PJ The Belt - January 24, 2026


Canada PANICS as U.S. Recognition of Alberta Separation Looms


Episode Stats


Length

11 minutes

Words per minute

148.61044

Word count

1,647

Sentence count

159

Harmful content

Misogyny

1

sentences flagged

Hate speech

3

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

The United States of America is ready to recognize an independent Alberta as a de facto nation, if it votes yes in a referendum. What does this mean for the future of Alberta? And why does the U.S. want Alberta to become an independent nation?

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.240 And what is the key ingredient in Alberta becoming a de facto independent nation?
00:00:06.420 International recognition.
00:00:08.020 And which country, which neighbor, which happens to be the most powerful country in the world,
00:00:12.120 has already indicated that they're ready to recognize an independent Alberta upon a successful referendum?
00:00:17.820 The United States of America.
00:00:22.320 Oh, boy.
00:00:23.940 It's getting real.
00:00:25.940 It just got very real.
00:00:28.180 You've done it, Albertans.
00:00:29.360 I mean, you've done it.
00:00:31.800 You've now made international news.
00:00:34.200 And a cabinet member from the United States government is talking publicly about the movement.
00:00:39.920 And you better believe Ottawa is paying attention now.
00:00:43.000 I mean, they have to because they know about a little something called de facto nations.
00:00:50.040 And they're very worried about that.
00:00:52.580 Stick with me because we're going to talk about exactly what that means for the future of Alberta.
00:00:58.020 OK, so here you have the secretary of the treasury for the Trump administration talking about Alberta independence.
00:01:04.180 U.S., more than our northern neighbor.
00:01:07.980 That's even with all the oil and the natural resources coming out of Canada.
00:01:12.080 Texas is still larger.
00:01:12.860 Well, Alberta is a wealth of natural resources, but they won't let them build a pipeline to the Pacific.
00:01:21.740 I think we should let them come down into the U.S. 1.00
00:01:26.280 And Alberta is a natural partner for the U.S.
00:01:30.480 They have great resources.
00:01:32.520 The Albertans are very independent people.
00:01:36.720 Rumors that they may have a referendum on whether they want to stay in Canada or not.
00:01:41.120 Sounds like you may know something up there.
00:01:43.120 But all they know people are saying people, they know people, people are talking, people are talking.
00:01:49.280 People want sovereignty.
00:01:51.860 They want what the U.S. has got.
00:01:54.160 Because when I when I look at Europe, how can they have sovereignty?
00:01:58.320 They don't have immigration sovereignty. 0.68
00:02:00.320 They've let their borders be overrun.
00:02:02.740 They don't have economic sovereignty.
00:02:04.360 They are dependent on China and they do not have a security sovereignty because they are so far behind on defense and rare earth. 0.92
00:02:17.180 They need to live under the U.S. security umbrella.
00:02:20.800 And we are happy to have them in the umbrella.
00:02:23.580 President Trump has asked them to contribute a fair amount.
00:02:28.180 The allocated amount that they are to NATO.
00:02:30.800 They got to pay up.
00:02:31.500 You see, Scott made a couple of points there that are very important.
00:02:34.500 For example, take that graphic on the screen right now.
00:02:37.580 The economy of Texas is bigger than all of Canada.
00:02:41.120 One state, albeit one of the bigger states in the United States and one of the richest states in the U.S.
00:02:48.240 But be that as it may, one state of America is bigger than the entirety of Canada, economically speaking.
00:02:55.600 And the case that the Secretary of Treasury makes is that an independent Alberta would be a lot wealthier than it is currently.
00:03:01.500 Because Canada blocks the development of its resources.
00:03:06.080 Canada doesn't allow Alberta to reach its full potential.
00:03:08.780 Alberta could be just as rich as Texas.
00:03:11.240 If Alberta had access to what it needs, which Canada keeps blocking at every turn.
00:03:17.280 They approve a pipeline here and there that they ended up having to buy because they made it impossible for the private sector to actually build it by themselves.
00:03:25.920 And then it talks about the mentality of Albertans.
00:03:29.080 Albertans are free-minded people.
00:03:31.760 Albertans are different from the rest of Canada, except for maybe Saskatchewan, in the sense that Albertans want to be left alone.
00:03:38.420 Free market.
00:03:39.500 Freedom.
00:03:40.220 And that is how Alberta is more closely aligned with Republican states than it is with the rest of Canada.
00:03:46.360 Culturally speaking and economically speaking, Alberta isn't like the rest of Canada.
00:03:51.300 Alberta is more like Montana, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma.
00:03:56.960 In other Alberta independence news, we have super long lines still popping up all over the province in every town.
00:04:04.000 Every time there's a petition signing activity, petition signing event, the lines are long and they expand blocks and blocks in every town.
00:04:12.560 And again, these are small towns in Alberta in the middle of January.
00:04:16.780 It gets really, really cold out here.
00:04:18.760 Minus 20 is normal.
00:04:21.580 Look at that line.
00:04:24.540 Look at that line.
00:04:28.020 In the middle of winter in Alberta.
00:04:31.720 Very cold.
00:04:34.000 People are just standing there.
00:04:35.260 This is Grand Prairie, Alberta.
00:04:37.020 Out in Grand Prairie.
00:04:38.060 Got a whole house here.
00:04:39.300 People standing out there in the cold, brave in the cold, waiting to sign the independence petition to make Alberta an independent country.
00:04:49.260 Alberta leaving Confederation.
00:04:50.920 Listen, Alberta didn't turn right.
00:04:55.260 Canada went left.
00:04:56.620 That's right.
00:04:57.580 That's the issue.
00:04:59.220 And the alienation and the abuse.
00:05:01.420 I mean, the federal politicians, they actually think that they can do as they please and that no one will say anything.
00:05:10.280 Well, maybe that's true out in Quebec and Ontario.
00:05:12.280 I'm not sure.
00:05:12.980 Not here.
00:05:13.400 Here in Alberta, we're a different breed.
00:05:15.700 We're a different culture.
00:05:17.040 We're not accustomed to sitting on our thumbs and twiddling them, you know.
00:05:22.520 We're accustomed to getting things done.
00:05:24.560 The question I have is, how much abuse can you put up with?
00:05:29.340 That's the message of Albertans.
00:05:31.040 It's time.
00:05:31.900 We're so weary of being abused.
00:05:34.520 Well, obviously, we came here to sign because we want Alberta to be independent. 0.89
00:05:39.860 To finally have its say as to how we move forward with our economy and make us strong again.
00:05:48.860 And I truly believe that Alberta could be one of the richest countries in the world if left alone.
00:05:56.300 Yes, it could.
00:05:56.900 It's just putting everything all together and getting us running again.
00:06:02.180 I mean, there's going to be a lot of different areas that will need to be taken care of.
00:06:06.720 But if we have the right people in place, it'll go smoothly.
00:06:10.840 We'll just work at it and get it done because we're Albertans.
00:06:13.740 What do we do?
00:06:14.780 We dig in and we work at it.
00:06:16.680 And we get it done.
00:06:17.620 And apparently the power was cut off in one of those small towns where an event, a signature collection event was being held.
00:06:25.800 This is a tweet by Jeffrey Rath.
00:06:27.700 Winfield, Alberta.
00:06:28.980 Power cut off to entire town to interfere with Alberta independence petition.
00:06:33.020 Intrepid Albertans carry on regardless.
00:06:35.020 You can see the pictures, people signing with flashlights in the dark, still getting it done.
00:06:42.380 Look at that.
00:06:43.440 The enthusiasm.
00:06:45.720 The motivation.
00:06:47.380 People are motivated to free Alberta from the mess Canada has become.
00:06:52.600 Look at that.
00:06:53.360 In the dark.
00:06:55.100 Look at that.
00:06:55.920 Those are the.
00:06:57.340 Look at that.
00:06:58.120 Those are the volunteers in the dark.
00:07:01.600 Incredible.
00:07:02.700 I promised you guys that we were going to talk about a little something called de facto countries, de facto nations.
00:07:08.900 You see, the way that Alberta is pursuing its independence from Canada is under a law called the Clarity Act.
00:07:15.760 This law was created after Quebec.
00:07:18.520 You guys know that French province in Canada was seeking its independence from the rest of Canada.
00:07:23.300 In brief, the Supreme Court had to create a law, create a reference for when a situation like that arises again, say Quebec wanted to separate again or they had another referendum.
00:07:33.880 So they created basically a general guideline as to how a province goes about separating legally from the rest of Canada.
00:07:41.160 What happens if negotiations between Alberta and Ottawa break down?
00:07:44.680 Which can happen.
00:07:45.260 If good faith negotiations between Alberta and Canada are unsuccessful following Alberta's successful referendum on independence,
00:07:52.280 Alberta can still appeal to paragraphs 154 and 155 of the Quebec secession reference for guidance.
00:08:02.440 Specifically, paragraph 155 says that following unsuccessful negotiations, a province may issue a de facto declaration of independence and pursue international recognition of sovereignty.
00:08:15.020 Therefore, if talks between Ottawa and Alberta collapse despite Alberta's democratic mandate, Alberta can maintain its mandate by issuing a de facto declaration of independence dependent on recognition from the international community.
00:08:28.740 Once Alberta votes to separate from Canada, negotiations for that independence must begin between Alberta and the rest of Canada, including the federal government.
00:08:38.740 If those negotiations fail, which is a misconception, a lot of people have, oh, Canada won't let you leave.
00:08:45.660 They're going to stifle and sabotage and block your exit.
00:08:49.080 If those negotiations fail within the law, there's already the acknowledgement that Alberta can declare independence de facto.
00:08:58.520 We're going to read what the law actually says in regards to that.
00:09:01.420 So paragraph 155 of the reference secession of Quebec, 1998, part of the Supreme Court of Canada's discussion on the potential for unilateral secession to lead to a de facto, albeit illegal separation.
00:09:15.660 Key points regarding paragraph 155 and its context include illegality of unilateral action.
00:09:22.040 The court held that a unilateral act of secession, we have no legal status under Canadian or international law.
00:09:29.160 The fact of possibility, and this is the key here, the fact of possibility, despite this lack of legality, the court admitted in paragraph 155 that an unconstitutional declaration of secession could still result in a de facto secession, a functional and practical separation.
00:09:49.020 International recognition, international recognition, the ultimate success of such a move would depend on its recognition by the international community.
00:09:57.960 International recognition changes everything.
00:10:01.360 Once the United States recognizes Alberta, it's over.
00:10:05.800 Thank you for watching. If you support these videos, remember to subscribe. See you in the next one.
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00:10:17.860 Special thanks to each and every channel member for your support and for making these reports possible.
00:10:22.900 I'll see you in the next episode. Cheers.
00:10:39.860 We'll see you in the next episode.
00:10:44.360 We'll see you in the next episode.
00:10:49.300 We'll see you in the next episode.
00:10:54.400 We'll see you in the next episode.
00:11:01.320 We'll see you in the next episode.
00:11:03.560 We'll see you in the next episode.
00:11:04.060 Bye.