As the Alberta referendum is now in advanced voting, I am finding my patience being severely tested as the “Lead Not Leave” crowd continues to rely on the same lies and manufactured grievances that the separatists employ to try and insist that while their grievances are real (they’re not), there is a better solution than separation, such as a federal government that capitulates to their demands. But Justin Trudeau did not cause the oil price crash in 2014, Stephen Guilbeault wasn’t even elected until 2019 and wasn’t environment minister until 2021, none of them did anything to cause capital to flee the country (that was the oil price crash), and the oil companies themselves went along with the plans to reduce emissions, claiming they were committed to the goal (only to relevel that—surprise!—they were lying as soon as they had a federal government that was more willing to capitulate than hold them to their promises).
Honestly, fuck off with this revisionist history. Trudeau and Guilbeault didn't cause the world price of oil to crash in 2014. They did nothing to "shut in" Alberta's resources. Trudeau offered help to Alberta in 2015 when Harper didn't. www.readtheline.ca/p/jim-dinnin…
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-15T02:44:22.717Z
The fact that the "remain" camp keeps telling everyone the lies about these fabricated grievances means that they are just accepting the separatists' arguments, and that just seems incredibly stupid because it's validating their false narratives. Can nobody have an honest conversation about 2014?
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-15T02:44:22.718Z
I cannot stress enough that if you agree with the separatists’ lies, then you have already surrendered the field to them. You are saying that they’re right about the issues, but only wrong in the solutions, which is ridiculous. The “Lead Not Leave” crew also engages in the other false narratives about Albertans, that they are somehow unique examples of people who work harder and are more ingenious than the rest of the country, which isn’t true either. Alberta, when it was carved out of the Northwest Territories, happened to be rich in resources that the First Nations signed treaties to share. Albertans are not harder workers than anyone else. Their ability to extract resources was not thanks to something special about them—they got a shit tonne of federal dollars and special tax treatment.
Speaking as an Albertan, I cannot roll my eyes hard enough every time someone insists that Albertans are a separate people because of their "work ethic" and "entrepreneurial spirit," as though it was their hard work and ingenuity that put the oil in the ground in the first place.
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-15T02:50:18.115Z
"Oh, but it was our ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit that developed the oil sands!"No, it was a fuckload of money and tax breaks courtesy of Jean Chrétien, both when he was Pierre Trudeau's finance minister and later prime minister. Not that you'll ever hear an Albertan admit that fact.
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-15T03:10:23.265Z
Their good fortune is virtue! Cree first identified the oil sands. Europeans needed a Treaty to exploit it. And now Alberta (a non party) want to end said treaty through individual votes-which contravenes international law, Canadian law Cree law (per Sylvestre). open.alberta.ca/dataset/d5a7…
— Orlagh O’Kelly (@orlaghokelly.bsky.social) 2026-10-15T03:57:27.341Z
Groups like “Lead not leave” and the federal Conservatives who claim to be fighting for the remain side in this referendum rely on these lies and falsehoods to make their point, which is just conceding that the separatists have a point. Until any of them can have anything approaching an honest conversation about what happened in 2014 (and 1981 for that matter), we’re just perpetuating this same cycle of manufactured grievance and this referendum will solve nothing.
My Latest:
For National Magazine, I dig into the issue of “digital trade alignment” that the Americans were pursuing, and why that is a backdoor to attacking sovereignty.
Ukraine Dispatch:
Starlink limitations have been wreaking havoc on Ukraine’s operations as both Musk and the White House blame each other; there are no ready European alternatives. Russia attacked the western city of Lutsk, killing three, while Ukraine has freed sixteen villages in Donetsk region so far, and hit another major Russian data centre.
Noteworthy:
- The head of the Major Projects Office doesn’t seem to understand how Indigenous consultation works, and why it can’t just be consultation but partnerships.
- Vass Bednar reminds us that the cyberattack that hit French grocery store coolers could happen here, as we have our own outdated firmware and internet exposure.
- Anne Applebaum calls out the fact that Trump’s latest actions with Ukraine are nothing less than an attempt to force surrender in order to save Russia’s economy.
Rules for thee but not for me.
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-14T18:31:56.267Z
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Not to directly address about your post, but the Alberta referendum often gets compared to the 1980 and 1995 ones in Quebec, it reminds me of MMPR referendum in Ontario where advocates got a reference and there was a general assumption that it would pass since there was a committed group very hardcore for it and only a campaign on the pro side. Yet it totally failed and one is there the more people learned about MMPR, the less they liked it even if they were learning about it from advocates putting forth the best version possible. Premier Smith has had to bend over backwards to make it easier to get this dump referendum on a referendum going and let’s face it, it’s intra-Conservative fight so while I dislike it, I’m also not shocked the language is very Conservative friendly.