be dogpiled by Conservatives but the difference between Alberta and Quebec is that Quebec is actually worth fighting for and if Alberta wants to take their ball and go home I couldn’t care less
There’s a saying about doors and asses here”
Setting aside the obvious material reasons why Alberta is an important part of Canada (massive oil reserves, strong agricultural sector, growing tech sector, etc.), it is simply unethical to talk about Alberta as if it doesn’t matter to Canada.
Albertans are Canadians, and as Canadians, they deserve as much respect as the residents of every other province.
We should never want to ‘lose’ or ‘give up’ part of our country, as the loss of that part would make the whole weaker.
Of course, anti-Alberta sentiment is often the mirror of anti-Quebec sentiment. While many on the left dislike Alberta because it’s associated with the right and with the oil & gas sector, many on the right dislike Quebec because it’s associated with left-wing social values and the Ontario-Quebec-centric federal government.
Alberta & Quebec have often clashed over environmental issues, pipeline construction, and equalization, and each province serves as a key part of the base of Canada’s two main parties.
It’s often easy for Conservative partisans to get a short-term burst of popularity and attention by bashing Quebec, just as it’s easy for Liberal/NDP partisans to get a short-term burst of popularity and attention by bashing Alberta.
However, any short-term gain from doing so only serves to cause long-term pain for Canada.
Without Alberta and Quebec, Canada would be a shell of its former self.
We would be a poorer nation, a less populated nation, and we would be deprived of the unique culture that both Alberta and Quebec represent.
Consider the following.
Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper grew up in Alberta and represented an Alberta riding in Parliament.
Former Prime Minister Paul Martin represented a Quebec riding for decades.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau grew up in Quebec – and Ottawa – and represented a Quebec riding in Parliament.
Current Prime Minister Mark Carney grew up in Alberta.
Current Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre was born in Alberta.
All four of Canada’s most recent Prime Ministers have a strong connection to either Alberta or Quebec and Pierre Poilievre – who stands a decent chance of becoming Prime Minister – was born in Alberta.
So, to lose either of those provinces would be to lose a part of ourselves as Canadians.
Setting aside interprovincial rivalry
Even at the best of times, interprovincial rivalry weakens Canada and deprives us of the prosperity that should be ours.
Interprovincial trade barriers make us poorer and lead to absurd situations in which it’s often easier (at least until recently) for Canadian provinces to trade with neighbouring U.S. states than with other Canadian provinces.
But these are not the best of times.
These are times when our sovereignty is being threatened by the President of the United States, and when foreign misinformation – now pushed in near-equal measure by Russian bots and X owner Elon Musk – seeks to destabilize and divide any nation that doesn’t get in line with the authoritarian right-wing shift.
With the Trump Administration setting its eyes on Canada, and with our nation now amid an election, we should expect to see attempts to exploit our divisions:
“With the upcoming election, you’re about to see a lot of paid ads and posts by “real Canadians” who are pro-separatist, pro-51st state, with the sole purpose of creating division within Canada.”
Both the Western separatist movement (largely concentrated in Alberta) and the Quebec separatist movement are fertile ground for foreign actors who want to exploit division at this time.
And this is why a true Team Canada approach – a responsible Team Canada approach – needs to set aside the divisive rhetoric against Alberta and Quebec, and recognize that both provinces – and all provinces – need to be treated with respect.
This requires a willingness to compromise, and the compromise cannot be one-sided.
For example, Alberta’s concerns about the lack of coast-to-coast pipelines are legitimate. Canada needs a pipeline that can bring Alberta oil to Quebec and the East Coast.
At the same time, Quebec’s concerns about the environment are legitimate. Canada should be willing to increase investments in environmental protection and make targeted investments in green energy, even as we utilize our immense oil & gas reserves.
We also need to recognize how Alberta & Quebec strengthen Canada’s uniqueness and thus strengthen our sovereignty.
Quebec culture helps shape Canada into a nation that is clearly distinct from the United States and deepens our connection to France & Europe at a time when those connections are desperately needed, while Alberta energy and the entrepreneurial spirit of Albertans provide Canada with a source of economic resilience and innovation that enhances all of our lives.
And while it is not often popular to say so, both Quebec and Alberta benefit from being part of Canada.
An independent Alberta would be landlocked and would face significant legal challenges from Indigenous communities that could hold up resource development.
An independent Alberta would also be a much easier target for U.S. annexation. And if it were annexed – or voted to join the U.S. – Alberta would likely pay more to the U.S. government than it does to the Canadian government. In Canada, nearly all natural resource revenue from a province remains in that province, while the U.S. federal government takes more from states. Alberta would also find itself much less influential, with a population of about 5 million people in a country of 340 million, compared to a population of 5 million people in a country of 40 million.
Of course, none of this is likely, given that a majority of Albertans reject leaving Canada and an even larger majority reject joining the U.S.
The situation is similar in Quebec.
An independent Quebec would lose access to significant levels of equalization funding and would be more isolated on the world stage. Currently, Quebec – with a population of about 9 million – enjoys both significant autonomy within Canada and significant influence within Canada as a vote-rich province and through a bilingual civil service. In many ways, Quebec gets the best of both worlds – the ability to largely control its immigration system, protect the French language, and carve out a unique identity – while enjoying the economic benefits, political influence, military protection, and monetary stability of being a part of Canada.
Why give that up?
Seeing the best in our fellow Canadians
We all face a choice:
Will we choose to see the worst in our fellow Canadians, or will we choose to see the best in our fellow Canadians?
At a time when negativity and division are sweeping the world, it would be inspiring to see Canadians choose a different path and decide to see the best in one another.
We face an unprecedented threat to our sovereignty, a threat that can only be overcome if we are as unified as possible.
Spencer Fernando
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