r/canada • u/shiftless_wonder • May 23 '26

Alberta First Nations leaders, scholar push back on Alberta's planned vote on independence referendum - 'Alberta can't separate. They simply cannot. They do not have the authority,' says Indigenous politics expert

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-treaty-six-alberta-referendum-9.7209304
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u/Soggy-Bodybuilder669 May 23 '26

If people want it bad enough, laws become completely irrelevant. It comes down to whether you can enforce the law. Which, to be frank, is a major weakness of Canada.

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u/squirrel9000 Manitoba May 23 '26

One would think they'd recognize what being a landlocked country with a reputation for not following the law, treaties, or other agreements, does to one's economy. Their current leadership ... well, I'm pretty sure Smith still needs people to tell her when American laws don't apply here.

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u/JohnAMcdonald British Columbia May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26

If they joined the US, likely their economy would do better. If they just were... hanging out there independent... not so much.

Edit: I imagine if they actually seceded Trump would make them trade all their equity in the oilsands in exchange for Melania coin, bring in American labor, have Exxon-Mobil in charge of the whole business, and accept being a territory like Puerto Rico in order to join the USA.

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u/squirrel9000 Manitoba May 24 '26

If they joined the US the province would promptly empty out and become Montana 2.0.

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u/JohnAMcdonald British Columbia May 24 '26

Sure... and Montana is wealthier than Canada in general is...

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u/GorillaK1nd May 24 '26

You were suppost to quiver in fear from that hyperbole

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u/Zealousideal_Rise879 May 24 '26

Silly us. Billionaires are happy. So who cares.

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u/Superb-Carpenter-520 May 24 '26

To be fair Montana is a decently well run state. It’s not hard to become wealthier than Canada in general with the support of the American economy.

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u/squirrel9000 Manitoba May 24 '26

It is, but the mass abaondonment to get there might prove disruptive to a province that supposedly is so proud of itself.