Separatist movements indicate dissatisfaction, not collapse

For a country supposedly on the verge of breaking apart, Canada has remarkably few people who actually support it.

You’d never know that from the headlines, with Quebec’s separatist party back in power and Alberta preparing to vote on its future in Confederation. The political noise is loud, but the public appetite for separation is extremely weak.

Roughly 70 per cent of Quebecers have no interest in separating from Canada, and the numbers in Alberta are probably about the same. That will be evident after Albertans vote Monday on whether they want to stay in Canada.

So where’s the crisis? Well, the truth is, there isn’t one.

Sure, there are some people who want to break up Canada. There always will be. And there are legitimate grievances in all provinces about how Ottawa governs, treats the regions and manages the economy. That’s not new.

But turning those frustrations into a claim that Confederation is in mortal danger is pure fantasy.

Albertans will vote next week on whether the province should remain in Canada, or pursue a future binding referendum on the long and complicated process of separation.

The vote has attracted considerable attention, but it shouldn’t be mistaken for evidence that Alberta is about to leave Confederation. The vast majority of Albertans aren’t looking to start a new country. Most simply want their existing one to work better for them.

Prime Minister Mark Carney recognized the importance of the issue in his Thanksgiving Day message, telling Albertans that Canada is “worth fighting for.”

He reminded Canadians that Ottawa is pursuing major projects in Alberta, including a proposed pipeline to the West Coast, and argued that Canada needs to work together to achieve its ambitions.

“You can’t build big things on fault lines,” he said.

But those fault lines aren’t nearly as deep or dangerous as some may suggest.

Alberta’s separatist movement has gained attention amid frustration over federal energy and environmental policies, equalization and what some Albertans see as Ottawa’s disregard for their province.

Those concerns deserve to be taken seriously. Alberta is a major economic engine, and its residents have every right to expect the federal government to treat them fairly. All provinces do.

But there’s a big difference between wanting Ottawa to change its policies and wanting to leave Canada.

The same goes for Quebec, where I grew up (I lived through the first Parti Québécois government in the late 1970s and the first referendum in 1980 on “sovereignty association”).

Last week’s election of a Parti Québécois minority government has revived familiar speculation about another sovereignty referendum. But the results of the Quebec election don’t mean Quebecers have suddenly developed a burning desire for independence. In fact, the opposite is true.

Which brings us to the next question: why are so many people in both provinces (all provinces, really) so content to remain Canadian? The answer isn’t particularly complicated. Canada is one of the best places in the world to live.

We enjoy freedom, relative peace and security, prosperity, democratic institutions and individual rights that hundreds of millions of people around the world can only dream of. We have a high standard of living, universal health care (with all its faults), access to education and peaceful transitions of government.

People from around the world want to come here because Canada offers opportunities and freedoms they can’t find at home. That doesn’t mean our country is perfect — far from it — but it does say something about the kind of place we’ve built.

Sure, Canada has plenty of problems. Housing is unaffordable for too many people. Provincial health-care systems are under severe pressure. Indigenous communities continue to face unacceptable disadvantages. Homelessness, addiction and crime are major challenges.

We have a high standard of living, but our economy does not distribute wealth equitably. We have robust social safety net programs to help narrow those gaps, yet inequalities remain.

But those aren’t reasons to break up Canada. Those are reasons to improve it.

Besides, an independent Alberta or Quebec wouldn’t magically solve any of those problems. In fact, they’d likely be worse without the benefits of Canada’s economic unity.

There will always be people who advocate separation, and they have every right to make their case. But their existence doesn’t mean the country is on the brink of collapse.

The vast majority of Albertans and Quebecers aren’t looking for an exit. They want governments that work, stronger economies and better services. So do the rest of us.

But an imminent breakup of Canada? That’s not even on the menu.

» Tom Brodbeck is a Winnipeg Free Press columnist.