A prickly period of separatist sentiments in Alberta’s Wild Rose Country
Just as most Canadians are feeling an extraordinary wave of nationalistic pride in the face of Trump’s odious politics, a new wave of Alberta separatism—fuelled by the politics of oil and gas—has spilled onto the scene.
Alberta is giving rise to a separatist movement. Why? And what lies ahead? This October 2025 Monitor looks into it.
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Does Alberta really want to cut and run?
About the authorTrish HennessyTrish is the Director of the Think Upstream project and a senior communications strategist with the CCPA National Office. She is focused…
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Western separatism: An age-old story entering a new chapter
Why then, if there has been no real growth in separatism as a threat in Alberta and Saskatchewan, has there been so much handwringing and…
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Alberta separation: a legal issue for First Nations—it’s political too
About the authorMatthew WildcatMatthew Wildcat is a member of Ermineskin Cree Nation, an assistant professor and director of Indigenous Governance in the Faculty of Native…
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The arsonists: The politicians stoking the fires of Western separatism
The same federal government who alienated our oil and gas industry is now putting global food security at risk by attacking the hard working agriculture…
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Wresting cost-of-living politics away from the populist right
About the authorNiall HarneyNiall was the CCPA-Manitoba Errol Black Chair in Labour Issues from 2021 to 2026. His research focused on labour markets, income inequality,…
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Reality check: If Alberta left Canada
About the authorStewart Prest Stewart Prest teaches political science as a lecturer with the Department of Political Science at the University of British Columbia.
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“Alberta Next”, migrants’ rights come last
About the authorMarco LucianoMarco Luciano is the director of Migrante Alberta.
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It’s not you, it’s us: British Columbia isn’t into Western alienation
About the authorMarc LeeMarc Lee is a Senior Economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Marc joined the CCPA’s British Columbia office in 1998,…
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Whose nationalism is it, anyway?
About the authorJon MiltonJon Milton is a writer and editor on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ communications team. His work focuses on social movements…
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Does Alberta really want to cut and run?
About the authorTrish HennessyTrish is the Director of the Think Upstream project and a senior communications strategist with the CCPA National Office. She is focused…
About the author
Trish Hennessy
Trish is the Director of the Think Upstream project and a senior communications strategist with the CCPA National Office. She is focused on social determinants health, sustainable development goals, income inequality, decent work, an inclusive economy, and wellbeing budgeting. Trish was the founding director of the CCPA Ontario and co-founded the Ontario Living Wage Network. She was the founding director of the CCPA National Office’s growing gap project, which began in 2006. Trish was a former newspaper journalist, originally from Saskatchewan but she now lives in Ottawa. She has a B.A. Sociology from Queen’s University, a B.S.W. from Carleton University, and an M.A. in Sociology from OISE/University of Toronto.
