As the new year begins, political conversations in Canada are once again buzzing with talk of referendums and independence. However, the source of this separatist energy presents a striking national contrast, emerging from opposite ends of the political spectrum.
A Political Divide on Independence
In Quebec, the push for sovereignty has historically been championed by centre-left and democratic socialist parties like the Parti Québécois and Québec Solidaire. Alberta, in a global political anomaly, presents a nearly inverse picture. The province's independence movement is an almost exclusively right-wing phenomenon, creating a unique dynamic within Canadian confederation.
Recent polling underscores this deep partisan split. Support for Alberta independence is widespread among voters for the governing United Conservative Party (UCP). Conversely, that support is almost non-existent among those who back the opposition Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP).
The Modern Face of Alberta Separatism
The contemporary champions of Alberta separation show little interest in building a broad, cross-partisan coalition. Instead, they often employ rhetoric infused with MAGA-style talking points. They argue that Alberta's culture of rugged individualism is fundamentally incompatible with what they describe as Canada's "woke, post-national malaise."
Cameron Davies, leader of the separatist Republican Party of Alberta, has made the movement's right-wing alignment explicit. In a recent interview, he stated his future outreach would focus solely on right-leaning partners, explicitly ruling out engagement with left-of-centre groups like the U.S. Democratic Party.
"I've never seen evidence that the Democratic side really values the ideals of freedom and independence, so I don't think meeting with Democrats would be a really valuable use of my time," Davies said.
His international focus is squarely on the political right. Davies stated he will be rooting for Republican candidates in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections and is planning engagements with what he calls the "freedom loving" right-wing governments of El Salvador and Argentina.
Historical Roots in Populist Protest
According to Joseph Heath, a political philosopher at the University of Toronto, Davies's positioning is not new. It fits within a long lineage of separatism on Alberta's populist right, tracing back to the Social Credit movement of the 1920s and 1930s.
"The roots of Alberta separatism have always been tied to the social credit movement, and have always been part of that social credit, populist strain on the right in Alberta," Heath explained.
That movement, which sought to liberate individuals from oppressive economic systems through schemes like universal basic income, gained powerful traction in Alberta and the Prairies during the Great Depression. Alberta's first major brush with separatism occurred in the mid-1930s. It was triggered when the federal government in Ottawa blocked Social Credit Premier William "Bible Bill" Aberhart from flooding the provincial economy with "prosperity certificates," a form of quasi-currency.
Heath notes a second wave surged during the energy crises of the 1970s, this time centered on control over Alberta's vast oil and gas reserves. This era also introduced a new cultural dimension. Heath observes that many Albertans began to pattern their dress and customs after depictions of Texas and the American frontier in popular TV shows like Dallas and Dynasty.
"A lot of Albertans were sort of re-imagining themselves at the time to match what they saw on their screens," Heath noted, highlighting how popular culture influenced provincial identity.
This historical context frames today's movement, illustrating that Alberta's right-wing separatist sentiment is a recurring, deeply rooted political force with a distinct character not commonly seen in independence movements worldwide.
