How Alberta's Separatist Movement Could Shake North America | The Walrus

"Unlike the more well-known Quebec separatism, which is rooted in a sense of a separate nationality, culture, and language, Alberta separatism has historically been a minor political movement rooted in Western Canadian alienation, a catch-all term for the perception that Alberta's economic interests and political values are marginalized by federal institutions dominated by Central Canada."

"The first emerged following the 1980 National Energy Program, which attempted to mitigate the rising price of oil across the country and imposed price controls and new taxes on Alberta's oil industry. The policy transferred approximately $100 billion-or approximately $218 billion (US) in today's dollars-from Alberta to the rest of Canada between 1980 and 1985, triggering an economic collapse and creating decades of resentment."

Alberta separatism, distinct from Quebec's cultural nationalism, stems from Western Canadian alienation—the perception that federal institutions dominated by Central Canada marginalize Alberta's economic interests and political values. The movement has evolved through three historical phases: first, following the 1980 National Energy Program which transferred approximately $100 billion from Alberta to other provinces between 1980-1985, triggering economic collapse and decades of resentment; second, through the Reform Party in the 1990s, which channeled Western alienation into federal politics; and third, a current resurgence driven by a perfect storm of factors. This movement now divides the province and Canada into competing political camps, gaining significant momentum and media attention.

Read at The Walrus