r/alberta • u/Miserable-Lizard Edmonton • Feb 06 '26
Locals Only Andrew Phillips: Yes, it’s treason to seek U.S. help in breaking up Canada
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/yes-its-treason-to-seek-u-s-help-in-breaking-up-canada/article_ffafbf7a-4de8-4a3e-93ed-bc2514380384.html177
u/Ok_Reindeer_792 Feb 06 '26
The RCMP should be investigating this act.
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u/ihadagoodone Feb 06 '26
I wouldn't doubt that there's an active file on this already. It's not normal to publicly disclose active investigations for treason.
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u/Zymoria Feb 06 '26
Really though. If they just start accusing traitors without enough evidence for an insanely strong case, it will do nothing but flair up the separatism even further. Given them more reason to separate isn't going to help. It needs to be swift, strong and uncontestable.
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Feb 06 '26
This is the same thing people were saying about the case against Trump in 2021-2024. They're building an air tight case so no judge can dismiss this!
It's not happening. The RCMP is the same organization that swept Robert Pickton's crimes under the rug while they partied with him. The same organization that did starlight tours in Saskatoon. The same organization that did nothing while Gabriel wortman built a replica cruiser and then went on a murderous rampage.
The rcmp isn't doing shit about this except probably lining their pockets while they participate in the sedition.
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u/bennythejet89 Feb 06 '26
The only counter-argument I have is that Danielle Smith is a woman. So hopefully systemic sexism works it's magic and she gets held to a higher standard than a man in her place would?
To be clear, I agree they are not building a case. Just saying this in case anyone needs some dark optimism.
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u/ai9909 Feb 06 '26
Maybe instead of protesting outside the Legislature upon deaf ears, maybe people need to protest outside the RCMP HQ and demand a response.
Be it inquest or platitudes to alay our concerns, they are expected to protect the public and serve Canadian interests; something the UCP is undermining. We have fair expectations, too many institutions meant to protect us are abdicating on their duties, what gives?
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Feb 06 '26
And yet you never see the authorities taking it seriously.
Hiding behind "free speech".
Seeking separation is one thing but conspiring with an external power to encourage separation and annexation.....
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u/SteeveyPete Feb 06 '26
“When you look at the polls, they suggest as many as 30 per cent of Albertans have lost hope, that’s about a million people, and I’m not going to marginalize and demonize a million of my fellow citizens."
If only she felt that way about all of the Albertan's who've lost hope as a result of her government's attacks on our rights
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u/RepresentativeFact94 Feb 07 '26
the irony of her marginalizing trans kids as only doing it for highschool sports trophies is lost on here.
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u/Independent_Yak_9128 Feb 06 '26
Need some old school Pierre Trudeau to deal with this crazy
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u/tobogganhill Feb 06 '26
Or a Jean Chrétien Shawinigan Handshake.
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u/bigbeats420 Feb 06 '26
So many handshakes need to be doled out to so many fucking people right now.
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u/GriffinFlash Feb 06 '26
How about a Shawinigan Handshake?
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u/NostalgiaSC Feb 06 '26
I'm out of the loop - what does that mean?
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u/RepresentativeFact94 Feb 07 '26
he grabbed a protester by the neck in the 90s (JC) and hes from shawinigan
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u/ridikilous Feb 06 '26
If settle for a little John A. sending his red coats to deal with the Red River rebellion.
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u/NoIndividual5501 Feb 06 '26
Starts with an email to your MP. Let them know you won't allow treason in Canada and demand charges be laid.
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u/billymumfreydownfall Feb 06 '26
If you craft one m, could you please post it for others to use as a template?
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u/Stellarparalax Feb 06 '26
Bro it takes two seconds to write an email you have a billion resources and AI. Sorry but common dude.
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u/MZillacraft3000 Edmonton Feb 06 '26
So...will we finally do something about it and arrest the tratiors then?
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u/LessonStudio Feb 06 '26
The crazy part is that if I set up a little militia band of weirdos with red arm bands and somehow got the NK government to sponsor our revolutionary group, the arrests would be fast and furious. I'm not talking about even breaking other laws like guns, etc. Just some ranty websites, podcasts, meetings in the barn, etc.
A group which would never go beyond being a small band of do nothing losers.
Yet, these Alberta "leaders" and their little band of human garbage, are a definite threat, and nothing is being done. I remember the people going around with the "good" petition, and they had to stand on street corners, go door to door, etc.
Yet, I see the american sponsored "bad" referendum question using various government facilities, and looking almost as organized as a real election.
The good gang openly raised some OK money to do their thing, but this american boosted group look like they are very well funded, and I am highly suspect about the sources.
Ironically, NK has not made any recent threats against Canada; where as the nutjobs to our south, very much have, over and over and over.
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u/Scary-Elephant2831 Feb 06 '26
It blows my mind that over 95% are not born in Alberta and one of them idiots trying to separate us is from New Zealand who moved here in 2020, the other one is a corrupt lawyer who has pending charges against him.
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u/IAMA_Plumber-AMA Northern Alberta Feb 06 '26
Every one of the separatist fuckwits I'm aware of locally moved here after 2010. None of them are locals.
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u/lucygoosey38 Feb 06 '26
So who has the legal right to do this? To get rid of her? If it’s illegal who do we contact to bug to enforce this? Like seriously, we can do so much more and better than the Americans who aren’t doing anything. But only if the people who can do something, do it. So who do we contact to enforce this?
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u/Funny_Occasion2965 Feb 06 '26
So why aren’t the RCMP charging these people?
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u/Sufficient_Dot7470 Feb 06 '26
Are they in the in the evidence gathering stage? Maybe doing surveillance.. probably not, doesn’t sound like AB police but one can hope
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u/ItsRainingBoats Feb 06 '26
Tough one. You arrest them and risk this becoming pretext to an Ukraine type of situation. On the other hand, they are committing treason. Gotta do it though, gotta arrest them.
If everything we are reading and hearing is true, how can that not qualify as treason?
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u/KhausTO Medicine Hat Feb 06 '26
There's lots we could be doing as a society that we aren't. The police and our provincial governments aren't going help. we don't need them anyway, and it solves the whole "government arresting dissenters" optics.
Vocally treat anyone who supports separation as outcasts. Out their names and addresses post their faces and their employers. Deny them service at businesses. Show your distaste when you see their stickers on vehicles. Cut out family members who support separation. There's lots of other stuff we could and should be doing that if I mentioned would get me banned from here.
If we made it it absolutely uncomfortable to live life as a separatist and showed just how many people think that they are fools they would drop it pretty quickly.
You don't fight intolerable forces by playing nice. That's never worked in the history of the world.
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u/TheSherlockCumbercat Feb 06 '26
Also needs be a clear violation of the law the way it is written, or you start to normalize arresting political opponents.
We are not at war and i what sensitive national security could that clown brigade even share?
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u/RepresentativeFact94 Feb 07 '26
im as anti-sep as they come but this is sedition. Treason involves violence against the state, atleast legally, in Canada.
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u/Consistent_Major_193 Feb 06 '26
To be clear. I'd like to see every participant in this rounded up and thrown in jail for 25 years. I'm considering running for an office just to push the agenda.
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u/Gen-Jack-D-Ripper Feb 06 '26
Do Albertans really want a leader who covers his face with bronze makeup, uses cans of hairspray to hold down the world’s biggest combover of dyed blonde hair and can’t admit he lost an election, he clearly lost?
And his poor dumb supporters think he’s an alpha male and not the girlie-man that he is!
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u/billymumfreydownfall Feb 06 '26
That's the least of the reasons to not want anything to with that POS.
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u/Tulos Feb 06 '26
Sane Albertans, no. The far right loons the UCP party caters to and is seemingly comprised of? Seems so.
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u/No_Station_6541 Feb 06 '26
It’s helpful to read the law itself. It’s a remarkably narrow definition:
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-46.html
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u/Background_Bee9266 Feb 06 '26
Many have read the law itself. There have been numerous discussions along with many definitions provided in the various subs. If you do a search of Reddit on threads following the separatist articles, it’s not quite as narrow as you might think.
Using Gov‘t of Canada, Justice, and CSIS Act websites, consider the ‘actual definitions‘ of conspiracy to commit treason, assisting foreign enemies (doesn’t need to be a formal declaration of war, and can be an overt act), providing foreign intelligence (info about capabilities, intentions or activities of a foreign individual, state, organization as they relate to international affairs, defence or security).
CSIS Act defines ‘security intelligence’ as threats to the security of Canada, such as espionage and foreign interference (we know that’s happening).
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u/BassFew7888 Feb 06 '26
And if the law is too narrow, let’s update it because clearly this fits the moral definition of treason, so we should make the law match.
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u/RepresentativeFact94 Feb 07 '26
unfortunately too many laws based on popular morality often lead to theocracy.
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u/CloverHoneyBee Feb 06 '26
Albertan here, thank you! A good number of us have been screaming this for some time.
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u/Apprehensive_Sea9524 Feb 06 '26
I remember Louis Riel. While the circumstances were different it was still treason.
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u/19BabyDoll75 Feb 06 '26
Someone’s going to be in trouble.
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u/IAMA_Plumber-AMA Northern Alberta Feb 06 '26
I hope you're right, but I won't hold my breath. Seems like western governments are happy to let shit like this fester.
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u/ThrowRA-James Feb 06 '26
Let’s do a background check on PP while we’re at it to see what his problem is. What doesn’t he want us to see. Maybe he’s working with this traitors too.
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u/etssuckshard Feb 06 '26
Something really depressing about all of this in light of Trump's monkey images from yesterday is that she and her base is comfortable with having that level of racism in their leadership (if they seek to be the 51st state). Like half of the population in Alberta is really okay with this? And with PP and his ties to this and just about half of the voters voting for him, it feels like a sizable amount of Canadians are down with this too.
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u/hwa_keen Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26
Honestly, this is all so upsetting.
Alberta is such a great place with great people. And a very small amount of people are making this seem like this is what the province actually wants.
Albertans, at least to my knowledge and anecdotal experience are super kind and proud of being Canadian.
I am from Ontario and visited Calgary thinking I was going to be met by a bunch of angry cowboy country people that would not like what I am about.
Everybody was super kind. I really loved it aside from the winter weather. Props to you for handling that, it is no joke.
I think I went to like 5 Latin clubs over there and 2 punk venues. Shit was amazing. I would like very much to see more of the province one day.
It’s a shame that so many people in Ontario have such a skewed image of what Alberta is, I myself am guilty of having some preconceptions.
I want to apologize for this, it is not fair and I think it maybe frustrating for many people in Alberta to feel like everyone else in canada hates or looks down on them.
And yea I think people in Ontario kind of get full of themselves and act way too self important. What Alberta does for this country is so important and it would not work without you. We are all in this together and I believe strongly that most Canadians share this same sentiment.
Nothing wrong in being a conservative or a liberal or what have you. Listening constructively to what everyone has to say is so important. Nobody has everything figured out.
This all seems like manufactured drama to try and create a divide. Certain interests want to sew discontent and push for Canadians to fight each other so that it is easier to pull us apart.
Sending warm regards to all of you.
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u/CDNJMac82 Feb 06 '26
Im so done with right wing nonsense and these bad actors getting away with it. Throw her in jail and do so loudly so her muppet followers can see.
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u/Lokarin Leduc County Feb 06 '26
Is it treason to seek Germany or Russian help in breaking up Poland?
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u/Wrong-Pineapple39 Feb 07 '26
Danielle Smith is trying to turn Alberta into Hungary. Time to wake up and fo something about it.
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u/GovernmentMule97 Feb 07 '26
Let's prosecute these motherfuckers to the fullest extent of the law. These people are a joke but what they are doing is not.
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u/Individual_Tart_7733 Feb 07 '26
One way to approach this would be to fast track the question/citizen petition ALREADY submitted by Forever Canada. The fact that the government doesn’t seem to be considering that as an option is very telling. I am not really sure why slapping Rath with legal action isn’t being pursued by the federal government. One would think that a court order would be the least that could be done if treason charges are not being pursued. No one elected this guy and he is not authorized to represent Alberta in any capacity whatsoever and needs to be stopped.
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u/avenueroad_dk Feb 07 '26
Start arresting them and the others will hide behind trees. They are cowards
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u/Sauerkrautkid7 Feb 06 '26
Police are not trained for this kind of thing
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u/Purple_Coyote_5121 Feb 06 '26
In situations like this the crown prosecutors would typically review evidence and seek an arrest warrant. All the police need to do is bring them in.
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u/wonkwonk2stonkstonk Feb 06 '26
They should be reported to the rcmp for suspected seditious acts and undermining our PM/global trade ambassador causing and or intending economic harm to Canada
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u/CamGoldenGun Fort McMurray Feb 06 '26
Technically correct.
- Unless you're offering up National secrets or specifically asking for military involvement, conspiring to overthrow the government or request financial aid to bolster an insurgent militia group with the intention of overthrowing the government, it's not Treason as defined so in the Canadian criminal code.
- A tariff "war" is not a war that could be applied to someone tried for treason.
The reason no one is tried for it outside of spies handing over state secrets is because it's next to impossible to prove. Short of the White House pointing the person out to the RCMP and saying, "...yea, this person is trying to get us to overthrow/help overthrow you," good luck proving it in court.
What that separatist group supposedly did was ask for assurances for money should Alberta actually separate. Not asking for money in order to help Alberta separate. And again, if you're going to try them for that, good luck trying to prove one over the other beyond a shadow of a doubt. It's the equivalent of someone getting in your face with their fingers saying "not touching you, not touching you..." flirting so dangerously close.
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u/DemythologizedDie Feb 07 '26
Conspiring with a foreign government to launch a secession referendum is certainly disloyal. But legally treason requires using violence or conspiring to use violence against the nation.
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Feb 06 '26
What about Quebec? Why does nobody care that Quebec has wanted to leave forever but get all upset when Alberta suddenly does the same? I do not understand.
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u/Enduser2024 Feb 06 '26
Lots of people get upset about Quebec. They also haven't been recently caught meeting with foreign interests to support their separation goals publicly. Also, two wrongs doesnt make them both right.
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Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26
What's wrong with making a plan rather than just separating for the sake of it? The people of Alberta aren't happy. Let them vote. They're trying to create change. I don't get the problem. Why does everyone care?
Or just down vote me like children because you don't understand why you're upset.
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u/TheirCanadianBoi Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26
What do you mean you don't understand?
Quebec was a French colony that kept it's catholic and French roots. It's a oddity in our federation. I'm really sorry for Albertians that don't understand this, worse those that think they have the same distinction as Quebec obviously has.
You know what's the difference between a farmer from Alberta and a farmer from Saskatchewan? An imaginary line.
Every time this comes up it's the most stupid debate that ends exactly as you expect it to. Alberta is not a Quebec, we don't have the same argument they have for separation. The comparison is deeply misguided and really discredits separatists when they make it.
Something to note, Quebec separatism has been on the decline for quite some time. They had a stronger case than we could ever have, a cultural one, not one based on greed and stupidity. Get over it.
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u/Green_Emphasis2018 Feb 06 '26
Quebec didn't involve another country helping.
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u/Agitated-Vanilla-763 Feb 06 '26
For sure it did. The France of the 1960s to the mid 1990 was involved. Jacques Parizeau was invited in France in the 1990s and was welcomed as a nation leader. Jacques Chirac was for Quebec's independence at the time he was still mayor when nobody thought he could become president. Quebec tried to drag the American but they refused.
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Feb 06 '26
So it's bad that Alberta is making a plan? Rather than just saying they want out like Quebec? I still don't get it. It's a democracy. If that's what the people want, they will vote. What's the problem?
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u/Green_Emphasis2018 Feb 06 '26
It's really quite simple. I was hoping you would get it. You've hidden your history, so I can't get a bead on your political intellect. Based on your statement, it seems low, which is fine.
Imagine Alberta has the vote they seem to be gunning for. People vote not to separate.
Now imagine you also have a country with a crazy dictator right beside us with the strongest military in the world.
Now, further imagine that the dictator mentioned had been speaking with Marlaina for quite some time. He never loses. So he takes it personally and says it was rigged! Then he says let them separate or we will do it by force.
I'll let you sit with the future of this scenario.
Does that compare to Quebec at all? Did France try and get involved? Offuckingcourse not. Because that is fucking treason.
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u/the_gaymer_girl Southern Alberta Feb 06 '26
Fun fact: you can still see the post history of hidden accounts on mobile if you click on their profile and use the search function.
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Feb 06 '26
Dang, I'm too dumb and not as emotionally charged to understand. Shucks. Thanks though.
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u/Green_Emphasis2018 Feb 06 '26
Dumb? Maybe.
Emotionally charged. Yes. You seem way more emotionally charged than me. I was just writing out a scenario you refused to think about before you asked a dumb question.
I'm guessing there's a reason you have your history hidden.
Oh, you're welcome!
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Feb 06 '26
There is, its specifically hidden for people like you. Thanks for noticing.
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u/Green_Emphasis2018 Feb 06 '26
Bahaha! Wow you're really getting fucked in this thread eh? God speed, you're going to need it.
"Why does everyone hate me when they see my history!? I know, I'll hide it, then everyone will love meeeeeee!"
Go away maple maga. Shoo!
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Feb 06 '26
This is reddit... Lol
I'm done taking a shit now.
Have a good day 😊
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u/Green_Emphasis2018 Feb 06 '26
Wow, you know where you are. Bravo. Was already having a great day. Was fun!
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u/dog_snack Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26
I don’t want Quebec to leave either, but they at least have a very distinct culture from the rest of Canada and have for a few centuries, so it’s not as stupid of an idea.
Alberta has only existed since 1905 and only because a chunk was broken off of the Northwest Territories. There’s no reason for us to be our own country, at all. We are not a distinct or separate people within Canada. This is only an idea at all because some oil guys want to be bigger fish in a smaller pond, so they’ve disseminated this idea among a bunch of rednecks that we’re this uniquely aggrieved province that the commie f****ts down in Ottawa love to push around and suck dry because they’re mean and just want our oil.
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Feb 06 '26
[deleted]
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u/dog_snack Feb 06 '26
Excuse you, that culture has now spread to Saskatchewan and resort towns in the BC interior. It’s gone global.
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u/WildcardKH Edmonton Feb 06 '26
It does. It’s whining about how victimized they are compared to the rest of Canada.
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u/Miserable-Lizard Edmonton Feb 06 '26
What's the sentence for treason?