Canada's sixth-largest province is seeking independence?

Living in Canada, but with the heart in America How 'spiritual Americans' become American—without immigrating. ▾ Moreover, for the U.S. Republican Party, conservative Alberta itself is a massive asset. If Alberta were to become an independent nation, it would effectively become 'North America’s Norway'—and even more promising in terms of resource prospects, given that Norway’s North Sea oil fields are aging while Alberta’s oil sands still have roughly another century of viable production ahead. Wealth made visible (Photo shows tailings pond leakage from oil sands operations—a severe environmental hazard) Image: Yitongwang ▾ If all the revenue Canada extracts from Alberta were instead deposited into a sovereign wealth fund, every Albertan could potentially inherit state assets worth hundreds of thousands of RMB upon birth. As the eldest sister in the Maple Leaf family, Alberta could be extraordinarily wealthy—but its hard-earned money is taken by the 'mother' (i.e., the federal government) to subsidize its younger siblings (other provinces). This elder sister has thus tragically become a 'sister-supporting-brothers' figure—deeply wronged within her own family. Desperate to escape a parental home marked by blatant favoritism... (A separatist’s daydream) Image: colenotcole ▾ Alberta: Breaking free from hostile neighbors Returning to the timeline of 2025: newly appointed Prime Minister Carney assumed office in March—precisely when Canada–U.S. relations continued deteriorating. Do these two men’s smiles look natural to you? Image: Yitongwang ▾ At this moment, Alberta’s growing desire to secede is unquestionably detrimental to Canada as a whole. Yet the country’s institutional framework is inherently loose: interprovincial and federal–provincial relations often exhibit stronger antagonism and competition than relations between sovereign states. Provincial–federal standoffs occur frequently, and provinces strongly prefer autonomous control over resource allocation rather than federal oversight. Carney: 'No way we’re becoming the 51st state.' Trump: 'Heh heh.' ▾ Take Quebec as an example: it maintains a unique electricity agreement with neighboring Newfoundland. Quebec purchases hydroelectric power from Newfoundland at low prices—and then resells it at a premium, pocketing the difference. The above diagram illustrates this decades-long 'unequal treaty' between the two provinces—effectively siphoning cumulative electricity-market profits totaling up to 10 trillion RMB exclusively to Quebec, arguably the most extreme case of domestic inequality in the modern world. Such 'internal squabbles' recur constantly among Canadian provinces—even surpassing the intensity of trade wars with neighboring America. Interprovincial Trade in Canada, Fiscal Year 2023–2024 Yellow: Purchase barriers; Red: Sales barriers Image: Government of Canada ▾ Government: 'Can you please stop fighting amongst yourselves?' Image: Government of Canada official website ▾ Wealthy Alberta is also a prime target for such 'wool-pulling' by other provinces. Its principal adversary is neighboring British Columbia (hereinafter 'BC'). Quebec, having gorged itself, routinely lashes out—something everyone has grown accustomed to. BC and Alberta, meanwhile, are a classic odd couple, locked in perpetual, bitter disputes. Eventually, BC wine was once banned from sale in Alberta, while Alberta beef was entirely excluded from BC’s dining tables. 'Hostile neighbors' constitute an inescapable nightmare for Alberta—and its single greatest bottleneck to economic development. As a landlocked economy lacking its own seaport, Alberta depends entirely on pipelines to export its oil. The Keystone Pipeline System Is the lifeline of U.S.–Canada petroleum trade

[Eastern Canada Watch] Quebec’s provincial election

Tariffs: Shifting the electoral agenda toward economics Starting August 22, the United States imposed a 50% tariff on approximately CAD 28 billion (about USD 20 billion) worth of Canadian exports under Section 338. The Fréchette government estimates this will affect CAD 7.7 billion in Quebec exports—over 9% of the province’s total exports to the U.S. Exit conditions under Section 232 lie beyond Quebec’s control. Compliance hinges solely on U.S. domestic industrial conditions. Under this provision, aluminum is essentially a purely Quebec-specific issue—with no policy adjustment by the Quebec government capable of resolving it. Section 338, however, operates quite differently. Its triggering condition is 'foreign discrimination against U.S. commerce.' The three discriminatory practices cited across the three U.S. notices are: Canada’s 25% surtax on U.S.-made automobiles; provincial liquor boards’ removal and bans on U.S. wines; and stricter U.S. dairy tariff-rate quotas under CUSMA compared to those granted to the EU under CETA. The second item falls squarely under provincial jurisdiction—and the SAQ (Quebec’s liquor board) is precisely one of the entities involved. On August 22, Fréchette explicitly announced that U.S. wines would remain excluded from SAQ shelves. Bill 21: Impactful—but limited On March 23–26, 2026—the longest hearing in its history—the Supreme Court of Canada heard the constitutional challenge to Quebec’s Act Respecting the Laicity of the State (Bill 21), styled Hak v. Attorney General of Quebec. Seven of the nine justices participated; Justice Jamal recused himself due to prior service as a director of one of the appellants, and Justice Moreau did not participate. In brief, Bill 21 prohibits teachers, police officers, judges, prosecutors, and others from wearing religious symbols (e.g., hijabs)—a measure almost certainly violating constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. However, the Constitution contains a notwithstanding clause, allowing provincial legislatures to shield laws from judicial review for five years—even if those laws contravene constitutional rights. Should the ruling be delivered during the 39-day election campaign period, the electoral agenda would instantly pivot overnight from economic issues back to identity and sovereignty issues. This shift would benefit both the Parti Québécois (PQ) and the Parti conservateur du Québec (PCQ), while constituting an unwarranted blow to the Liberal Party. Upholding Bill 21 would validate Quebec’s position; striking it down would immediately generate the narrative of 'Ottawa interfering in Quebec’s affairs.' Federalist forces would be utterly defeated. Churchill Falls Hydroelectric Project: A post-election matter On August 17, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Fréchette, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham, and Canadian Prime Minister Carney jointly announced a framework agreement for developing the Churchill Falls and Gull Island hydroelectric projects. Under the agreement, the entire project cluster will have a total installed capacity of approximately 11,265 megawatts (including 2,000 MW of onshore wind power in Labrador). Hydro-Québec is entitled to roughly 10,000 MW (Newfoundland retains 2,350 MW—360 MW more than stipulated in the 2024 Memorandum of Understanding); power supply security extends until 2077; total project costs are estimated near CAD 70 billion, with Hydro-Québec committing CAD 45 billion.

Newfoundland to Renegotiate Power Deal With Hydro-Quebec

May 19, 2026

Premier Tony Wakeham announced plans to renegotiate a C$34 billion, 50-year hydroelectric supply agreement with Quebec after an independent review suggested better economic terms. The decision impacts eastern Canada's energy infrastructure amidst upcoming provincial elections.

bloomberg

Newfoundland to Renegotiate Power Deal With Hydro-Quebec

FAQ