this post was submitted on 25 Jan 2026
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[–] cv_octavio@piefed.ca 64 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Oh wow what an unpredictable move. I'm so surprised at this development.

Wait, are you telling me Donald J. Trump, the very stable genius, is trying to hurt people (again)?

[–] leastaction@lemmy.ca 17 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

The Forever Canadian citizens' initiative to call a referendum on the question "Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?" collected over 400,000 signatures and was approved and sent to the Speaker of the Legislature by Elections Alberta. The UCP government must call either a vote in the Legislature or a referendum on the question by law. The only way they can avoid this is by calling a general election. Albertans can and will stop this separation nonsense.

[–] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

And the really funny part is that its now been taken up by the silly separatists (or what ever they are calling them self's this week) just like the Forever Canadian group assumed they would as by law they can not have 2 referendums at the same time on the same issue. Its gold since the one that has been signed and approved does not say if Alberta leaves, so even if somehow (though dirty deeds no doubt) the referendum comes back with a "No" result that does not mean separation and there is a cool down time so hopefully this can be done and dusted.

Great play by the Forever Canadian people.

[–] leastaction@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Unfortunately Bill 14 does away with the rule that you can't have two referendums on the same issue within five years. The Forever Canadian question that is now before the Legislature is very clear: "Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?"

[–] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 1 points 2 days ago

Oh yeah, thanks UCP.

[–] 7rokhym@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They aren't silly, they are stupid. Press them on any point, their arguments are nonsense and crumble against the slightest logic and a handful of facts.

[–] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 1 points 2 days ago

These are the same people that tell me the government is putting chemicals into legal weed to track people when they later unlegalise cannabis. The point is that this is not a large movement, but a fringe loud group that gets way more attention then they warrant. Don't let me stop you from calling these people out though, they do deserve the criticism but not so much the coverage.

[–] AlexLost@lemmy.world 19 points 4 days ago (7 children)

This has been obvious for some time. They use the exact same talking points and try to drive a wedge between different communities. The problem is Canada has a different national identity than the US does, so we have different view on the world. We recognize and cherish that we are a nation built by immigration. Yes, there will always be some racism, and it is being amplified by bad actors with an agenda, but we are also the most educated nation so we can mostly see through the rhetoric. I hope.

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[–] krashmo@lemmy.world 31 points 5 days ago (11 children)

From the outside looking in, conservatives in Canada seem to follow along with MAGA on a lot of culture war issues. However, I would think the separation would make it easier to see what's going on in the US and give at least some of them pause. You'd have to be a special kind of person to see what's happening and think "that is exactly what I want for my country".

So Canadians of Lemmy, what do you think? Are conservative Albertans that far gone?

[–] TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works 34 points 5 days ago (5 children)

Stupidity is not contained solely to Alberta.

[–] Tigeroovy@lemmy.ca 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It’s not, but it sure seems to be pretty saturated there.

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[–] digitalFatteh@lemmy.ca 9 points 5 days ago

Tell me about it. Here we’ve got the Separatist party spouting on about how the United States would treat the culture more fairly. Having only a few months ago having the US trying to water down the language laws for trade.

Opportunistic cunts is what they are.

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[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 22 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

I've lived most of my life in Alberta, in both rural and urban centers.

It's actually a pretty long story, politically, to understand how we went from Klien to Smith.

The short version is that the old conservatives stalled in direction after achieving the goal of eliminating all provincial debt.

They (the party) finally found a purpose, independently (and predating) Trump, of simply using Ottawa as a foil. For everything.

I genuinely believe Smith's US podcasts likening PP to Trump were designed to HURT PP. A Conservative federal government would be a political disaster provincially. They have no plan. They have no playbook. They ONLY have the "stand up to liberal Ottawa" drum to bang, and they lose that if the liberals aren't in power anymore.

It isn't HARD to find Albertans that say they want to separate. But, they're not anywhere NEAR common enough that a referendum could ever actually find a majority in favour. It's not anywhere near as popular of an idea as Quebec separation in the 90s.

And OF the Albertans that want to separate, they're envisioning a country of our own, not becoming a US state. And, as foolish as a notion that it is, I think a good number of supporters recognize the reality that they could end up getting annexed by the US.

Trump's behaviour on the world stage overall hurts the proposition of Albertan separation. There is a reason pro-separation organizers are trying to distance themselves from Trump. It's a liability to thier goals. If there was no other measure than that to evaluate what separatist Albertans about Trump statistically (always will be individuals otherwise), that should be enough to answer that.

Are conservative Albertans that far gone? Considering Albertan conservatives as a contiguous block is nonsense to start with.

The vast majority of Albertans would self identify as "conservative" (small "c"), and yet 1000 flipped votes in the last election would have put (ANOTHER) NDP government in place. A great number of Albertan small "c" conservatives don't vote conservative provincially because they just refuse to acknowledge the overton window shift. Smith (or Kenny) isn't offering anything but "blame Ottawa". It's BARELY enough to get a slim majority. It's not meaningfully compelling on the grand scale.

Speaking of Overton window shifts, Carney and Harper from a policy perspective are pretty damned similar.

Will Alberta separate? No. Simply, no. Regardless of what interference Trump brings.

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[–] AlexLost@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

Conservatism lost a lot of steam in Canada when Trump was elected and his promises started taking shape. They realized it wasn't just rhetoric , they were looking to break down democracy. Even our poor people get a decent education and understand that is a dark road to travel. I don't think they'll cede their sovereignty but who knows? Their premier is bought and paid for by the same people as Trump, but their constituents are Canadian and proud of it. They'll fight a propaganda war, but I don't think they'll win many victories.

[–] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago

Don’t underestimate the stupidity of racists. That’s how we got Trump and co.

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[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 21 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (6 children)

Excuse me Canada I’d like to suggest Washington, California, Oregon and Hawaii for your consideration. We are very left, we have decent economies and we love democracy and to be honest we’re being held hostage right now

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I’d like to suggest Washington, California, Oregon and Hawaii for your consideration.

Y'know that 35-40 percent of your state's population that voted for Trump every time they could?

Figure out how to leave them behind, then re-submit your request.

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[–] alsimoneau@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 days ago

Make Cascadia happen instead

[–] CircaV@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Hawai’i needs to be independent from colonial countries. Should be its own country. Fuck the US invaders. As much as I love Hawai’i as a Canadian. It should be independent.

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[–] RoquetteQueen@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 days ago

I wish we could. Being able to visit somewhere warm without having to leave Canada...

[–] unsettlinglymoist@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Better yet, those states form the independent nation of Cascadia. Include southeast Alaska which is politically progressive and culturally Cascadian, and cut out the MAGA trash parts like eastern Oregon. Sign trade deals with Canada and the EU, and defensive pacts with any other sane independent nations that break off from Trump's America.

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[–] CircaV@lemmy.ca 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Could have told you that during the freedumb kkklownvoy days. All of it funded by the USA.

[–] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 2 points 3 days ago

How about the last election with the "republican party of alberta"?

You know the one that had less then $1000 in donations before the name change and trump getting in office that somehow ran a whole ass call center (they called me 2 to 3 times a fucking day)? The one that reported $191,194.50 from nothing somehow?

The reported amounts they got January 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025 vs What they got for all of 2024

Note they did not even make the deadline for the 2025 final Likely due to how much they got stomped in the one by-election they ran in. (even in Olds where they where claiming victory before the polling stations even closed).

[–] kingofras@lemmy.world 19 points 5 days ago (1 children)
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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 18 points 5 days ago

It’s just the continuation of CambridgeAnalytica. The Robert Mercer funded russian op that brought us Brexit and Trump among other less successful fuckeries such as Calexit and Texit (plus some Europe shenanigans). Alberta is ripe!

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 6 points 4 days ago (19 children)

dont you mean russia uses krasnov to destabalize canada, after the failed attempt at using PP.

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[–] Threeskittiesinatrenchcoat@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Pretty sure the Trump regime had its heart set on Greenland, but I think some rigorous campaigning on the part of Alberta separatists and Smith over the holiday break was able to convince them there was a softer target.

That and the EU saying “don’t come here or we’ll shoot.” After all these are bullies, they feed on attacking those who they think can’t or won’t fight back.

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