Alberta is part of a sovereign Canada. Not as presented by Danielle Smith. I’ve tried to temper this a bit in past posts, mostly because I speak to a national audience. But it’s time to circle back.
I’ve lived in Alberta for more than 45 years. My children were born here. My husband and my family have benefited greatly, and continue to benefit, from the oil and gas industry. I don’t write this without that perspective. But what I’m about to say isn’t just an Alberta conversation. It’s needs to be seen as a national one.
Danielle Smith appears to believe she’s a major geopolitical figure, attempting to upstage a historic meeting between our Prime Minister and Donald Trump by scheduling a press conference at the exact moment Mark Carney arrived in Washington. And conveniently, when Prime Minister Carney addressed the media, Smith suddenly made herself available to do the same. The timing is not subtle. It’s a posture, one meant to scream, “Alberta First,” as if we’re some sovereign entity on the global stage, not a province within a federation.
This isn’t statesmanship. It’s narcissism. And it feeds a much deeper problem.
Alberta has a superiority complex. There, I said it. And I say it from the inside, from the oil-patch towns and highway diners and city boardrooms I know well. This is not an attack. It’s an intervention.
That complex is rooted in a selective sense of grievance. It’s seen when ‘some’ Albertans cherry-pick stats, play the victim during downturns, and weaponize our contributions to the national economy to justify any level of political belligerence. We frame ourselves as misunderstood mavericks when in reality, we’re often just being held to the same constitutional rules as everyone else.
Danielle Smith doesn’t challenge that narrative. She feeds it. She floats unconstitutional legislation, nods to separatist rhetoric, sues the federal government like it’s a sport, all while pretending this is just what “the people” want. I did a post recently that laid out the actual numbers around Albertan support for separation. Spoiler alert: they’re not with her. But that doesn’t stop her from weaponizing the illusion.
And then there was today. I got a private message from a woman in a very conservative part of central Alberta. Before she said anything, she asked if what she was about to say could be seen publicly. I assured her it was a direct message, just between us.
She wanted to say thank you. She had read one of my posts and wanted me to know how much it meant to her. And she felt she couldn’t say that out loud.
That’s fair. She still lives where she lives. Her friends, family, and community may not share her views. She has to survive in that context, and that means protecting herself in ways most people never have to think about. But that message reminded me why I do this.
I don’t write for likes or shares or comments. If you want to, great, I appreciate it. But that’s not the point. I write to try and open up space. Space for conversation, space for people to see things through a new lens. Space for someone to feel less alone in a place where their voice doesn’t feel safe. That’s the goal. And if that’s all this post does, mission accomplished.
As with my conversations around the federal government, it’s time we get back to work on the issues that actually affect our daily lives. Here in Alberta, that means healthcare, education, infrastructure, the things that matter. The noise around separation and political theatre can wait. We’ve already lost too much time to the Danielle Smith Show while real problems keep piling up offstage. Remember the AHS scandal?
Yesterday, Danielle Smith sat down for an interview with Vassy Kapelos on Power Play. And if anyone thought this Premier might tone it down, think again. This woman isn’t slowing down, she’s doubling down. Every question was met with the same practiced deflections and political theatre we’ve come to expect, as if her job is to stir drama, not solve problems. Kudos to Vassy for keeping the pressure on. We need more of that kind of journalism, because what’s at stake here isn’t just about rhetoric. It’s about accountability.
Unity isn’t easy. It’s a choice. And right now, some of our leaders are making the wrong one. And if the skies over Alberta look dark in that photo, don’t worry. That’s not weather. That’s just the political forecast.
Nancy's Notes 