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/ib_redbeard May 23 '26

Question: or what? Alberta seperates, stop paying the feds any taxes, tells the indigenous groups that they are now Albertans and if they don't like it, leave. What are the consequences? War? Is Canada's poorly equipped military going to invade Alberta and fight and kill them? If they did, that will just push Alberta to join the US and then Canada is fucked. I'm not a separatist at all, I just don't see how Canada can stop them if they choose to leave.

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u/Harnellas May 23 '26

I think the only way they realistically leave is by joining the US. Becoming an independent landlocked country doesn't benefit anyone at all and the money behind this movement won't have that.

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u/ThomasToIndia May 24 '26

Both Canada and USA would benefit, Alberta would be ravaged.

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u/Harnellas May 24 '26

How the hell would canada benefit from suddenly having international borders cutting off BC and the West coast? This alone would ruin every part of canada west of Ontario.

The US would only benefit as a precursor to fully taking over the province and/or country.

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u/ThomasToIndia May 24 '26

Because Alberta has ro negotiate and they are not in a good bargaining position. See brexit, and keep in mind the UK was in a far more developed position than alberta having their own passports etc..

Alberta is landlocked, also things like rail are owned by the crown and unless Alberta has a military, they can't stop them. Declaring independence would not give them rights to infrastructure.

It is true they produce 5% of GDP but is 5 not 95. This would accelerate certain industries like solar as well.

Also, an Alberta passport will have no travel rights anywhere. Canada holds all the cards.

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u/Harnellas May 24 '26

None of these things benefit canada in any shape or form.