Asking Strangers If Alberta Can Leave Canada, With Dennis Kalma
Can Alberta actually leave Canada? In this video, I walk through a Calgary park with Dennis Kalma, the principal author of The Value of Freedom, and we talk with regular people about Alberta independence.
I recently made an entire series where I read through The Value of Freedom in full and analyzed it section by section. That playlist became my deep dive into the financial, political, constitutional, Indigenous, immigration, environmental, and economic arguments for an independent Alberta.
Watch the full playlist here:
• Reading The Value of Freedom: Alberta Inde...
Read The Value of Freedom here:
https://albertaprosperityproject.com/...
Follow Dennis Kalma on X:
https://x.com/DennisKalma
This conversation gave me the chance to speak directly with the man behind the document, revisit some of the biggest ideas from my series, and test those ideas in real conversations with people we met in the park.
The central question is simple: is an independent Alberta financially viable?
According to The Value of Freedom, Alberta sends roughly $68 to $75 billion per year to the federal government and receives only about $22 to $26 billion back in federal transfers. That leaves a claimed net over-contribution of about $44 to $47 billion every year.
That is the heart of the financial argument for Alberta independence.
Alberta is not poor, helpless, or dependent on Ottawa. Alberta is one of the most productive places in North America, yet we are treated like a revenue source instead of a people with our own future, our own economy, and our own right to self-government.
Dennis and I talk about what those numbers mean, but we also talk about the objections people have. What about pensions? What about borders? What about policing? What about Indigenous treaties? What about immigration? What about trade? What would a new Alberta constitution actually look like?
These are not reasons to avoid independence. These are the responsibilities of independence.
A free Alberta would have to build, negotiate, organize, and govern. But that is exactly the point. We should be making these decisions ourselves instead of outsourcing our future to federal politicians, federal courts, federal bureaucrats, and eastern Canadian priorities.
One major topic is the Alberta Pension Plan. The deeper issue is not only pensions. It is control. Why should Albertans be forced into federal systems if our younger workforce, higher incomes, and stronger employment base may allow us to do better on our own?
We also talk about policing. Alberta still relies heavily on the RCMP, which ultimately answers to Ottawa. An Alberta police force would answer to Alberta and focus on Alberta priorities, including rural crime, fentanyl, organized crime, border security, and public safety.
We get into immigration as well, including concerns I have raised before. My wife is from Venezuela and is a permanent resident of Canada, so this subject is personal for me. An independent Alberta should be strong, but it should also be fair to spouses, families, and people already building lawful lives here.
We also discuss Indigenous people and treaty rights in an independent Alberta. The point is not to ignore treaty rights. The point is to have an honest constitutional conversation about the future relationship between Alberta and Indigenous nations without Ottawa using Indigenous people as a shield to block Alberta’s democratic future.
Independence should not mean copying Canada’s system and changing the flag. It should mean building something better. A free Alberta could protect property rights, limit government power, control taxation, defend civil liberties, require balanced budgets, and keep constitutional change in the hands of the people.
Canada’s Constitution has not protected Alberta from federal overreach or attacks on our resource economy. So why would we assume staying inside that system is the safe option?
Alberta does not lack wealth.
Alberta does not lack ability.
Alberta lacks control.
And that is why independence matters.
Chapters:
00:00 Can Alberta Actually Leave Canada?
09:36 Immigration, Deportation, and Fairness in an Independent Alberta
14:43 Indigenous Treaties and Alberta Independence
19:48 Republic of Alberta, Property Rights, and True Freedom
24:38 Asking Strangers About Alberta Independence in Calgary
31:00 A Supporter Explains Why Alberta Should Separate
34:03 Carbon Capture, Climate Models, and Alberta’s Energy Future
41:03 Why Some People Won’t Talk About Alberta Independence
46:55 Republic vs Commonwealth: Who Should Rule Alberta?
56:15 Dennis Kalma on Why Alberta Independence Matters
The views expressed in this video are my own and do not represent Stay Free Alberta or the Alberta Prosperity Project.
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