Yesterday, Alberta and Saskatchewan had their “birthdays” as provinces, when they were carved out of the Northwest Territories in 1905, and wouldn’t you just know it, the statement put out by the Alberta government first mentioned the First Nations people whose land the province is on, then removed the reference in an updated version, before needing to backtrack and insist that the first version was the correct one. It has also not gone unnoticed that Alberta has not marked the 150th anniversary of Treaty 6 with those First Nations, while Saskatchewan held ceremonies to mark the occasion. It also doesn’t go unnoticed that Danielle Smith has pushed ahead with this quasi-separation referendum in spite of the fact that owing to the treaties, the province can’t actually separate from Canada because it’s not their land. Smith has also said that if the referendum passes, she would hold a “binding referendum on separation” (which is not a Thing because it’s blatantly against the constitution) early in the spring, which should give her plenty of time to “consult” with First Nations. Erm, no. They’ve already stated that your position is contrary to the treaties they signed with the Crown.

Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre entered the chat and put out separate statements on the Alberta and Saskatchewan “birthdays,” and those statements were very, very different from one another. The Saskatchewan statement talked about the local First Nations and Métis, and the white immigrants who settled in the area, and it was noticeable that he pointed to white immigrants only. The Alberta statement, however, made no mention of First Nations or immigrants of any kind, and instead was all about farmers, ranchers, energy workers, and “freedom!” It was a very, very blatant sop to the separatist sentiments in a minority of the province (remember that Alberta separatism is a white/Christian nationalist project) because he’s too afraid to tell these people that he doesn’t want their votes in his party as a matter of principle. It’s an absolutely craven attempt to play both sides, and it’s going to bite him in the end, and only allows this situation to fester the longer they coddle these loathsome separatists for the sake a few votes.

https://bsky.app/profile/journodale.bsky.social/post/3mui3drbfis2h

As Dale points out, these notably exclude immigrants of colour.My grandparents ran a store in Lake Alma, SK, then moved to Regina, where my grandfather worked at the Model Cafe. They lived above Glasgow Confectionery, then later founded the B. Y. W. Grocery in 1962.Guess we don't count.

— Tim Ford (@timfordwrites.bsky.social) 2026-09-01T19:03:58.660Z

Ukraine Dispatch:

Another twelve people were killed in the sixth day of ongoing airstrikes against Kyiv, while there were yet more strikes on Odesa as well as a border crossing with Romania. President Zelenskyy says that Ukrainian drones are effectively closing Russian airspace.

Noteworthy:

• The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis doesn’t see the case for a new west coast pipeline, particularly given how fast China is electrifying.
• James McLeod expands on the issue of the Lake Ontario/Google issue as the example of why our digital sovereignty is at stake in American trade talks.
• Justin Ling delves into the game theory of trade wars, and how Canada can win.
• Paul Wells gives a concise summary of the moment we find ourselves in with Trump.
• Tyler Dawson summarizes the Alberta separatists’ ugly plans should they win.
• Michael Spratt notes that Ford’s unconstitutional cash bail law was intended to be struck down so that he could get a villain while he under-resources the system.

Canada Needs The US Government To Stop With The Memesyoutu.be/0dEzF291ziI

— Clare Blackwood (@clareblackwood.bsky.social) 2026-09-01T21:26:27.503Z

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