[occidentalcapital]

Let me start this off by saying that I don't think Alberta separatism is a good idea. But like it or not, there are some who say that Alberta (possibly including Saskatchewan, Manitoba or parts of BC) should separate and become an independent country from Canada. Edmonton is the proposed national capital. The Free Alberta Strategy (https://www.freealbertastrategy.com/the_strategy), which the new Premier states she is following, proposes sovereignty for Western Canada if Alberta is not able to secure certain concessions from Canada. On the last page of the strategy, it confirms that Edmonton would be the capital of the new country of Western Canada.

...
4. If that final vote were successful, a declaration of Alberta’s independence
would be made to the international community, and the implementation of
the Committee’s proposal would commence, beginning with an election,
under Alberta’s new constitution, to elect a federal Western Canadian
Government, based in Edmonton, Alberta.

(https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.n...Alberta_Strategy_-_Web_Version.pdf?1637104983)

What would it mean to Edmonton to become a national capital?

How would that affect our city?

Do we need to be doing anything today to prepare?

Would this be a net positive or negative for Edmonton?

 

[EdmTrekker]

Let me start this off by saying that I don't think Alberta separatism is a good idea. But like it or not, there are some who say that Alberta (possibly including Saskatchewan, Manitoba or parts of BC) should separate and become an independent country from Canada. Edmonton is the proposed national capital. The Free Alberta Strategy (https://www.freealbertastrategy.com/the_strategy), which the new Premier states she is following, proposes sovereignty for Western Canada if Alberta is not able to secure certain concessions from Canada. On the last page of the strategy, it confirms that Edmonton would be the capital of the new country of Western Canada.


(https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.n...Alberta_Strategy_-_Web_Version.pdf?1637104983)

What would it mean to Edmonton to become a national capital?

How would that affect our city?

Do we need to be doing anything today to prepare?

Would this be a net positive or negative for Edmonton?

If the day ever came when the majority of Albertan's voted in a referendum to secede from Canada - we/family/extended would sell the property we own and leave Canada for ever. There is no fucking way in hell I/they would want to be in a banana republic. We are 5 and 6 generations in Alberta but we choose to live in the West and we choose Canada before there was an Alberta.

 

[Gronk!]

For starters, Smith chose the correct city!
I don't really see much of a change except there will be way more embassies.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

And let me guess, we'd have Smith as the president. So does that mean I could have dual citizenship? Can I join the country's new Navy, which means I could patrol the north Sask river. I propose for our money instead of the loonie and the toonie, we can have the crazy and the two crazy.

 

[archited]

There has been talk of this since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Once upon a time there was to be a new country called ABC (you can guess what the A and the BC stood for). It will never happen. As much as there is a significant distaste in Alberta for "the East" and as much as the East has very little in terms of "clue" as to what the west is about, this would never happen and dame-doofus will get voted out of office quicker than you can say "dame-doofus" if she keeps pounding this line. Trump-lite is bound for a short span of leadership anyway so no matter.

 

[itom987]

This plan to form our own country is going nowhere unless BC or Saskatchewan and Manitoba join us. We will be screwed if we don't get access to the ocean.

 

[kcantor]

^. ^^

the proposed country was to be named “cascadia” (not “abc”) and the core component was bc with various versions either including or excluding some or all of washington, oregon, montana, alberta, and saskatchewan.

 

[EdmTrekker]

This plan to form our own country is going nowhere unless BC or Saskatchewan and Manitoba join us. We will be screwed if we don't get access to the ocean.

BC will NEVER leave Canada and BC was a province 35 years before Alberta became a province.

 

[itom987]

Which is why Saskatchewan and Manitoba have to get on board for this to work, our Oil will be going nowhere without Churchill.

 

[EdmTrekker]

Which is why Saskatchewan and Manitoba have to get on board for this to work, our Oil will be going nowhere without Churchill.

Possibly. The rail line and port is now owned by "OneNorth, a group of First Nations and other communities in Northern Manitoba and the Kivalliq region of Nunavut" with the Government of Canada arranged financing for that to happen in November of 2021. Not far off shore from the Port and town of Churchill is the ocean boundary with Nunavut. Articles below worth a read:

"Peter MacKay: Manitoba could become Europe's not-so-secret weapon against Russia. Apr 2. The port of Churchill, Man., could supply our allies in Europe with Canadian energy to free them from reliance on the Russian oil that fuels Putin's war machine.

Peter MacKay: Manitoba could become Europe's not-so-secret weapon against Russia — Arctic Gateway Group

The port of Churchill, Man., could supply our allies in Europe with Canadian energy to free them from reliance on the Russian oil that fuels Putin's war machine.

www.arcticgateway.com

Also a good read:
This news story was penned before ownership changed in 2021 but provides a great overview of the complexity of getting oil or natural gas to Churchill. With ownership now in the hands of the local communities - anything might now be possible.

COLUMN: Churchill is back in play, but this time by pipeline

In the first two weeks of February, I’ve heard more about the possibility of exporting oil by way of Churchill than I have in several years.

www.sasktoday.ca

On the ownership transition:

Port of Churchill, Hudson Bay Railway now completely owned by Northern Manitoba, Nunavut communities

The Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill, along with other assets formerly owned by OmniTrax before their 2018 sale to Fairfax Financial Holdings, AGT Food & Ingredients and a consortium of Northern Manitoba and Nunavut municipalities and First N

www.thompsoncitizen.net

 

[Gronk!]

Personally I think we can survive with just BC due to the vast wealth generated by trade with China and Japan

 

[archited]

^^^^ China is well on its way to becoming enemy #1 to the western world.

 

[Glenco]

There are other Asian trading partners. Just saying.

 

[occidentalcapital]

Which is why Saskatchewan and Manitoba have to get on board for this to work, our Oil will be going nowhere without Churchill.

I found the idea of "parts of BC" joining to be both interesting and amusing. I presume they are talking about taking the northern parts of BC. (Someone might want to ask what people in these areas think of the idea). If that's the case presumably the new country would include the port of Prince Rupert which as a deepwater port with big capacity expansion planned, would be a highly strategic asset.

 

[MuzikMachine]

I'll play along with the premise of the OP and ignore actual politics or likelihood of it materializing. If all four western provinces were to form a separate country, the first choice would probably be one of the existing provincial capitals. My first choice would be Victoria...if it was more centrally located. The city itself is beautiful with a nice downtown, stately neighborhoods, and a nice natural outlying area; but it's located on the furthest southwest corner, virtually bordering the US, and on an island. That leaves Edmonton, Regina, and Winnipeg. Edmonton is probably the best of the prairie capitals as it's centrally located, especially considering the western population 'core' would be split between the C&E Corridor and southwestern BC. It's also the furthest from the US border, though modern technology prevents any city from being protected from a hypothetical military invasion. My knock would be that the industrial development along the city entranceways (Hwy 2 or 16) might not be conducive with a national capital. For example, if world leaders and diplomats were to fly into the International Airport and go downtown, the Nisku industrial park might not be the best first impression, with all due respect. That's something that sets Ottawa apart, but maybe that's something the old world capitals already deal with.