Overview
This story discusses how historical issues of land, identity, and sovereignty are coming full circle in the face of US threats and global disruption.
Define
- Ecosystem
- Biodiversity
- Endangered species
- Wildlife corridor
- Habitat loss
- Ecosystem restoration
- Indigenous plants / native plants
- Invasive species
- Watershed
- Ecological connectivity
- Old-growth forest
- Climate resilience
- Stewardship
- Carbon sink
- Habitat fragmentation
- Reconciliation
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
- Indigenous governance
- Grassroots movement
- Consultation vs. consent
- Sovereignty
- Environmental assessment
- Protected areas
- Land-use planning
- Advocacy
- Stakeholders
- Public engagement
- Non-profit organizations
- Impact assessment
- Environmental justice
- Resource extraction
- Permitting process
- Capacity building
- Sustainable leadership
Referenced Resources
- Danielle Smith's reform is nudging Alberta separation vote from 'if' toward 'when'
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith defends promise of a potential referendum on separation
- Premier Smith's very risky referendum bet
- Has Separatism Gone Mainstream in Alberta?
- he Silent, Creeping Constitutional Crises facing Canada
- The rise of Alberta's unapologetic petro-patriots
- Untangling Canada's East-West Political Divide
- Crossing Divides: Europe 'more split' than decade ago
- Migration v climate: Europe's new political divide
- Canada's COVID-19 response better than many comparable countries, study finds
- Canada dodged the worst of the Financial Crisis, and it wasn't just dumb luck
- The anger is real, but is western separatism?
- Referendum Reality? Half in Alberta & Saskatchewan call for vote on independence, but fewer would actually leave
- Is the Canada option still viable for Alberta?
- New Tory leader prods Trudeau on western alienation
- Memo to Erin O'Toole: there is no national unity crisis
- Premier Smith says Albertans' desire for leaving Canada has never been higher
- Disenfranchisement and disappointment: Idea of western Canadian separation has deep roots in Prairies
- What Makes the Prairie Provinces Different?
- Unrest in the West
- A vital day for Alberta: 92 years ago, the province took control of its natural resources
- Born Unequal: Alberta and the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement
- The National Energy Program's bitter aftertaste has lasted 40 years
- Corbella: 40 years later, National Energy Program has lessons to teach today
- Measuring Alberta's contribution to federal finances
- Albertans are tired of being resented while funding the rest of Canada
- Lougheed, Trudeau and the notorious NEP
- The Trudeaus and western alienation
- Trudeau’s emissions cap reminds westerns of his father’s National Energy Program
- “Screw the west, we'll take the rest”
- David Staples: Trudeau takes a wrecking ball to Alberta and Canada right until the end
- Another NEP fiasco looms as Westerners suffer for Trudeau’s energy follies
- Western separatism: An age-old story entering a new chapter
- The rise of western alienation ... again: When it comes to anger in the west, history keeps repeating itself
- Howard Pawley and CF-18 fiasco
- The Rise of the Reform Party: the Changing Face of Canada
- How Reform changed our system
- Thirty years after birth of the Reform Party, its legacy lives in Conservative leadership results
- ‘An element of the population feels increasingly disenfranchised’: Shachi Kurl on whether Western Canadians want to leave and become part of the U.S.
- Satisfaction with Canada’s democracy declines significantly in Alberta
- Trudeau is to blame for national unity crisis over pipelines
- Bell: Smith firm — if demands tossed, Alberta could hold a referendum
- To live up to its enduring promise, Canada must repair what is broken
- Just what we need: another national unity crisis
- Alberta's separatism is hollow, artificial and all about money
- Alberta separatists should be careful what they wish for
- Why separation is not a solution, or even a credible bluff
- Alberta separatists getting organized — a unity challenge for Canada and Danielle Smith's party
- On Western alienation, Preston Manning is not backing down
- Quebec as a Model for Provincial Autonomy in Alberta and Beyond
- Danielle Smith’s pipeline ransom note to Mark Carney is using Canada as her hostage
- Alberta’s pipeline pitch forces a thorny debate back into full view
- 'Look who's come crawling back': The imagined thoughts of the Northern Gateway pipeline
- Poll finds Alberta increasingly alone in strong public support for Northern Gateway pipeline
- B.C. officially opposes Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline
- 100 BC First Nations reiterate vow to Stop the Northern Gateway Pipeline
- First Nations hold the key to the Northern Gateway pipeline
- How Harper triggered a First Nations legal war over Northern Gateway
- You heard it here: Northern Gateway's dead
- As Alberta's anger deepens, it gets harder to turn off
- Carney strides into Northern Gateway minefield
- Government of Canada and the duty to consult
- Distinguishing consent from veto in an era of reconciliation
- The Federal Court Finds That FPIC Is Not a Veto but a “Right to a Robust Process”
- Can First Nations veto resource developments?
- It appears First Nation have a veto on resource projects after all
- First Nations Will Seek Ownership of New Oil Sands Pipeline
- Coastal First Nations stand firm against Alberta premier’s oil pipeline proposal
- Another Alberta and B.C. rumble — a 'fantasy' pipeline and the 'un-Canadian' response to it
- Eby cool to Smith's proposal to revive Northern Gateway
- Pipeline Push: Majority of Canadians, including B.C. residents support the idea of a pipeline to the north coast
- 'There is no B.C. coast. It's Canada's coast': Sask. premier supports Alta. pipeline proposal
- First Nations on B.C.'s North Coast won't support Alberta's pipeline proposal 'now or ever,' says chief
- Is Mark Carney going to get tied up in pipeline politics?
- Danielle Smith meets with PM Mark Carney, calls B.C. premier ‘un-Canadian’
- Why B.C. First Nations oppose the Northern Gateway Pipeline
- Western alienation is real and cannot be dismissed
- Standing up to Ottawa: Western alienation shifts into Prairie constitutional challenges
- Smith’s pipeline plan threatens ‘fragile’ consensus over development of B.C. coast: Eby
- Priority of environmental protections weakening in B.C., poll shows
- Alberta's distorted view of their own political culture
- Indigenous supporters of Coastal GasLink speak out on the division and backlash
- Coastal First Nations’ Support for Oil Tanker Moratorium Remains Strong
- B.C. chief says one major oil spill could ruin her nation's economy forever
- First Nations CEO calls for 'Northern Gateway 2.0' despite old controversies
- Indigenous Canadians want natural resources development — why aren’t we being heard?
- Economic reconciliation: Supporting a return to Indigenous prosperity
- We’ve lost our national identity – and with it, our pride in our country
- Alberta Stands Apart in Canada. Now It Plans a Long-Shot Bid to Secede
- Alberta pipeline sparks fear, hope among Indigenous groups
- Why 2 different kinds of Wet'suwet'en leaders support and oppose the gas pipeline
- There are divisions in every part of the country. Is Canada at the breaking point?
- Alienation is fuelling a new, bigger Alberta agenda: 'I hate to say we wasted the last 20 years'
- A 'just transition' out of energy? Ask the people of Hanna about that
- Western alienation: Let's be clear, the West didn't pull away until it was pushed away
- Carney doesn’t rule out new pipeline to B.C., repealing tanker ban and emissions cap
- Alberta ‘on notice’ Coastal B.C. nations opposed to pipeline proposal
- The past, present, and future of western alienation
- (Im)balance of power – How federal overreach fuels Western Alienation: Sonya Savage and Heather Exner-Pirot
- CSIS braces for possible foreign interference as Alberta, Quebec eye sovereignty
- The Pacific Northwest, strong and free: On the inevitable rise of Cascadia
- Ottawa and Alberta agree to new pipeline deal: report
- For the first time in more than 50 years, Alberta received more money from Ottawa than it sent
- As Canada is threatened, it’s urgent to revisit Indigenous sovereignty and nationhood
- B.C. has second chance to end pipeline politics
- To preserve B.C.’s beautiful North Coast, we must maintain the oil tanker ban
- Smith backs Trump's call to build Keystone XL pipeline
- Canada should hit Trump where it hurts the most — oil and gas
- Rethinking Canada’s oil tanker ban for a new era of reconciliation
- Anger as Alberta Lifts Ban on Rockies Coal Mining
- Alberta’s lifting of restrictions on wolverine trapping could spell disaster for a declining population
- 'There's no science involved': Alberta wolf pelt contest comes under fire by conservation groups
- Alberta’s move to reopen the grizzly hunt should only have been made after public consultation
- Alberta has no one to blame but itself for its current woes
- Canada made big promises to save nature at COP15. Will it follow through?
- What's killing rural Canada
- Canada's real strength? It's not diversity
- In Canada, Deep Divisions Brilliantly Managed
- Canadian Economic Update: Strength in Diversity
- Canada is at a breaking point—the growing generational gap is a big reason why
- Canada’s rural-urban divide is getting deeper, and that hurts all Canadians
Update: The Alberta/Ottawa Agreement Meets Another Unity Crisis
Following the November 27th memorandum of understanding between the federal government and Alberta, we sat down with Canada’s leading constitutional scholar and Section1.ca founder Peter Biro to investigate what it might mean for Indigenous rights, national unity, and our democracy more broadly. And we ask the question: with Canada in crisis, how can we make thoughtful decisions while also acting urgently?
The conversation below with Constitutional expert Peter Biro is the perfect extension for the newly released Canada at a Crossroads: Chapter 3, where we discuss how historical issues of land, identity, and sovereignty are coming full circle in the face of US threats and global disruption.
Think about it
- What does it mean for a country as diverse as Canada to have a shared identity?
- Can a nation be unified without everyone agreeing on the same values or priorities? Why or why not?
- How do regional identities (e.g., Quebec, Alberta, the North) shape or complicate the idea of being “Canadian”?
- How has Canada’s past relationship with Indigenous Nations shaped the challenges we face today?
- Why is land such a powerful part of people’s identity, and what happens when different groups value land in different ways?
- What responsibilities do we have to future generations when making decisions about land and resources?
- Why is it important for Canadians to agree on the fundamental principles of democracy?
- What happens when people no longer trust institutions like the government, courts, or the media?
- How can democratic systems help reconcile majority rule with the rights of minorities?
- Do you agree that diversity isn’t automatically a strength unless it’s managed well? Why or why not?
- What are the risks of ignoring or misunderstanding the experiences of people in other regions of Canada?
- How can we balance local identities (ex. 'I’m Albertan', 'I’m Québécois', I’m Cree) with broader identities (I am Canadian)?
- Why is listening - really listening - to others such a rare skill?
- Think of a time when listening to someone changed your perspective. What happened?
- What makes it hard to engage with people who have very different views from your own?
- Is it possible to make decisions about natural resources or economic development without harming someone’s culture or livelihood?
- What does a fair compromise look like when everyone has something important at stake?
- Why do experts say that “every action has a reaction,” and what does this mean for policymaking?
- What gives you hope about Canada’s future?
- What worries you most about Canada’s ability to stay united?
- How can everyday people, not just politicians, help strengthen national unity?
- What would a truly collaborative, empathetic, and forward-looking Canada look like to you?
Referenced Resources
- “Not the United States” Is Not Enough: Why Canada Must Define Its Own Identity
- Measuring Canadian Pride: What It Means, How It’s Tracked, and Why It Matters
- Insulin co-discovered by London, Ont.'s Frederick Banting 100 years ago
- Invention of the Telephone National Historic Event
- Canadians Can Be Proud of Our Government's Stance on Iraq
- Canada's Pacific railway: an iron spine for a paper nation
- James J Hill: Empire Builder without Peer
- Thank you, President Trump: You've united Canada
- The Great Canadian Identity Crisis
- Ties that Bind:Canada's railways have always held a special place in our history and in our hearts.
- The Great Northern Railway in B.C.
- The Royal Proclamation of 1763
- The Canada-United States Controversy over the Columbia River
- Joint Statement With Prime Minister Pearson on the Columbia River Agreement
- The Abandoned Plan That Could Have Saved America From Drought
- California needs more than groundwater to ensure water sustainability
- The Columbia River Treaty
- History of Treaties in B.C. - Province of British Columbia
- Indigenous Perspectives on the Columbia River Treaty
- Their Land Was Drowned by a Flood of Hydropower
- Exhibition tells stories of B.C. communities lost to flooding after dam construction
- Changing the Narrative: Settler Colonialism, Food and the Columbia River Treaty
- Mica Dam at 50 Years – How An International Treaty Changed the Face of Valemount’s Canoe Valley
- Canada Excludes Indigenous Nations From International Columbia River Treaty Re-Negotiations
- Constitution Act, 1982 Section 35
- IV - Saga of Canada’s Constitution
- Canada Act 1982
- How Pierre Trudeau Relented on Indigenous Rights
- Rights of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
- Trump wants to turn on Canada's 'faucet.' Here's what to know about the Columbia River treaty
- US pauses water-sharing negotiations with Canada over Columbia River
- Trump told Canadian officials he wanted changes to the Columbia River Treaty
- Troubled waters: New U.S. policies put Canada’s water security at risk, expert warns
- Trump eyes Canada's water to fight shortages in the US
- Trump puts Canada-U.S. water relations in spotlight
- How Trump’s ‘51st State’ Canada Talk Came to Be Seen as Deadly Serious
- A crucial river treaty is tangled in Trump's feud with Canada
- Water Diplomacy Flows Through US - Canadian Relations
- Trump's musings on 'very large faucet' in Canada part of looming water crisis, say researcher
- The US Badly Needs Rare Minerals and Fresh Water. Guess Who Has Them?
- Trump wants B.C.'s water: Plausible or one big pipe dream?
- How far could Trump go using 'economic force' to try and annex Canada?
- Donald Trump claims B.C.’s ‘very large faucet’ could help California’s water woes
- Forget tariffs, Trump may be targeting the Great Lakes and Canada’s freshwater next
- Trump's Obsession with Canada's Water
- Private Property, Freedom, and the West
- Indigenous Land and Land Ownership in Canada
- The western idea of private property is flawed. Indigenous peoples have it right
- he Doctrine of Discovery and Terra Nullius
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
- Reconciliation
- Truth Comes Before Reconciliation
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Backgrounder: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
- Supreme Court of Canada: Judgements
- Assembly of First Nations
- Kyra Wilson set to lead Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs after election victory
- Canada to expedite nation-building projects to counter Trump
- Building Canada Act – Projects of National Interest
- Protecting Canada's sovereignty and security
- Major Projects Office
- A National Corridor: Accessing our Resources, Connecting our Communities
- First Nations caught in crossfire between Canada and Trump
- Major projects: How Bill C-5 works and why Indigenous leaders are so concerned
- Canada is in crisis. We can't let that crisis go to waste
- The right moment for big ambitions: Accelerating national priority projects
- Annexation and the Use of Force
- Trump’s plan for ‘hemispheric control’: Steve Bannon on why tariffs may only be the start
- Why 3 First Nations leaders say talk about Canadian sovereignty should include Indigenous perspectives
- BC Supreme Court's recent Cowichan Decision
- A land-claims ruling shakes the foundation of property rights in B.C.
- Unceded: Why we acknowledge, or don't, that B.C. First Nations never signed away land
- Indigenous Law Update: What the B.C. Natural Resource Sector Should Know About “Non-Treaty” Agreements
- This is what reconciliation looks like — the end of property rights
- To recognize aboriginal title is not to abolish property rights, but to uphold them
- Angry Canadians get their 'elbows up' in face of Trump threats
- As Carney pushes major projects, he must heed a cautionary tale from Canada’s past
- Want to build big projects, and fast? First Nations partnerships are key: Karen Restoule in The Hub
- Fair Deal Panel launched to combat Alberta's 'raw deal'
- In Quebec, being a nationalist is a positive, not a negative
- Quebec is more than just a 'distinct society'
- Think recognizing the ‘Quebec nation’ is harmless? In fact, the implications for unity are profound
- Québec’s vision: a form of federalism that recognizes collective diversity
- Quebec's ethnic nationalism in perspective
- Quebec’s Ban on Religious Clothing is Chilling: To Be Like Us, You Must Dress Like Us
- The roots of Quebec's secularism debate, why it isn't going away — and who it benefits
- Quebec moves to protect French language and restrict use of English
- Anglos, allophones 'less proud' to be Quebecers due to Bill 96: poll
- Legault says he's against multiculturalism because 'it's important to have culture where we integrate'
- Quebec and the right to be different
- Twenty-five years ago, Quebec nearly divorced Canada
- Multiculturalism in Canada clashes with Quebecois values'
- How secularism became Quebec's religion: The distinct path to Bill 21
- The challenge of diversity in Canada and Quebec
- It is too easy to make Quebec the villain
- Quebec’s Bill 21: Is there room for more than one view of religion in Canada?
- Quebecers, Our Way of Being Canadians
- An introduction to the new Quebec nationalism and the tricks it plays on federal leaders
- Why Quebec's Bill 96 is good for national unity
- In Quebec, the Independence Movement Gives Way to a New National Unity
- House passes motion recognizing Quebecois as nation
- Motion to recognize Quebec as a nation passes in House
- Quebec resists Canada's new constitution
- Bloc wants power in 'foreign parliament' before fulfilling Quebec independence
- PQ insists Quebec needs another referendum, despite lack of public support
- Sovereignty at an Impasse: The Highs and Lows of Quebec Nationalism
- The first Bloc Québécois candidate elected to Parliament
- View Quebec's renewed Canadian patriotism with caution
- 30 years on, is Quebec headed for another independence referendum?
- Does Saskatchewan need to be a “nation within a nation” to get more powers?
- Smith: Alberta should become a nation within a nation
- Canadians have taken Alberta for granted. That’s dangerous for us all
- Alberta's outsized economic contribution must be recognized and protected, think tank tells Canada
- Analysis: Western alienation is very real in Alberta and Saskatchewan
- Meet some who want Canada to become the 51st U.S. state
- Former MP wants to explore Alberta's future with U.S.
- A Separatist Movement Is Brewing in Canada — But Don’t Count on a 51st State
- Mark Carney poses a threat to national unity
- Danielle Smith promises Alberta separation referendum if signatures warrant
- New Alberta referendum rules looming as calls for separation met with opposition petition