Alberta separatists, be careful what you wish for
By Lethbridge Herald on January 30, 2026.
Editor:
First of all if you were successful in separating from Canada the most likely outcome is that the new Alberta state would be rather quickly annexed by the USA.
Two facts to support that statement are:
The USA, particularly the Trump administration, has a hearty appetite acquiring Alberta, especially for her oil and water.
A significant percentage of Alberta separatists do indeed wish to become part of the USA.
Let’s consider the present situation. A province within Canada has ownership of their natural resources guaranteed by the Constitution ( 1867, 1930, 1982 ) and mineral rights ( 1930 ).
Natural resource ownership in the USA is a mixture of state control, federal control, ownership by Native American Reservations and private ownership, corporate or otherwise.
There is no guarantee that Alberta as the 51st state would actually own their own natural resources as we do now.
So Alberta separatists be careful what you wish for. Your Golden Goose may turn out to be a goose egg.
Howard Rasmussen, Lethbridge
11-10
A significant percentage of Albertans must have their heads in the sand.The arrogance of these separatists who belive Alberta could go it alone or as the 51st state is mindboggling. The U.S. would soon take our resources and we would end up like Peurto Rico.
While they believe the lie that we will be a lot better off every Lawyer, Accountant, economist, oilman, banker and former MLA we talk to says that adding a private for profit healthcare system and education system onto your monthly costs and risk losing your Canada Pension Plan is pure stupidity and it is. That’s how stupid these fools are isn’t it? Danielle Smith must be bouncing off the wall she is so excited these fools are playing into her trap that’s how stupid they are, aren’t they? This is exactly what the Reformers have wanted from day one.
Two of Ralph Klein’s sayings were , when I knew him, “ We have to make the fools pay” and “ I can tell these idiot seniors anything I want to and they would believe it”. Klein certainly knew how stupid they were, didn’t he?
If you want to see a whole pile of stupid seniors needing help at the Food Banks you will see it, won’t you?
Klein did make the fools pay by giving us the highest power bills in Canada, the highest property taxes, highest vehicle registration fees, highest vehicle insurance rates, etc, etc.
What is so disgusting is whatever these senior idiots let them do effects all of us, and they are so stupid they don’t think there is anything wrong with what they are doing, that’s how stupid they are, isn’t it?
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Recent polls have indicated that 65% of Albertans aren’t dumb enough to want to separate from Canada just like we thought and that’s a huge point.
It makes these Reformers look rather stupid for not listening to the people, doesn’t it?
With all the nonsense raging in the media, some things have been overlooked whether you agree or not, One must decide if they are in favour of direct democracy or just in favour of it when you favour the “cause”. Alberta’s voter will decide in what is the purest form of democracy, from the ground up. I can recall in the not too distant past the hue and cry for recalls and referendums raging from all corners of the political spectrum. Well, now you have them. Don’t complain, the citizens will decide, as should be the case, whatever the result, we will survive and adapt. Here is a good comment from the “hair not on fire” crowd, just worth some thought.
Brendan Eikeland. The media needs to calm down.
This isn’t the Government of Alberta asking the question.
It’s citizens asking a question.
That distinction matters.
Making it possible for people to ask a question is not the same thing as the province asserting authority, cancelling treaties, or acting unilaterally. Alberta isn’t “doing” separation. People are asking whether they consent to continue being governed by Canada.
That includes First Nations citizens too.
Nothing about a petition or a vote takes treaty rights. Nothing touches reserve land. Nothing transfers ownership. Nothing overrides consent.
Treaty rights remain exactly where they are. Reserve land remains yours. Period.All this does is ask a foundational question that everyone here lives under already: Do we consent to the current governing relationship with Canada, or do we want to talk about something different?
That conversation is not an attack. It’s not a takeover. It’s not erasure.
It’s an opportunity to actually talk together instead of being told the discussion itself is forbidden.
And frankly, if settlers are fed up with Canada, it shouldn’t be shocking that First Nations might be too.
No one is taking your rights. No one is taking your land. No one is acting without consent.
We’re asking whether consent still exists.
That’s it.
Really when have all these mindless seniors , like you, who are the ones who mainly vote and believe every lie these Reformers feed them we see a huge problem. It’s a well known fact that fools like you outnumber us two to one and we can’t do anything about it.
Lawyers have pointed out over the years that these seniors are so stupid that they will vote themselves into financial ruin before they wake up and figure out what they have done and thats exactly what they did.
It’s why we have a $90 billion debt and a $260 billion oil well cleanup mess, and a $30 billion deficit and no other oil rich area in the world is in that kind of mess as oilmen point out. Alaska and Norway certainly aren’t and trips to visit them certainly proved that.
Well said Howard my friends and I aren’t that stupid and the young people we talk to aren’t either. It’s our family members we are concerned about.
The lack of respect for their future is sickening and it’s mainly seniors who are the problem. We bet they re-elect that clown Poilievre again today, that’s how stupid they are, aren’t we?
Sticking their heads in the sand and pretending these Reformers aren’t destroying us is the problem.
Referendums are unreliable. Can anyone remember when CBC’s ….This Hour Has 22 Minutes….held a referemdom to have Stockwell Day’s name changed to “Doris day”? Over 600,000 Canadians signed that petition.. So much for referendoms.
“Do you agree the province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?” Now what part of that statement do you not understand? Whether or not “state” is a new country or a vassal of the USA, the question is clear. As with Quebec, separation is bad for the province and bad for Canada.