Alberta is, indeed, a ‘distinct society’

MONTREAL—The recent death of Canadian music legend Ian Tyson evoked reminiscences across this country, certainly in my mind and for those whose lives had been touched by the balladeer from Longview, Alta. For many of my generation, the desire to explore Canada’s West came out of hearing songs like Tyson’s Four Strong Winds, with his partner Sylvia Fricker. The song’s line, “Think I’ll go out to Alberta” was an inspiration for 20-something Canadians to travel to Calgary, Edmonton, and the Rockies. Many settled down and became part of the petroleum-fuelled growth from the 1970s onward. Alberta’s government was also in the news with the recent passage of the Alberta Sovereignty Act. Premier Danielle Smith is setting a course for confrontation with Ottawa. However, she is no constitutional expert: suggesting “the federal government is equal to the provinces” ignores the residual powers held by Ottawa and the jurisprudence that underlines the senior government’s role in the Constitution. Differences of opinion on the Constitution aside, I agree with Smith on one thing: Alberta has a unique culture. Many pundits ridicule the idea because Alberta is a predominantly English-speaking province. Having lived and worked there and visited dozens of times, I believe we should recognize Alberta as distinct as Quebec or Newfoundland and Labrador. To begin with, its reputation for individualism is more than a cliché. Facing the challenges of eking out a living ranching and farming, people had to rely on themselves. With the Leduc discovery in 1947, roughnecks, geologists, and entrepreneurs flooded into the province, many from the United States and Europe. These were people who had little use for big government. In the National Energy Program of Pierre Trudeau, there was huge government support for the industry, but most Alberta oil companies rejected the money, choosing not to rely on government. Another reflection of that individualism is the importance of volunteerism. Each year during the Calgary Stampede, volunteer greeters with white hats and red vests are everywhere. It was the same during the 1988 Winter Olympics. And when the price of oil has dropped and people struggled, the charitable sector always brought in windfall donations. When floods hit Calgary in 2013, then-mayor Naheed Nenshi called on people to come to McMahon Stadium to deal with the cleanup. On a few hours’ notice, thousands showed up. He told them: “You know what to do in your neighbourhood. Do it and send us the bill.” And tens of thousands did just that. Alberta is home to dozens of linguistic communities, from Ukrainians in Vegreville to Franco-Albertans in Grande Prairie to Chinese and Japanese everywhere, and to those who arrived in the last few decades. Alberta should have a special place in the national zeitgeist, but instead it is portrayed as Canada’s “spoiled child.” Peter Lougheed, my choice for the greatest premier ever, spoke of Alberta being “blessed” and a “key partner” in Confederation. While avoiding the Sovereignty Act’s trap of picking a fight, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be tempted to go to the mat with Alberta on climate change. This, despite billions invested by Alberta in carbon capture and other technologies. Trudeau’s announcement of the Just Transition Act was a slap in the face to the oil and gas industry, whose annual emissions equal a handful of Chinese coal plants. Remarkably, this is the same person who said in 2012, “No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil in the ground and leave them there.” Trudeau also promised the oilsands would be a mainstay of Canada’s economy for 50 years. In his recent book, former finance minister Bill Morneau warns winding down the oil and gas sector would damage Canada’s economy by drastically reducing export income. Is it any wonder Albertans aren’t happy with Ottawa’s calls to transition? Meanwhile, Smith has copied Quebec’s “knife to the throat” strategy in her quest for power. Premier Smith may be history after this year’s provincial election, but if she isn’t, the demonization of Albertans does no service to Canada’s unity or its economy. Tyson, who was the incarnation of the rugged Albertan, was also a compassionate and committed Canadian. The Trudeau Liberals should take a lesson from his legacy and treat Albertans with the respect they deserve. Andrew Caddell is retired from Global Affairs Canada, where he was a senior policy adviser. He previously worked as an adviser to Liberal governments. He is a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and a town councillor in Kamouraska, Que. He can be reached at pipson52@hotmail.com. The Hill Times

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Alberta is, indeed, a ‘distinct society’

The province’s reputation for individualism is more than a cliché. Facing the challenges of eking out a living ranching and farming, people had to rely on themselves.

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Alberta is, indeed, a ‘distinct society’

The province’s reputation for individualism is more than a cliché. Facing the challenges of eking out a living ranching and farming, people had to rely on themselves.

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Only $7.76 a week for an annual subscription.

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