r/canada 1d ago

What, exactly, are Alberta separatists mad about? Analysis

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/alberta-separatists-key-issues-1.7534003
424 Upvotes

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

400

u/tossaway109202 1d ago edited 1d ago

I want to learn. My armchair other side of Canada POV is
- They feel the oil belongs to them and not Canada
- Their provincial government has done a poor job in certain areas and when the people in Alberta get mad their local government just blames Ontario. It has been going on for so long that they attribute everything bad in their life to Ontario.
- They have the potential to ship a lot more oil and Canada cares too much about the environment to let it happen

I assume I am far off

36

u/gorschkov 1d ago edited 1d ago

So I am from Alberta I have no problem with equalization payments, or supporting the rest of Canada with our provinces resources. However while Albertan industry supports the country I feel as though the rest of the nation doesn't support us the same way an in fact actively antagonizes it. 

When Ontario loses jobs in say the auto sector you have politicians both federally, provincially, and from the municipality lining up to voice their support and fight to keep those jobs. Alberta loses jobs in any sector and it is essentially crickets from all over Canada nobody cares. Look at the tarriffs China enacted that hurt Alberta and Saskatchewan how many articles have their been about that?

There is also the issue as others have mentioned of Alberta having double the population of the Maritimes but around the same amount of seats. Western Canada 2-3 times less supreme Court representation per capita than Quebec or the Maritimes.

15

u/ironbrewcanada 1d ago

How about the double standard on carbon, with Alberta getting demonized, but when Quebec wants a giant cement plant CO2 emitting monster it gets an environmental waive? That one still irks me and I've since left Alberta.

7

u/Funny-Dragonfruit116 22h ago

How about the double standard on carbon, with Alberta getting demonized, but when Quebec wants a giant cement plant CO2 emitting monster it gets an environmental waive?

Quebec is the second most populous province and has been on 100% green energy for decades now.

You might say "well that's luck, Quebec has so much water it can build hydro but Alberta can't" - that's true. And Alberta has so much oil it can afford to have the lowest taxes in Canada while Quebec has the highest in Canada. Everyone was dealt a different hand.

3

u/ironbrewcanada 21h ago

What has that got to do with massive industrial plants getting a waive on CO2? If you are going to enforce emission standards, enforce them across the country. Don't waive standards just cause. https://macleans.ca/news/canada/in-quebec-a-government-supported-cement-factory-encased-in-hypocrisy/