# Alberta, Natural Resources, and the Rest of Canada **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 3, 2025, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872 "2025-05-03T00:31:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/121 "2025-05-26T14:09:03Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > They even allow terrorists to be Canadian Huh. Who is that? ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/122 "2025-05-26T14:39:04Z")
I wonder if Albertans can apply for asylum in US, like the White South Africans? That might be a good PR plan, just have a massive asylum migration from the oppressive Canadian regime? I imagine newspapers could run horror stories every day on plight the asylum seekers have had to suffer through. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/123 "2025-05-26T14:55:02Z")
> [@Canada Election 2019](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-election-2019/839798/560): > > And yet Western alienation becomes a non-issue whenever the Tories take Parliament hill. That’s just pure sour grapes, not an independence movement. Wexiters cry bloody murder up until the day the Conservatives win and get to set the National agenda. That’s why it’s a perennial farce. There no political aspirations beyond run-of-the-mill right wing reactionary politics. My previous comments seem accurate to this day. The source of today’s Alberta/Saks separatism seems to be pure right-wing grievance. I’m someone who is VERY UNSYMPATHETIC to right-wing grievances; I feel contempt to appeals to it. I guess this is a personal thing, that has only grown more stronger due to the escalating political brinkmanship right-wingers have engaged in. I hate the world that right-wingers crave. I just hate it all. Threatening to destroy Canada, because they can’t handle the democratic results of the recent election, is just another thing to add to the pile of my personal grievances I have for right-wing grievance mongerers. No matter how hard I try, I cannot drum up sympathy to their destructive and often wild world view. When you get lefties arguing separation from the left, perhaps there will be intellectual substance to the arguments instead of bullshit grievances. Perhaps, but judging from my lifelong arguments with Quebec sovereignists I have doubts. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/124 "2025-05-26T15:52:39Z")
Yes, this. Say what you will about Quebec separatism (I’m firmly opposed), Quebec is at least fundamentally different linguistically and culturally from the rest of Canada (absent maybe some parts of North-eastern Ontario and Northern New Brunswick), and they agitate for independence regardless of the government of the day. Albertan independence is almost entirely political sour grapes; [around 75% of people](https://angusreid.org/referendum-alberta-saskatchewan-smith-moe/) who said they would vote to leave would have voted to stay if the Conservatives won. It’s the equivalent of Texas talking about leaving whenever a democratic president is elected. Worse yet, it’s a movement founded on spite; people who support Alberta separatism are much more likely to support it if Native American groups are opposed (see previous link). Not indifferent - not “I don’t care what the Natives want, we want to leave” - but “Well, the Natives want to stay? Then we want to leave even more!”. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/125 "2025-05-26T16:30:46Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > Canada allows people to have multiple citizenships. See current PM. Mark Carney only holds Canadian citizenship, please try again. [https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney-citizenship-taxes-1.7509618](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney-citizenship-taxes-1.7509618) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/126 "2025-05-26T20:16:58Z")
I don’t think your “facts” will count for much unless expressed in a right-wing video. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/127 "2025-05-27T01:11:31Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Alberta receives billions in federal health transfers. All provinces do. Come on, you know better than that. Where do you think the feds get the money to give to the provinces? From the people in those provinces, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/128 "2025-05-27T01:15:13Z")
Wow, you got me. That proves that Canadians can’t have multiple citizenships, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/129 "2025-05-27T01:15:34Z")
Omar khadr ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/130 "2025-05-27T01:32:29Z")
Both of your comments are on the mark. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/131 "2025-05-27T01:38:44Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > They even allow terrorists to be Canadian You know this isn’t how citizenship works, right? Khadr was born Canadian and only had Canadian citizenship, you can’t just strip citizenship from somebody because they commit a crime. Edit: Obviously this was meant to be a response to Uzi, not Rhombus. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/132 "2025-05-27T01:52:20Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > Wow, you got me. That proves that Canadians can’t have multiple citizenships, I guess. No one said Canadians can’t have multiple citizenships. You have to understand your snide little quips aren’t clever. And if Alberta chooses to separate I guarantee you that citizens will not be entitled to keep Canadian citizenship if they opt for Albertan citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/133 "2025-05-27T02:06:35Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > They even allow terrorists to be Canadian. > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Huh. Who is that? > [@Uzi](#): > > Omar khadr That’s pretty weak - he was born in Toronto. That’s like saying the United States allows serial killers to be Americans because Ed Gein was born in Wisconsin. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/134 "2025-05-27T02:53:21Z")
Example: Canadians who were British subjects in 1946 were no longer British subjects in 1948. There was a transitional period where there was a right to reside in Britain, but it is over. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/135 "2025-05-27T03:50:36Z")
And I was born in British Columbia. Explain how I can’t keep keep Canadian citizenship? It’s not my concern, but you seem to be looking for ways to punish people for disagreeing rather than address their actual real issues. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/136 "2025-05-27T04:00:41Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > Economic diversification: > [https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/evidence-clear-alberta-no-petrostate?utm\_source=chatgpt.com](https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/evidence-clear-alberta-no-petrostate?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Fraser Institute? 😆 The credibility of your comments should be evaluated by the fact that the only cite you have to back them up is a right-wing libertarian propaganda-spewing cesspool formerly known for defending the tobacco industry (and heavily sponsored by Philip Morris and others) and publishing articles by crackpot climate change denialists. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/137 "2025-05-27T04:19:09Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > And I was born in British Columbia. Explain how I can’t keep keep Canadian citizenship? Huh? I didn’t address that point at all. For the record I have no particular opinion on dual-citizenship in such a case. I’d imagine in a hypothetical split it would depend how amicable the separation was and how concerned either side was for the comfort of people “trapped on the other side.” I was just objecting to what seemed to be the implicit criticism of the Canadian government allowing Omar Khadr to be a citizen, when in fact he was Canadian from birth. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/138 "2025-05-27T08:33:24Z")
I note a lot of replies from Canadians in this thread, but not a lot from Albertans. Maybe only one. So here am I, an Albertan of 22 years, since I moved from Ontario. The GTA specifically, so I should not be an Albertan, according to some. Yet I am, and most agree with me that I am now Albertan. I don’t sense any kind of desire for separation/independence among my circle of friends and acquaintances. When they think about it, which is rarely, they realize they get a better deal in Canada, than outside of it. A Canadian passport, which they all have or at least can apply for, is recognized worldwide; an Albertan passport—well, you’ve got to get at least 195 countries to recognize that it is legit, and then there’s the question of being recognized by the United Nations. Moreover, they realize the reality: If independent, Alberta would be landlocked, relying on the goodness of Canada or Montana/the USA to get its goods to market. Welcome, Alberta, to the reality that Bolivia, the Sudan, and the Central African Republic experience: all landlocked, like Alberta would be, and depending on the kindness of strangers. IMHO, the only people advocating for Albertan independence are those who inhabit right-wing bubbles offline and online. In many ways, they are like Trump’s MAGAts: they refuse to believe anything that counters their wonderful future of an independent Alberta. Hard cold reality is a foreign concept to these people. With all that being said, I will say that Alberta could and should have more of a say in our country. Average Albertans see Quebec whining and complaining about their relationship with Canada, and getting a lot of stuff that other provinces don’t (a lot of so-called “equalization” payments that allow Quebec parents to have $7 a day childcare, when Albertan parents pay a lot more for childcare), and they wonder why they cannot have the same. The fact that so many PMs come from Quebec pisses them off further, under the belief that Albertans are not allowed to participate in Canada’s government unless they speak French (which most don’t) or are a part of the Laurentian Elite. With Mr. Carney at the helm, this has all quieted down, as he’s got a great track record as Governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, and he has a lot of respect here in Alberta; even though Alberta liked Conservative MPs in the recent election. And his first language is English, though he can speak French if he has to. Frankly, I’m glad of a PM who can read the room, and speak English to an Albertan audience. Justin Trudeau couldn’t. Enough said for now. I may be back with more later. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/139 "2025-05-27T10:11:30Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > > [@Uzi](#): > > > > And I was born in British Columbia. Explain how I can’t keep keep Canadian citizenship? > > I was just objecting to what seemed to be the implicit criticism of the Canadian government allowing Omar Khadr to be a citizen, when in fact he was Canadian from birth. Follow the thread. If Omar can keep their Canadian citizenship then it is likely that everyone else can. It is just fear mongering to say otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872/140 "2025-05-27T10:18:36Z")
This is a complete non sequitur. Removing citizenship as a punishment for a crime, and thereby rendering someone stateless, is completely unrelated to removing citizenship from people who voluntarily form a separate country. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-natural-resources-and-the-rest-of-canada/1017872.md?page=8)