Calls for Alberta’s Independence Intensify, Questions Raised About Trump’s Role

Washington/Ottawa: Independence demands from Canada’s western province of Alberta have intensified, drawing international attention and sparking tensions in Ottawa. Separatist groups in Alberta are reportedly seeking support from former US President Donald Trump to push for a referendum on breaking away from Canada, a move that has angered Canadian authorities.

Alberta, often called Canada’s energy province, produces 84% of the country’s oil and is home to about five million people. The province’s landscape includes the Rocky Mountains and tourist destinations such as Banff and Lake Louise. Politically, Alberta is considered a conservative stronghold, although urban areas lean more progressive. Premier Danielle Smith, a close ally of Trump and other Republican leaders, visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in January last year, reportedly strengthening ties between Alberta separatists and Trump’s network.

The separatist organization, Alberta Prosperity Project, is demanding a public referendum on independence and has requested a $500 billion credit line from the US Treasury to support the province’s autonomy. The group argues that Ottawa has consistently failed to represent Alberta’s interests, particularly with regard to climate policies that restrict the province’s oil industry. They also claim that Alberta contributes far more in taxes than it receives in federal support, and that its officials are marginalized compared to Canada’s more populous eastern provinces.

Tensions have been further inflamed by Canada’s history of sheltering pro-Khalistan groups, which has drawn criticism from India. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has appealed to Trump to respect Canada’s sovereignty, while Alberta’s legislature passed a law last April making it easier to hold an independence referendum, a move that Trump’s supporters are now leveraging.

With Alberta’s energy wealth and political clout, the independence movement represents a serious challenge to Canadian federal authority, raising questions about the potential influence of external actors in domestic political disputes.