Albertans hold conflicted views on separation and patriotism

Most Albertans are still on the same page when it comes to Canada Day, despite growing talk of separatism, says a researcher who explores the province's sense of identity.

"I don't think a lot of Albertans are conflicted when it comes to their relationship with the Canadian flag," said Jared Wesley, who runs the Common Ground project out of the University of Alberta. "We actually see some Canadian symbols at separatist rallies, for crying out loud. They wear blue T-shirts, but it's the Toronto Blue Jays T-shirt with the maple leaf on it."

Albertans can hold separatist and federalist views at the same time, Wesley said, referencing a Facebook post in which a person expressed disgust at adding Pride colours to the Canadian flag while also advocating for Alberta to leave Canada. "Leaving aside the politics of it, her comment that she felt that the Canadian flag was being 'disgraced' in that way reveals that she still has an attachment to it," he said.

Common Ground has embarked on another round of focus groups this summer, with sessions held in Edmonton and Fort McMurray, and more to come in St. Paul, Lethbridge, Calgary, and Hanna. The latest version of the archetypal "Joe Albertan" is "not a separatist, but he might listen a little longer than he used to to some of the arguments about it," Wesley said. "That's an important finding, because it suggests that the Overton window for separatism is widening."

When separatist sentiments come up in the sessions, they seem to be grounded in emotion more than facts and figures. Some feel Alberta has been given a "raw deal" by the feds. "Alberta is best considered the jilted lover of Confederation," Wesley said. "Albertans feel like they're putting more into Confederation than they're getting out — coming at them with spreadsheets is unlikely to solve that."