On This Day: The Time Alberta Tried to Leave Canada (But Nobody Noticed)

By Gordie Timber – Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

EDMONTON – It was on this very day, decades ago, that Alberta attempted to declare its independence from Canada. However, in what historians describe as a “tragic case of national indifference,” nobody in the rest of the country even noticed.

“We were prepared for a major political standoff,” said former Alberta Premier Dale Stevenson (who has since been erased from history books). “We had drafted documents, held fiery speeches, and even made a flag. But by the time we checked the news the next morning, all anyone was talking about was a Leafs loss and a moose wandering into a Canadian Tire.”

The secession attempt, now mostly forgotten, remains one of the greatest non-events in Canadian history.

The Plan: How Alberta Thought This Would Go

Alberta’s attempt to leave Canada—nicknamed “The Big Yeehaw” by local supporters—was meticulously planned.

📜 Step 1: Announce independence via fax machine. (Nobody received it.)
📜 Step 2: Declare oil as Alberta’s new official currency. (Not great for vending machines.)
📜 Step 3: Close borders to Saskatchewan. (Saskatchewan didn’t even try to enter.)
📜 Step 4: Replace all Ottawa policies with cowboy hats and “get ‘er done” energy.

Alberta politicians were convinced that Ottawa would panic at the thought of losing them.

Instead, Ottawa literally didn’t respond.

(Seriously. Not even a press release. The Prime Minister’s Office thought it was a joke and ignored it.)

Why Didn’t Anyone Notice?

According to experts, Alberta’s failed secession can be explained by three key factors:

❌ 1. Alberta Didn’t Tell Anyone Outside Alberta

• The province held a press conference, but only in Calgary, and mostly in a parking lot.
• The rest of Canada was too busy watching a CBC documentary about beavers.

❌ 2. Everyone Just Assumed They Were Joking

• Eastern Canadians thought it was a publicity stunt for the Calgary Stampede.
• The rest of the country didn’t know Alberta wanted out because, well, they never really asked.

❌ 3. Life Continued as Normal Anyway

• The RCMP didn’t even send a memo.
• Border crossings remained open.
• Tim Hortons still accepted loonies. (The real sign of Canadian sovereignty.)

Even Alberta’s own people weren’t sure how serious this was.

“I thought it was just another government thing nobody would ever follow through on,” said Greg, a farmer from Red Deer. “Like the time they promised to fix the potholes.”

How Long Did Alberta Think They Were Independent?

Historians estimate that Alberta “existed as its own nation” for approximately six hours.

This accidental return to Canada happened when:

📅 Hour 1: Alberta declares independence. Nobody reacts.
📅 Hour 2: Business owners refuse to print “New Alberta” money.
📅 Hour 3: Edmonton realizes their beer supply depends on interprovincial trade.
📅 Hour 4: The Calgary Flames lose a game, morale drops.
📅 Hour 5: A Tim Hortons in Lethbridge accidentally orders supplies from Ontario, confirming nobody actually left.
📅 Hour 6: A new government statement is issued: “Never mind, we’re staying.”

With zero economic impact and no official response from Canada, Alberta’s government quietly walked back their plans and rebranded the entire situation as a “symbolic protest” (the political version of pretending you weren’t serious).

Canada’s Official Response (Or Lack Thereof)

When finally asked about the incident years later, a spokesperson for the federal government responded:

“Oh yeah, that was a thing, wasn’t it? Huh.”

When pressed on why Ottawa never addressed Alberta’s attempted departure, the spokesperson shrugged and said, “Honestly, we just assumed they’d get over it.”

(They were right.)

Would Alberta Try This Again?

Every few years, the idea of Alberta leaving Canada resurfaces, usually after a bad federal budget or whenever someone finds that old cowboy-themed secession flag in a storage locker.

However, political analysts agree that another attempt is unlikely, because:

✔️ Alberta still needs the rest of Canada for things like “imported beer” and “not being landlocked.”
✔️ They don’t want to deal with international paperwork.
✔️ Most Albertans just roll their eyes and move on when the topic comes up.

That said, there is one Alberta tradition that will never die:

Every Stampede season, at least one guy will proudly declare Alberta as its own country, only to immediately walk into a Tim Hortons and pay for coffee with a toonie.