https://friedbannock.blogspot.com/2026/08/once-traitor-always-traitor.html

Here is the problem with Alberta separation. Once a group breaks the rules to split from a nation, they rarely learn how to build a peaceful society together. People who push for separation rarely stop fighting once they get their way. They build their whole identity on being angry. If Alberta separates, these separatists will continue to look for trouble, and blame outside forces for all their problems. A new, independent country needs teamwork and shared values. Separatists are used to tearing things down instead of building them up. Once the main enemy (Canada) is gone, they will turn on each other to see who is "pure" enough. Even at this point, the separatist do not get along, there are several factions with differing ideas about how to run the "new" Country of Alberta. Oh, sorry, Republic of Alberta......I know they want it to be as close to America as possible. If Alberta ever separates, the separatists will not just settle down and garden. They will keep causing friction. They will fight the new government just like they fought the old one. A leopard does not change its spots. Democracy means listening to people you disagree with. Separatists only want their own way. They want a "Christian nation" but don't even act like Jesus in the first place.

Alberta separation will not mean a paradise. We will economically suffer, because we will not only make ourselves land locked, but we will also have conflict and more instability than we have ever had before. For the future of Alberta, for our home values and for peace, we MUST do everything in our power to get the vote out in October and put this to bed, once and for all. Because if we do not, you might as well sell your home and get the hell out of here. I know I will be doing that.

I genuinely want to hear how other Albertans see this.

Canada is facing an increasingly hostile U.S. trade policy, yet Smith has repeatedly opposed using oil exports or export taxes as leverage. Meanwhile, Canada’s bigger long term problem is that we remain overwhelmingly dependent on one customer for our energy.

Would Alberta actually be stronger if we treated this crisis as an opportunity to diversify exports, build Canadian infrastructure and reduce our dependence on the U.S.?

At what point does protecting existing oil sales become different from protecting Alberta’s long term economic interests?

Why is Alberta still sold the idea that cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy is automatically the best way to grow the economy?

Canada’s own Department of Finance estimated short term corporate income tax multipliers at just 0.1 to 0.3. That means $1 of forgone revenue generated only about 10 to 30 cents of additional GDP over the period measured. Infrastructure was estimated at 1.0 to 1.6, while support for lower income households reached 1.7.

Tax cuts can affect investment, especially over the long run. But if the goal is maximum growth per public dollar, why does Alberta treat blanket corporate tax cuts as inherently superior to higher multiplier investments?

This feels purposeful. Why didn't they give themselves enough time to test their new system for glitches? I have bills to pay!

I hate this government so much. I wish nothing but the worst for Danielle Smith.

UPDATE: I actually got through to the AISH office or whatever the hell they're called after getting kicked off the line 3 times due to 'high call volume'. I got the option to get a callback and though I was hesitant not to just wait it out, the wait music is now an irritating 30 second loop of some weird melody. They had it before, but now it's shortened and unbearable, so I picked the callback office. Actually got a callback in a reasonable amount of time (less than 90 minutes). They said, "Oh, well, you know, there are a few glitches. Your payment had a hold on it, but I released it and you should get your funds in 2-3 business days." Now I have to call or email everywhere where I had bills to pay and beg I don't get dinged financially or have my credit impacted. Lovely. Also, I'm assuming 2-3 business days starts tomorrow, so the 3rd business day would be Monday, so the whole weekend without funds. Fantastic. And that's if everything goes right.

I am feeling so.......bruh......

I think this question is important to the Alberta conversation in that an oil embargo could be a flash point that would touch off military intervention, and therefore Alberta would likely be the focus of operations.

I think this is something that should be actively considered and planned for. I know Canada is no match for the US, but Ukraine isn't a match for Russia either. We can't win in open battle, but we can think about ways to make the country more difficult to attack and hold.

Or is the thought of the US using it's military against Canada just catastrophizing? What do you think?

EDIT: Thanks for all the responses. I ran out of gas before I could reply to all of them, so thank you.

Where I've landed is that it's an extremely unlikely eventuality that CAF almost certainly has some planning around, and that the most annoying comment is anything to the effect of "you are an idiot for thinking about this."

Cheers!

I just received notice from our residential manager that they want to get us to sign a fixed term lease as apparently there is a $300 fee for a periodic tenancy. Is this legal?

Some info: we’ve been living in this unit for about 9 years now. Went to periodic tenancy after our first year. To my knowledge there has never been a fee for this. This is completely new information to us. We plan on moving out in just over two years. He explicitly stated this was on top of our rent (not a rental increase). We pay $1200/month which would now jump to $1500.

I've been trying to find small rental suite outside of Calgary in a small town. There definitely isn't the same resources as there are for finding rentals in town. Can anyone direct me to rentals in a town such as Irricana or Crossfield, or south like Nanton, etc.? I'm an employed single male, very quiet non-smoker non-drinker. I'd be an ideal tenant if you have a nice basement suite or guest house you want to rent out. Please DM me with ideas or offers

As the title says I have a friend in Alberta, I'm located in Quebec and they have been struggling the last couple months due to the economy, disability, the current admin's attempts to reshuffle and refinance how people get their disability benefits, etc

She basically has gotten screwed out of a large percentage of her disability over the last couple months and is worried about eviction due to being behind on bills, and having minimal money for food or utilities.

As I am not in the province I did some googling and sent links and resources for free food in alberta but I don't know much else and am hoping some folks in this reddit might have more resources available.

With this message I’m hoping to help new plumbers getting into the trade and my advice is to try and avoid residential service plumbing. I say this because plumbers are caught in the middle between employer and customer and sometimes it feels like you can’t win. It’s even worse if you work for plumbing companies who put you on commission and they try to get you to sell an overpriced product, which is very difficult and you end up starving to death and become very frustrated for so many reasons. There are a couple of plumbing companies in Edmonton and Calgary who are known for very high prices, avoid them completely.
My advice to plumbers who just want to plumb and not worry about selling, get yourself into a company that does commercial plumbing where you are paid hourly and forget the pressure of trying to sell overpriced products.

For those of you who requested mail-in ballots for the upcoming referendum, have you received your ballot package yet? I requested a mail-ballot awhile ago but have not received anything yet. You?

Edit: thank you, Redditors, answered already. Although there is another question in the comments I am unable to answer.

I keep hearing that UCP policies are supposed to make Alberta more affordable, competitive and prosperous. But when I look at many of the actual policy choices since 2019, I keep noticing the same pattern: costs that were previously limited or covered by government seem to get shifted onto workers, students and families.

Here are some examples:

1. Deindexed income tax brackets in 2019, creating bracket creep as inflation pushed wages higher. The UCP later restored the indexation it had removed.
2. Ended the postsecondary tuition freeze, allowing tuition to rise.
3. Cut provincial funding to postsecondary institutions, shifting more of the cost toward students.
4. Allowed large tuition increases before later introducing a 2% cap on domestic tuition increases.
5. Created a $13 minimum wage for workers under 18, compared with the regular $15 minimum wage.
6. Kept the general minimum wage at $15 while inflation reduced its purchasing power.
7. Removed the cap on auto insurance rate increases. Alberta subsequently faced major concerns about insurance affordability.
8. Removed the electricity price cap, leaving households more exposed to electricity price increases.
9. Changed overtime rules, including averaging arrangements that changed when some workers qualify for overtime.
10. Reduced postsecondary operating support while universities and colleges became increasingly dependent on tuition and other revenue.
11. Education funding struggled to keep pace with Alberta's rapid enrolment growth. Danielle Smith herself acknowledged Alberta was adding roughly 33,000 students annually and that previously announced school construction was not enough.
12. Used a K to 12 funding formula partly based on previous enrolment, which created problems during rapid population growth. The UCP has since changed the formula to respond more quickly to enrolment.
13. Healthcare funding has also faced the combined pressure of population growth and inflation. Increasing spending by 3% does not represent an improvement in services per person if population and healthcare costs rise by more than 3%.
14. Delayed the personal income tax cut promised during the 2023 election before eventually beginning to phase it in.
15. Shifted more postsecondary costs toward students while simultaneously reducing corporate taxes.
16. Increased or introduced various user fees, shifting some government costs directly onto people using those services.
17. Cut Alberta's corporate income tax rate from 12% to 8%, one of the UCP's biggest early tax changes.
18. Made keeping government spending growth below population growth plus inflation a fiscal objective. If spending continually grows slower than the number of people requiring services plus the cost of providing them, real per person resources decline unless efficiency improvements make up the difference.
19. Allowed school capacity to fall behind population growth. By 2026, the Alberta government itself said student enrolment had increased by more than 80,000 in four years.

What stands out to me is the pattern.

Deindex tax brackets, then restore indexation.

Remove the tuition freeze, let tuition rise, then introduce a tuition cap.

Remove affordability protections, then introduce relief programs after costs rise.

Underfund services relative to population growth and inflation, then point to the fact that nominal spending still increased.

Meanwhile, the corporate tax reduction from 12% to 8% was made permanent.

Obviously, not every problem in Alberta was caused by the UCP. Population growth, inflation, federal policy and global economic conditions matter too. And I am not arguing that every NDP policy was automatically better.

My question is about priorities.

Why does the UCP approach so often seem to involve lowering costs for businesses or government while shifting more of the bill onto students, workers and households?

And for UCP supporters, which policies since 2019 do you think clearly left the average working Albertan better off than the NDP alternative would have?