Separation Anxiety: The Alberta Referendum

As Alberta heads toward a referendum focused on separation, First Nations people are asking a question most Albertans haven't: What happens to the treaties? In this episode, Danielle goes to Indigenous Rock the Vote in Maskwacis, and Tim and Danielle sit down with separatist leaders, who say an independent Alberta would offer Indigenous nations "a better path." Tim and Danielle then bring two treaty experts into the studio to explain why, for them, leaving is never an option.

In this episode
Maskwacis Indigenous Rock the Vote
Separatist leaders explain what an independent Alberta would mean for treaty rights.
Rob Houle and Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse respond to what we heard and explain why treaty has "no exit clause."

Guests and voices
Rob Houle, Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse

Credits
Hosted by Danielle Paradis and Tim Querengesser. Produced with support from Canadian True Crime.

Programming note: Episode 4 will be released a few days late so we can get some interesting people on the record.
Next time we speak with moderate conservatives who are angry with Canada, but not angry enough to separate.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Separatists talk about a trillion-dollar surplus and an Independent Alberta with no income tax. So, where are the numbers to prove Albertans would be better off?

Dani and Tim start with an Edmonton town hall where separatist organizer Kathy Flett ran into a hostile crowd. From there they check the math behind the movement's biggest promises.
Author Tyler Dawson traces Alberta's grievances back to before it was a province and explains why the National Energy Program still hurts 40 years later. Political scientist Jared Wesley says today's separatism has more in common with MAGA and Brexit, than with Western alienation. Finally, Professor Lisa Young explains why she calls Premier Danielle Smith "Schrödinger's premier."

In this episode
Tyler Dawson, Author of The Republic of Alberta: An Idea That Won't Go Away and opinion editor at The Globe and Mail.
Jared Wesley, political scientist at the University of Alberta and the Common Ground project.
Lisa Young, political scientist at the University of Calgary and author of an Alberta politics newsletter,

Mentioned in this episode
The Republic of Alberta: An Idea That Won't Go Away by Tyler Dawson
Report: The Economic and Fiscal Implications of Alberta Separation, University of Calgary (September 2026)
DisinfoWatch report on U.S. involvement in the Alberta independence movement (May 2026)
Common Ground: commongroundpolitics.ca

Credits
Separation Anxiety is produced by Danielle Paradis and Tim Querengesser. With production assistance from Kristi Lee. Journalistic and production help by Amanda Erickson. Studio recording and sound production by Omar Mouallem and Zach Dafoe with HAQ Story Studios. Produced with the support of Canadian True Crime.

New episodes weekly. Follow us on Substack: separationanxietypodcast.substack.com
Feedback: SeparationAnxietyPodcast@protonmail.com
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Oh my lanta do we have an episode for you!

On Oct. 19, Albertans will vote on whether to hold a binding referendum on leaving Canada. Journalists Tim Querengesser and Danielle Paradis spend the summer with the people who want out of Canada: on a freeway overpass in Edmonton, at an Alberta Day celebration in Mirror, AB and in a Baptist church in Calgary. They ask what's driving the separatist movement, and what role Christian nationalism plays in it.
Credits:

Produced by Danielle Paradis, Tim Querengesser and Kristi Lee.
Journalistic and production help by Amanda Erickson.
Studio recording and sound production by Omar Mouallem and Zach Dafoe with HAQ Story Studios.
Produced with the support of Canadian True Crime.

New episodes weekly. Follow or subscribe so you don't miss one.
Feedback: SeperationAnxietyPodcast@protonmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alberta journalists Danielle Paradis and Tim Querengesser explore the upcoming Alberta separatist referendum.
Photo: Amanda Erickson
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.