The big difference between 1980 and today is that Alberta is a much larger player in the Canadian economy and in our national life than it was then. The point isnt to deny that kooks and racists live in Alberta, nor to litigate which province is most racist, but rather to note that the stereotype serves a particular political function. The Edmontonian spent nearly 30 years driving trucks all over Ontario and Alberta before coming to terms with what he called his "shame." "Some people, like, come out of college, university, they . Email us at:calgarytheroadahead@cbc.ca. Does it even need to be fixed? Whether its on here, or r/Canada, or r/BritishColumbia or any other non-Albertan sub. Why would we give them what they want?. It feels too futilelike trying to explain an emotion (and a not-always-rational one, as is the way with emotions)to people who dont want to hear it. A protection I figure. If you have a favourite, you also likely have a least favourite - whether you realize it or not. Jason Kenney, the premier of Alberta, does not get such an easy ride. Click or tap on the tabs below to switch between jurisdictions: In a nutshell, Albertansacross the income spectrum pay less tax on their earnings than people in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. That is going to take time. Nefarious far-right conspiracies born in the dark heart of oil country, though never quite proven, are assumed. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Email: sxthomson@postmedia.com | Twitter: stuartxthomson. It doesnt seem to be enough to perceive Albertans as wrong, or mired in a declining oil-and-gas industry that produces significant greenhouse gas emissionsthey must also be bad people. From the usual short-fused social media users to conservative leaders, its not hard to find anger in Alberta about equalization payments. But its a habit that leaves Albertans constantly seeing themselves and their grievances reflected back at them through a profoundly distorted lens. The Road AheadisCBC Calgary's special focus on our city as we build the city we want the city we need. But an angry Twitter outburst aimed at Newfoundlanders because they voted for Liberals? The provinces suffering is proper and righteous. After spending more than a decade reporting from Alberta, I have to confess that Im tired of trying to explain western alienation to the East. A recent Ipsos poll conducted for Global News found that roughly half of all Canadians entertained racist thoughts they wouldnt speak in public. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. This was the first year that the "flat tax" no longer applied in Alberta, but the progressive tax rates didn't escalate as quickly then as they do now. Naturally, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba all stuck together, with Alberta and Saskatchewan seeing the closest bond of all provinces at 75% and 77% of respondents viewing the other province as especially close. The polling, drawn from an online survey of more than 4,000 Canadians across the country who are members of the Angus Reid Forum, a group of survey respondents, also says that a primary criticism from residents in Alberta and Saskatchewan, is that they dont benefit in proportion to whats provided to the rest of the country, as discontent over equalization payments bubbles up. Some suggest Justin Trudeau should do likewise today and bring an Alberta senator into his cabinet. A similar kinship was seen between the Atlantic Province, though Alberta was also in the mix as one of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundlands favourite. It's around the $150,000 mark that Alberta returns to the lowest income-tax burden of all provinces. Often they want to know what makes Albertans so irate and angry at just about everyone else in Canada, and, in particular, those of us in the now-fabled 905 area code. Trudeau needs an Alberta unity strategy if he wins, The rise of Albertas unapologetic petro-patriots, Encana doesnt want to be Canadian anymore, and Trudeau shrugs, Re-election means never having to say youre sorry, The answer to Justin Trudeaus Western cabinet problem, Why Jason Kenneys proposed referendum is so puzzling, The uproar over Unplanned, and Canadas messed-up politics, Albertas straight-talking, belligerent statesman launches his own era, Albertas election, and the ugly politics in store for Canada, What Alberta voters should know about Jason Kenney and the UCP. The Angus Reid Institute looked to answer that question with their most recent study, asking a random sample of 4,024 Canadians from all over the country to speak to their provinces relationship with the other members of the federation. Note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Pierre Trudeau appointed multiple senators from the West to his cabinet. There are now calls for Ontario to close its borders to people living Were not alone., RELATED:Encana doesnt want to be Canadian anymore, and Trudeau shrugs. There are random questions. For now, Ill pass. The West wants out.. In his failed bid for the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives, MLA Richard Starke said the province had to stop offering charity to the rest of the country when it had fiscal problems at home. In February, oil patch workers and Yellow Vest protestors set out from northern Alberta to demonstrate against Bills C-48 and C-69the latter dubbed the no more pipelines bill for its byzantine restructuring of the countrys regulatory process. Ottawa isnt going to give a bunch of rednecks a fair hearing, or a fair deal. I know what an oil boom feels like, and how it feels when it goes bust. B.C., along with the other two most popular provinces Quebec and Ontario, feels isolated: 43 per cent of British Columbians say they dont feel any other provinces are close or friendly, that number is 41 per cent in Ontario and 30 per cent in Quebec. Scan this QR code to download the app now. But they also can hold two contradictory thoughts in their heads, and they don't doubt that Albertans in the energy industry need more help and support for whatever the future holds. The top 0.01 per cent, alone, accounted for 5.7 per cent of all the income tax revenue. (For those interested in the nitty-gritty details, these calculations include both the high-income surtax and the health premiums charged in Ontario as part of the income-tax system. And there is no point in continuing to try to explain anger and alienation to people who do not want to hear it. From a purely environmental perspective the arguments used against the oil sands can be deployed against these, too. Angus Reid. Kenney claims Equalization has become unfair to Alberta. Shut down the oil sands and avoid the much harder questions about why they exist. Is the Alberta hate as bad in real life as it is on Reddit Originally published on Policy Options November 1, 2019. This province continues to offer high quality services and low taxes that keep it in thrall to resource royalties that are long gone and likely never coming back. He was senior producer and executive producer for CBC Newsworld (now CBC News Network) in Calgary from 1991 until 2006. Thats our term for ourselves. Pundits based in Toronto have responded to the last months federal election results by offering reams of opinions explaining to Albertans why their current predicament is entirely their own fault. Not because I am some political seer, but because I know where Bridgeland is in Calgary, how glorious Kananaskis is, and how treacherous Highway 2 can be in the winter. 'God help any federal leader whos trying to campaign on a united message because this is not a country that is feeling united'. That and more apparently qualifies me in the eyes of friends and family to explain Alberta. Shut down the oil sands and avoid the much harder questions about why they exist. Most people in Quebec are rather indifferent about the people in the rest of Canada. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay, Rex Murphy and others. Once your province has cultivated a reputation for being a redneck backwater, well, thats a hard one to break. Everything you need to know about the federal equalization program, Florida Panthers refuse to sell tickets to non-U.S. residents as Leafs move to second round, FIRST READING: The evidence against Trudeau's claim he didn't 'force' vaccination, Who is Alexandre 'Sacha' Trudeau? With apologies to Anne McLellan, who was tapped to be an informal advisor on Alberta to the Liberals, this lack of representation seems solely a concern to people who live in Ontario. More is needed this time around. They also reap the political rewards of the low hydro prices. This was brought in as part of the "flat tax" system that Klein introduced and has been maintained to this day, with increases for inflation. At least, not yet. This gives a sense of how many individuals fall into each income category, but there's another measure that Statistics Canada also tracks the share of total tax paid. But even if the province reverted to its old system, most Albertans would still pay more than . Jen Gerson: 'Wexit' reflects a cartoon version of the province that other Canadians find easy to attackbecause it spares them the burden of self-examination, By Jen Gerson One for $20, or three hats for $50, they came in a variety of colours, reading Wexit and Make Alberta Great Again and The West Wants Out.. and Ontario. Nearly half of adult Canadians struggle with literacy - CBC National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Though overall if the data shows anything, it's that there aren't any two provinces that outwardly share the same love for each other. he big difference between 1980 and today is that Alberta is a much larger player in the Canadian economy and in our national life than it was then. Theyre a scapegoat, a channel for all the guilt and anxiety that we. 7. They ask why it seems like the discussion always has to be a zero-sum game. Friday's letters: Why do Albertans need assault weapons? Jason Kenney, the premier of Alberta, does not get such an easy ride. The party that was founded as an explicitly separatist vehicle. Tax burden lowest in Alberta, Saskatchewan: Conference Board of Canada, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is. The top one per cent ofearners paid 31.5 per cent of the total income tax collected in Alberta that year. But times have changed. Our family lived in Calgary for more than 15 years before moving back to Ontario. What I do predict is that the Wexit leaders currently fronting Facebook pages will be discredited. But I have a perspective and thoughts about where the frustration and anger come from that was formed from my time in Calgary, and by a brother-in-law in Red Deer who never misses a chance to remind me how important the oil and gas industry is to Ontario's economy. If we want to discuss politics, that's another situation altogether. He appointeda number of senators from the West into his cabinet as ministers and ministers of state, to represent the interests of those provinces lacking Liberal MPs. Finally, there's one question that's not random, rare or fantastical: Why do so many Albertans so viscerally loathe Justin Trudeau? To make matters worse, 53% of the Canadians in the study believe that Quebec takes more than it gives to the Confederation. Alberta governments of every stripe love talking about the "tax advantage" in this province. The Ontario group, formed in fall . Tensions have been high between Canadas westernmost provinces, with Alberta and BC being at odds over the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project for the better part of 2018. The hostility is mostly in Alberta and Saskatchewan, unsurprising, given Premier Franois Legaults comments in December that theres no social acceptance for a pipeline that would pass through Quebec territory. Just one per cent of Albertans and two per cent of Saskatchewanians feel Quebec is friendly towards their province. Whether Alberta should return to a "flat tax" on income has been the subject of debate recently. Its even chillier in New Brunswick, where just 13 per cent return Quebecs affection (40 per cent said they felt close with their neighbour). DATA NERD. As in the early 1980s, oil and gas is the flashpoint between Ottawa and Alberta. The survey also asked respondents if they thought that there might be one province in the Federation that gets more than they give by being a part of Canada, and the consensus overwhelmingly showed Quebec as that province even from Quebecois themselves. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Ottawa isnt going to give a bunch of rednecks a fair hearing, or a fair deal. Now, as did his father, Justin Trudeau must find a way to provide westerners with power. The focus in these matters always rests on personalities and signals. When I lived there for a year, I thought it was superior to southern Ontario (more specifically, Windsor) in many ways. RELATED:Could Chrystia Freeland save Canada? Some Albertans look at per capita federal transfer payments equalization is just one and the massive amount of federal income tax flooding into Ottawa from Alberta, and believe theyre getting a raw deal. It seems like a more benign entity now for being merely opportunistic in its pursuit of an ever-better deal for Quebec. He joined CBC in 2015 after spending the previous decade working as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. READ MORE:Netflix Canada Announces The Official Date That The Harry Potter Movies Are Coming.
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