Talk of Alberta separatism gets sympathy — but not support — from B.C. leaders

Chuck Chiang · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 07, 2025 12:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: 34 minutes ago

Politicians and concern leaders successful British Columbia accidental speech of separation successful Alberta is an opening for amended co-operation betwixt Ottawa and Western provinces, but dividing the state is simply a measurement excessively far.

The reactions travel aft Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said this week that she would enactment the contented to a referendum if capable residents motion a petition successful support, adjacent if she doesn't privation Alberta to permission Canada.

B.C. Opposition Leader John Rustad said he understands the vexation and that it's an accidental for Prime Minister Mark Carney "to measurement up to the plate" and for the national authorities to "unleash the imaginable of provinces."

B.C. Premier David Eby said past period the thought of Western separatism was a "waste of time" erstwhile the state needs to enactment unneurotic against tariff threats of U.S. President Donald Trump.

However, the Business Council of British Columbia says that "Alberta's concerns astir policies similar emissions caps connected lipid and state indispensable beryllium taken seriously."

While the B.C. Chamber of Commerce wouldn't remark connected Alberta separation, it did propulsion for the "importance of removing unnecessary interprovincial commercialized barriers and the request to person a single, seamless marketplace successful Canada."

"The B.C. Chamber of Commerce is focused connected captious issues that volition unlock the economical imaginable for British Columbia and Canada," said CEO Fiona Famulak successful a statement.

"Foremost is the request for the national authorities and provincial governments to enactment collaboratively and make a azygous marketplace successful our country, wherever businesses and consumers tin bargain and merchantability products without onerous interprovincial restrictions impeding productivity and growth."

Watch | Pushback from MLAs, First Nations chiefs to Alberta separatism:

Business Council of B.C. CEO Laura Jones says we request a beardown economy, not a fractured country.

"When Alberta thrives, Canada thrives," she said. "The world is that implementing an emissions headdress risks undermining affordability, reconciliation and commercialized diversification."

Industry experts and researchers accidental separation wouldn't beryllium a adjuvant solution to Alberta, a landlocked state that needs much entree to extracurricular markets.

"The thought of Alberta becoming a abstracted nation, what would it bash different than to make barriers betwixt it and different provinces?" says University of British Columbia-Okanagan subordinate prof of economics Ross Hickey.

"I don't cognize what Alberta's concern would beryllium fiscally if it weren't for the travel of superior from extracurricular of the state into the province, and the travel of labour from extracurricular the state successful the province. The lipid does not extract itself."

B.C. Trucking Association president Dave Earle said Alberta separatism has long, historical roots — and the reasons for its re-emergence should not beryllium dismissed.

"I don't deliberation Canadians truly recognize the level of dissatisfaction and upset that exists there," Earle says. "And that's thing we person to find a mode some to honour and truly perceive what Albertans person to say."

But Earle adds that helium isn't disquieted astir a hypothetical separation isolating B.C., wherever astir roads and onshore links to different parts of Canada spell done Alberta.

He says the North American onshore transport strategy is afloat integrated, and Alberta volition proceed to request the goods being brought successful from different jurisdictions done that system, necessitating the routes to enactment unfastened and accessible.