The Alberta and the West Assembly

A Brief Introduction

About one year ago, a small group of concerned westerners, most of us residing in Calgary, banded together around the idea that there would be merit in organizing a democratic “Citizens Assembly”, in the form of an educational video-conference with broad public access, to recognize and address the increasing dissatisfactions of
many Western Canadians, especially Albertans, with the state of Canadian federalism and the position of Canada West within the federation.

As originally conceived, the organization of such an endeavor was to involve:

A small number of concerned and thoughtful persons – 10 for each western province and 2 each from the NWT and Yukon – to serve as Delegates to the proposed conference.
A Panel of Advisors with expertise in the legal, constitutional, economic, indigenous interests, and other public policy considerations which the conference might address.
Respected representatives of the Main Options facing Canada West going forward, to make presentations of those options and to entertain questions from conference delegates and advisors to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of those options.
Live streaming of the Assembly proceedings so that members of the general public and media could be both informed by its deliberations and pose questions and alternative suggestions for consideration, the target being to reach an audience of 100,000+ western Canadians.
An AI guided follow-up session to debate and arrive at recommendations, to be forwarded to members of the territorial and provincial legislatures, as to “the best path forward for Canada West” in the judgment of the Assembly participants.

For the purposes of the Project, Canada West was defined as including the four western provinces plus the Northwest Territory and Yukon - almost half of the land mass of Canada and home to almost one third of Canada’s population.

After consultation with the increasing numbers of persons to be involved, the weekend of September 19-20, 2026, was decided upon as the target date for the Assembly video-conference.

Progress to Date – July 2026

As organization of the proposed Assembly proceeded, considerable progress was made in clarifying the main sources of “western dissatisfaction with the status quo” (elaborated on below) and in organizing the technical and communications aspects of the conference.

Progress has also been made in recruiting a Panel of Advisors which currently consists of constitutional lawyers Dwight Newman and Geoffrey Sigalet; former Manitoba provincial court judge, Brian Giesbrecht; economist and fiscal analyst Tegan Hill; former National Energy Board member, Ron Wallace; media advisor, Peter Menzies; public policy analysts Marco Navarro-Genie of the Haultain Institute, Peter Holle, founder of the Frontier Institute for Public Policy, and Gerard Lucyshyn, founder of the Regulatory Research Institute of Canada. Recruitment of advisors continues to secure additional
expertise in the areas of indigenous interests/relations and natural resource development.

Agreement has also been reached:

With the office of Alberta’s Premier for a presentation to be made on September 19 of the Premier’s preferred Option - Alberta remaining within the federation but striving to achieve a “Strong and Sovereign Province Within (not separate from) a United Canada” - see https://albertareferendum2026.ca
With representatives of two secessionist organizations – the Alberta Prosperity Project and the Let Alberta Decide organization - for presentations of the Secession Option on September 20th.
- The Alberta Prosperity Project (https://albertaprosperityproject.com has secured the signatures of over 300,000 Albertans desiring a referendum and Yes vote on the question - "Do you agree that the province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?"
- The positions and arguments in favor of secession advanced by the Let Alberta Decide group are available at https://letalbertadecide.com
With at least one of the groups supporting the Remain Option (while advocating a No vote on all other 9 questions on the October 19 Referendum ballot) – Stephen Carter’s Alberta Voice group (https://albertavoice.ca) – to make a Remain presentation on September 20th, with invitations out to other proponents of various Remain options including the Opposition Leader in the federal parliament, Pierre Poilievre.

As the planning of the project progressed it was also recognized that there are numerous other groups with views and positions similar to or opposed to those of the proponents of the above options – many of them independent media and interest groups, and some of them registered as Third Party Advertisers (TPAs) under Alberta’s Referendum legislation. See https://www.elections.ab.ca/political-participants/third-party-advertisers/referendum-tpa/#registered

It was then decided that a strong effort should also be made:

To acquaint these interests and their supporters with the opportunity to participate in the Assembly proceedings via the livestreaming of its sessions
To invite these participants to submit questions and comments via the Assembly website
To systematically survey and poll these public participants as to their opinions and positions on the issues and presentations addressed by the Assembly, and,
To submit the results of such surveys and polls, as valuable input, to the final session of the Assembly at which it will frame its conclusions and recommendations.

Mid-Course Adjustments

In recruiting delegates from across the west and in offering invitations to potential presenters, the organizing group has encountered useful suggestions and constructive objections requiring several mid-course adjustments to the Project Plan to make it more focused and inclusive.

First, while western discontent with the “status quo” is much broader than Alberta, as numerous polls have shown, the facts are that:

It is Alberta which will hold a referendum on October 19th seeking guidance for the provincial government on ten questions all related to the position of the province within or separate from the federation.
It is in Alberta that there is the highest degree of interest in the Main Options to be presented to the proposed Assembly conference, and it is Albertans who are most likely to “tune in” to the conference proceedings in the greatest numbers.

Thus while there will be considerable interest in the conference proceedings in the other western provinces and northwestern territories, and the observations and comments of their delegates will provide a healthy and welcome pan-western perspective, it is proposed to hold their delegate representation at the levels
reached to date – approximately 8 delegates each for BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and 2 observers each for the NWT and Yukon – but to increase the Alberta delegate representation to at least 30.

The focus of the Canada West Assembly video-conference will therefore be much more Alberta-centric than originally proposed, but with this important qualification: that participation by, and input from, representatives of the other western provinces is still a necessity as those provinces will be affected by
whatever Alberta decides to do and a pan-western perspective – not just an Alberta perspective - will be an important contribution.

In light of the above, our communications consultants also recommend that the project be renamed Alberta and the West Assembly… with tagline.. Examining Alberta’s choices and their implications for Western Canada and Canada.

Secondly, it was not intended initially to invite representatives of the political parties or their interest group allies to make presentations to the conference on the grounds that elected officials or their representatives would get their opportunity to assess and debate its conclusions when those were presented to the legislatures following the conference.

But it now appears advisable that such representation and such presentations should be invited, particularly to insure that the “Remain Option” is adequately represented and by interests with perspectives on that Option which may differ from those of each other and the Alberta Government.

Thirdly, it has been decided that those originally recruited as members of a Panel of Advisors should also be given delegate status so that they can not only assist in the cross examination of presenters but also participate in any discussion of and voting on propositions and recommendations arising from the video-conference deliberations.

With these mid-course adjustments in the course of being implemented, the following sections of this project description provide additional information on the following topics:

Western dissatisfactions and concerns prompting the Assembly.
Main Options to be considered by the Assembly
Additional factors for consideration
Assembly structure and organization
Clarifications and disclaimers
Organizing committees
Additional information

Western Dissatisfactions and Concerns Prompting the Assembly

As is well known, increasing dissatisfactions across the West have given rise to a growing conviction that “the status quo is no longer an acceptable option” and that other options offering positive change for the future must be thoroughly considered and acted upon.

The main sources of these dissatisfactions, which extend far beyond Alberta, include:

Systemic imbalances and unfairness in the constitution and institutions of the Canadian federation - including the Senate, House of Common, and Supreme Court.
Discriminatory and unacceptable aspects of the policies and actions of the federal government – a government over which Canada West has limited influence – including systematic and unilateral intrusion by the federal government in areas of provincial jurisdiction as defined by the constitution.
Systemic inequities in the application of the Constitutional provision for “equalization” via the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and the use of the federal spending power.

Increasing difficulty in realizing western Canadian aspirations – such as the freedom to responsibly develop the natural resources of Canada and to freely access world markets – with the private sector rather than governments and the public sector being the driving force in pursuing such aspirations.
Decisions of unelected, federally appointed judges that undermine the rights and freedoms of western Canadians - in particular property rights, parental rights, and freedoms of speech and assembly – as well as potentially undermining decisions and positions of western Canada’s
elected legislatures that use the section 33 “notwithstanding clause” of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The absence of any effective protection of property rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the absence of any provision of “fair compensation” if and when such property rights are lawfully abridged.
Ignorance, indifference, and even outright hostility on the part of the media, academic, and political elites of central and eastern Canada toward the legitimate concerns and aspirations of Canada West.

Main Options to be Considered
By the Assembly

The Main Options to be considered by the Assembly, as of July 2026, include:

The List Option – lists of western requests/demands presented to the Carney government – mainly through correspondence and news releases - by Premier Smith, Premier Moe, and energy company
representatives over the last year, and requesting substantive and expeditious federal responses. These will be augmented by similar lists representing Manitoba, BC, and territorial requests/demands.
The Provincial Sovereignty Within Canada Option – –strengthening the role and activities of the provinces in every area of provincial jurisdiction as defined by the current constitution, seeking repeal or amendment of federal statutes authorizing federal intrusion in areas of provincial jurisdiction, and “pushing the envelope” in every area of joint federal-provincial jurisdictions such as the environment, agriculture, and immigration. This Options is defined in part by the Alberta
Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, the concluding section of the 2025 Alberta Government’s Throne Speech, and the report of the Alberta Next deliberations.
- Note: Sovereignty in Canadian law refers to the authority of both the federal and provincial governments to govern within the Constitutional definition of their respective jurisdictions. Sovereignty in this context is not be misinterpreted as meaning secession – the Alberta Sovereignty Within Canada Act, for example, explicitly declares that the province cannot authorize secession.
The Secession Options – either to form a completely independent country or to form an independent country with the intention of associating more closely with the United States.
The Remain Option – Numerous organized efforts exist to champion the Remain/Stay Option. Representatives of these, or an academic/commentator who can summarize and present their views, are also being invited to make representations to the Assembly, in particular to address the question of Remain and What? – accept the status quo? pursue some other defined course of action? If so, what?
- Note: To date (July 16, 2026) the various advocates of Remain/Stay include:
  - Alberta Voice https://albertasvoice.ca represented by political consultant Stephen Carter. This group argues that the “status quo” is not nearly as negative and unacceptable as its
    opponents maintain, that “scapegoating” the constitution and federal polices such as those on immigration is unacceptable, and urges Albertan’s to vote No to the first nine questions on the October 19th referendum.
  - ForalbertaForcanada https://foralbertaforcanada.ca is a website of the Alberta NDP, official opposition in the Alberta legislature, through which it is urging Albertans to reject secession and vote for Alberta to remain a strong province within the Canadian federation.
  - Conservative Party of Canada https://www.conservative.ca is the website of the Official
    Opposition in the parliament of Canada, whose leader Pierre Poilivre is an Alberta MP, and who has declared his intention to vigorously support the Remain option in the Alberta referendum campaign. Poilievre has named Dane Lloyd – the MP for Sturgeon River Parkland since 2017 - as his “referendum lead”.
  - Forever Canadian https://www.forever-canadian.ca represented by former Deputy Premier of Alberta, Thomas Lukaszuk, has secured over 400,000 signatures in support of its position and desires a Yes vote from the Alberta legislature on the question, “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”
  - Vote To Stay https://votetostay.ca organized by former federal MP and Cabinet Minster Monte Solberg and associates, urges Albertans to get out and Vote To Stay on October 19 and “defend everything we have built together”.
  - Lead Not Leave https://www.leadnotleave.ca organized by political consultant Ken
    Boesenkool and describes itself as an effort “bringing together respected voices from
    across Alberta's conservative, academic, policy, and community landscape who believe the province's future is strongest inside a united Canada.”
  - Note that spokespersons for Forever Canadian, Vote to Stay, and Lead Not Leave have
    indicated that they do not wish to participate in any forum involving secessionist on the grounds that doing so would grant “a legitimacy to secession and its proponents that they do not deserve”. This a position which may change as the referendum draws near and directly challenging the secession option rather than dismissing it as illegitimate becomes more advisable.
A Federal Government Response – if the Prime Minister or his designate is willing to make a substantive presentation providing an updated federal government response to the current concerns and aspirations of Canada West, including the Options defined above. Note that the Prime Minister has designated Morgan Breitkreutz - the former Chief of Staff to Edmonton MP and Cabinet Minister Eleanor Oszewsky – as his “senior special advisor” on the Alberta referendum.

To be clear, the Alberta and the West Assembly Project seeks to provide an informational and educational service to participants and the general public - assisting ourselves and other western Canadians to become better informed on all of the above concerns and options, and helping to ascertain the “best path forward” for Alberta, Canada West, and Canada- As-A-Whole.

Additional Factors for Consideration

One of the responses of the federal government to Alberta’s frustrations re: restrictions on its ability to move oil and gas to seaboard is provided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Alberta and Canada signed between Premier Smith and Prime Minister Carney on November 27th. (Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding).

The Assembly will undoubtedly have questions about what progress is actually being made in implementing the terms of the MOU, and to what extent implementation of its terms actually alleviates the uncertainties and federally-imposed roadblocks that have plagued the Alberta petroleum sector to date.

The October 19 Referendum Ballot originally proposed by Premier Smith seeks the opinion of Albertans on nine questions all of them “federalist” in nature. Five seek advice on whether Alberta should assume more leadership with respect immigration as it affects the province. Four seek advice on measures to make federalism work better for Alberta through abolishing the unrepresentative and ineffective Senate; transferring the power to appoint provincial judges to provincial governments; exercising an op out from unacceptable federal legislation that intrudes in areas of provincial jurisdiction; and giving priority to provincial policies in areas of shared jurisdiction.

On May 20, Premier Smith announced the addition of a tenth question to the October 19th Referendum ballot, namely: Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada? Debate over the two options this question offers will be intense over the next four months, providing more input to be taken into account by delegates and advisors to the Assembly. See specialballot.elections.ab.ca

Additionally, a Quebec provincial election is expected on or before October 5, just two weeks before the October 19 Alberta referendum. The principal issue in that election is expected to be:

Should Quebec become a Sovereign Country separate from the Canadian federation – the position of the Party Quebecois and to be decided by another provincial referendum should that party should win the election? Or,
Should Quebec take measures to assure its status of a Sovereign Province but within (not separate from) the Canadian federation - the position of the current CAQ government, the position most likely to be advanced by the Quebec Liberals with support from their federal cousins, and a position not dissimilar from that advocated by Alberta’s Premier Smith.

Assembly Structure and Organization Description

The project plan is to hold a "virtual assembly", using the Whova.com video-conferencing platform, with 3-4 hour sessions on each of September 19 and September 20. This means that the Assembly will be held 4 weeks before the scheduled Alberta referendum on October 19, early enough to assist in informing the judgment of those eligible to vote on the referendum ballot, and others outside the province with an interest in the issues it raises.

Livestreaming of the Assembly proceedings will provide members of the public and the media opportunity to observe its deliberations, just as if they were in the public or press galleries of a legislature.

Western Canadians viewing the deliberations of the Assembly via the live streaming of its sessions will have several opportunities to participate and influence the conclusions and recommendations of the Assembly:

By submitting their questions and comments to the Assembly website, to which responses will be provided.
By responding to polls and surveys which will be conducted during the sessions to secure their views and positions on the Main Options and positions being presented.

The video conferencing Assembly itself is to be composed of:

Two Co- Chairs to manage the sessions – Former BC Premier Gordon Campbell and former Opposition Leader in the federal parliament, Preston Manning
Delegates – approximately 30 from Alberta and 20-24 from the other western provinces and northwest territories - persons with sound judgment and public credibility, currently being identified and invited to participate.
Advisors also given Delegate status – including several economists, fiscal experts, constitutional lawyers, representatives of indigenous interests, and public policy analysts - to primarily assist in the analysis and cross examination of the presentations of the main options.
The Presenters of the Main Options invited to present their positions and submit them to cross-examination and discussion.

Besides the September 19-20 sessions of the proposed Assembly, it is further proposed:

To hold a two hour dry run session in late August to test the whoava.com video-conferencing platform and to enable delegates and advisors to get to know each other.
To hold a concluding one day session shortly after the October 19 Alberta Referendum to frame, debate, and vote on recommendations to the provincial and territorial legislatures and governments which, in the judgment of the Assembly, constitute “the best path forward” for Alberta and Canada West.