Albertans rally for separation, saying things won't change under Liberals

The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 04, 2025 12:18 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Katheryn Speck said she utilized to beryllium a Canadian nationalist, travelled the satellite with a maple leafage connected her backpack and erstwhile lived successful Quebec truthful she could go fluently bilingual.

But connected Saturday she was among hundreds of radical who rallied astatine the Alberta legislature to enactment separation from Canada, with galore successful the assemblage waving Alberta flags and a fewer adjacent displaying the U.S. Stars and Stripes.

"I thought it was a beautiful, fantastic country. But present I'm truthful disappointed. I'm virtually crushed that we'll ne'er beryllium represented successful this state and there's ne'er a accidental of changing the government," Speck said.

Earlier this week, Premier Danielle Smith's authorities projected authorities that would little the barroom for holding a referendum.

While Smith told reporters she won't presuppose what questions Albertans mightiness bring to a ballot, the determination would marque it easier for citizens to telephone for a ballot to secede from Canada.

The national Liberals' predetermination triumph Monday has besides prompted immoderate radical successful the state to request an exit.

WATCH | Counter-protesters conscionable hundreds of Albertans rallying for separation: 

Speck said the National Energy Program of the 1980s eroded her Canadian pride. Now a decennary of Liberal policies that she said person blocked pipelines and stymied the province's vigor industry have her reasoning there's nary hole nether Confederation.

"Once the votes are counted successful Ontario, the predetermination is over. We don't matter. We ne'er matter," she said.

Hannah Henze, a 17-year-old who attended Saturday's rally, said she mightiness person felt otherwise astir separation if the Conservatives had won.

"If (Pierre) Poilievre was in, I consciousness we'd person a batch much anticipation than a 3rd oregon 4th Liberal term, which is conscionable going to ruin our country," Henze said.

Leo Jensen, meanwhile, said Canadians are disquieted astir losing car manufacturing jobs owed to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, but they don't look acrophobic astir protecting jobs successful Alberta's lipid and state sector.

"I don't spot however a state similar Quebec takes each of our soiled money, but they won't fto a soiled pipeline spell done Quebec to assistance an lipid refinery successful New Brunswick," Jensen said.

First Nation concerns

A fewer twelve counter-protesters attempted to drown retired the rally, galore holding signs saying that separation would interruption treaties with First Nations.

Piikani Nation Chief Troy Knowlton said successful a missive earlier this week that it's understandable galore successful the West are frustrated their rejection of the national Liberal enactment successful the predetermination didn't play retired elsewhere. But helium said Alberta doesn't person the authorization to interfere with oregon negate treaties.

On her provincewide vigor call-in amusement connected Saturday, the premier said she afloat respects pact rights.

"Everything I bash is changing Alberta's narration with Ottawa. First Nations person their ain narration with Ottawa and that's enshrined successful treaty. That does not change," Smith said.

WATCH | Premier Smith takes a plaything astatine Ottawa post-election: 

In March, Smith threatened a "national unity crisis" if the adjacent premier curate doesn't acquiesce to a database of her demands wrong six months, but reiterated this week that she supports a sovereign Alberta wrong a agreed Canada.

Rally attendee Susan Westernaier said she believed everything would beryllium amended if Alberta separated.

"We person the oil, we person the resources. We're fine," Westernaier said, noting she believed Monday's predetermination was rigged.