We need to focus on connection, not division

By Lethbridge Herald on June 28, 2025.

Rob Miyashiro
Lethbridge West MLA

As we approach Canada Day, I find myself reflecting on what it truly means to be Canadian—especially in a time when unity is being tested by forces of division. 

Recently I had a long conversation with a constituent who had lived in a country that separated from the U.S.S.R. He described to me what that time was like for the people of his country, and he detailed a lot of instability and stress. The discussion of separatism in Alberta has brought a lot of that stress and instability back for him. 

He is not alone. Many people have written to me to express their concern about the premier’s flirtations with separation and the UCP’s secessionist talking points. Many of us are old enough to remember the financial losses created by Quebec’s separatist movement. There is no appetite in Alberta for the kind of economic and personal strain that separatist rhetoric brings. 

This year, the celebration of our national identity carries a deeper urgency. It is not just a day of fireworks and flags, but a moment to reaffirm our shared values in the face of growing separatist rhetoric, particularly from elements within the United Conservative Party and fringe parties. 

Canada Day reminds us that our strength lies in our diversity and our commitment to one another. It is a day to honour our hard-won rights and freedoms. 

In Alberta, we are proud Canadians and proud Albertans—these identities are not mutually exclusive. Yet, some voices are trying to convince us otherwise, sowing seeds of division under the guise of provincial autonomy. 

Let me be clear: advocating for Alberta’s interests within Confederation is not the same as threatening to tear it apart. The separatist undercurrents we’re seeing are not about empowerment—they are about isolation. 

And isolation is not a solution to the real challenges Albertans face. Whether it’s affordability, health care, or education, the problems demand co-operation, not confrontation. 

Last weekend I had the honour to attend the National Indigenous Peoples Day events held in Lethbridge on the summer solstice, June 21, the longest day of the year. The summer solstice holds deep significance for many Indigenous peoples and is often a time for celebrations and continued traditions. 

We need to remember that we are all Treaty people and the Indigenous People are the original keepers of this land that we now call Canada. 

I hope to see you at the Lethbridge Pride Festival today. It is a vibrant, joyful celebration of love, identity, and inclusion and a powerful reminder that we must fight for the inclusive world we want to live in. 

The same principle applies to our province and our country. We must fight for the inclusive Canada that we all want to live in. 

National Indigenous Peoples Day, Pride, and Canada Day are not separate ideas. They are all about the care we owe one another in a society. Each celebration is about the courage and the commitment to stand up for one another and alongside one another. They remind us that the work of building a just and inclusive society is never finished. 

This week also brought a fresh wave of democratic renewal to Alberta. On Monday, three new MLAs were elected in by-elections across the province. I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to: 

• Naheed Nenshi, who now represents Edmonton-Strathcona and takes his position as Leader of the Opposition. 

• Gurtej Singh Brar, who held Edmonton-Ellerslie for the NDP. 

• And the UCP’s new MLA in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, Tara Sawyer.

These results show that Albertans are engaged, thoughtful, and ready to shape the future of our province through democratic means—not through division or despair. So, as we gather to celebrate Canada Day, let us do so with pride—not just in our flag, but in our neighbours. Let us reject the politics of separation and embrace the promise of solidarity and inclusivity. Let us remember that our future is not something to be fought over, but something to be built—together. 

Happy Canada Day! Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day! Happy Pride!