The Critical Compass Podcast - February 02, 2026


Our Experience at the BIGGEST Alberta Independence Rally Yet ｜ Interviews & Recap

Mentioned
Holmes Mike Danielle Smith Proud Dad Lawrence Madison Mitch Cindy
＂I Fear Alberta Will Be Sucked Into the States＂ ｜ Interview with a Forever Canada Protester Eva Chipiuk： Alberta Independence Referendum is NOT Treason #alberta #abpoli #albertaindependence

Episode Stats


Length

10 minutes

Words per minute

166.11

Word count

1,781

Sentence count

138

Harmful content

Misogyny

2

sentences flagged


Summary

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

Join us at the Stay Free Alberta Town Hall in Calgary as we hear from protesters, counter-protesters, and supporters of the campaign to get Alberta out of Canada. We talk about why we should stay in Canada, the benefits of leaving Canada, and what it means to be an independent country on our own.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hosts, guests, and mentioned names generated with spaCy (en_core_web_sm), reconciled against Wikidata.
00:00:00.000 Do you agree that the province of Alberta shall cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?
00:00:12.060 That question is directly out of the Clarity Act.
00:00:16.600 The word state does not mean 51st state.
00:00:19.960 So that is what it is. It means that we will become an independent country on our own.
00:00:24.500 Hi guys, Mike from the Critical Compass here.
00:00:31.580 We're at the Big Four Roadhouse in Calgary for the Stay Free Alberta, which is supposed to be a town hall event.
00:00:37.140 But there's also petition signing downstairs. Lots of canvassers here.
00:00:40.600 We're here to find out why have thousands of people RSVP'd to be here tonight to talk about Alberta independence.
00:00:46.440 How's the movement doing? What's going on?
00:00:48.240 We've got counter-protesters here and we're hopefully going to get you some great interviews.
00:00:52.780 And thanks as always for tuning in to the Critical Compass.
00:00:56.500 Gentlemen, why are we here today?
00:00:58.140 For prosperity and because we love our grandchildren and our children.
00:01:02.440 With this we see a future.
00:01:04.480 Yeah.
00:01:05.240 That you don't see by Alberta staying in Canada.
00:01:07.740 No, we don't. Not at all. Not for one minute.
00:01:10.480 Five years, ten years, nothing's given.
00:01:12.600 And I kind of go like, and other countries have broken up over less so.
00:01:17.000 Yeah.
00:01:17.480 And that's part of the reason why I'm sympathetic is because our government can't act quickly because it's so obsessed with consensus and procedure.
00:01:26.400 Yeah.
00:01:26.780 And Mike, you're wearing a Canadian flag.
00:01:29.040 Why are you here?
00:01:30.340 You know what? I'm here just to peacefully protest.
00:01:32.680 I love Canada.
00:01:34.360 I want to stay, you know, and I want to give people the option of not signing and not, you know, ripping Canada apart.
00:01:40.980 What do you think their main grievances are?
00:01:44.080 Well, I think a lot of people want the freedom and to be out from what they see the federal government doing and the laws that are enacting.
00:01:52.060 But I think there's a lot of nuance to all of the arguments.
00:01:56.760 Things are busy. We're just about to load up this venue.
00:01:59.240 How are you feeling so far?
00:02:00.740 What are you looking forward to?
00:02:02.080 I'm kind of excited about it.
00:02:03.320 I hope the room fills up.
00:02:04.780 You know, give us an opportunity to talk to the people of Calgary about what we've got going on and what's going on in Alberta and Canada.
00:02:10.320 And you know what?
00:02:11.380 I think that when we're done, people will understand why we're doing what we're doing.
00:02:15.020 And hopefully they'll join us and help us out.
00:02:18.760 Good evening, Calgary.
00:02:26.440 Right now, there's a lot of excitement about the prospect of an independence referendum in Alberta, and rightly so.
00:02:34.560 It's truly inspiring to see Albertans paying attention, asking serious questions, and preparing to directly exercise their democratic voices.
00:02:47.300 Self-determination is not radical.
00:02:51.060 Democratic participation is not dangerous.
00:02:54.920 Asking a question is not treason.
00:02:57.560 An informed and engaged citizenry is not a threat to democracy.
00:03:03.560 It is proof that democracy is still alive.
00:03:06.780 Confederation is working exactly the way it's designed to work.
00:03:17.660 Understand this.
00:03:18.860 Western Canada has a population of 11.7 million people.
00:03:22.740 We have 24 senators.
00:03:24.980 Atlantic Canada has a population of 2.4 million and has 30 senators.
00:03:29.460 But it gets worse.
00:03:30.420 Alberta has a population of 4.4 million people, and we have six senators.
00:03:38.640 We have twice as many people as Atlantic Canada, and they have 30 senators.
00:03:45.180 How could we possibly get a decision, go our way?
00:03:48.200 And it's no different than the other side of the house.
00:03:50.940 This is how the country's broken up.
00:03:52.740 42 seats in B.C., 14 and 14 makes 28.
00:03:56.500 That's 70, add 34 Alberta seats.
00:03:59.760 That doesn't even add up to what Ontario has.
00:04:03.320 Let's look at what the Liberals have done to us in the last 10 years.
00:04:06.580 Just in case you're feeling bad about this.
00:04:09.900 Understand that Alberta is one of the richest pieces of real estate in the world, if not the richest.
00:04:15.200 We would easily be one of the richest countries in the world right off the bat.
00:04:19.920 We have trillions of dollars in resources.
00:04:21.660 And what we have, more importantly, is a group of people that understand how to work, understand how to produce.
00:04:34.440 We're producers, we're business people, and what we fervently wish is for Ottawa to get the heck out of our,
00:04:40.140 and stay in their lane, and get out of our road so we can make Alberta's prosperous as we could be. 1.00
00:04:44.300 That's basically what's going on now, is that we love a part of this country.
00:04:55.640 We're running into a minefield that's on fire, and you don't know how you're going to do it,
00:05:00.260 but through teamwork, you're going to get through this, and we're going to pull this off.
00:05:04.640 Now, the next thing I want to talk about tonight is how important, Mitch has already touched on it,
00:05:18.760 how important it is for all of you to go to stayfreealberta.com,
00:05:24.740 and if you can, if you've got the time, and it doesn't take a lot of time,
00:05:28.600 please register as a canvasser and get your canvassing badges.
00:05:32.300 Because each and every one of you probably has 5 or 10 or 15 or 20 people in your circle
00:05:39.320 that other people can't get to, they might not actually want to go out and find a signing location
00:05:44.740 or go to an event, you've all got those people in your circle.
00:05:48.240 You know, we want to get to 1.8 million signatures, right?
00:05:55.560 That would be more than the people who voted in the last election in Alberta, right?
00:06:02.840 And again, you know, we have Daniel Smith refusing to issue us, oh, hang on, is CSIS in the house?
00:06:10.220 Are they trying to make us clear out of the room, or what?
00:06:12.420 Somebody pulled the fire alarm.
00:06:14.500 Well, I think we're safe to do that.
00:06:17.180 But anyway, and the reason we're doing it, and I see lots of parents here with their kids tonight,
00:06:23.420 and I just love it, right?
00:06:24.900 I want a shout-out to the two beautiful kids in the front row today with their family,
00:06:28.680 and all the other parents that have brought their children out today
00:06:32.160 to witness their parents signing the Alberta Independence Petition.
00:06:37.160 There are lots of kids and lots of families here today.
00:06:40.120 That's what this movement is all about.
00:06:44.100 Hi, guys. We're here with Cindy, who is at the event today, born and raised Calgarian.
00:06:48.460 What did you think of the turnout today and what you heard?
00:06:51.000 Very informative.
00:06:52.140 We've been following some of this, my friends and I, for a while,
00:06:55.100 but they've also put forth some new information that we hadn't heard either.
00:06:59.540 Yeah.
00:06:59.780 So, very encouraging, and we've just got to get this done.
00:07:03.860 We really don't have any choice, and why would we be loyal, honestly?
00:07:10.000 There's nothing in it for us, and there hasn't been for such a long time.
00:07:13.660 I brought one tonight who wasn't convinced until she showed up, so...
00:07:16.800 Yeah.
00:07:17.320 And now she's pretty convinced, so...
00:07:20.040 Hi, guys. We're here with the Holmes sisters, Macy and Madison, of Holmes with...
00:07:24.680 Home with Holmes.
00:07:25.700 At Home with Holmes.
00:07:26.400 At Home with Holmes. Amazing.
00:07:27.960 Guys, what did you think of the event?
00:07:30.240 Absolutely brilliant.
00:07:31.840 Honestly, the amount of people here is the thing that uplifts me the most.
00:07:35.160 I'm, like, getting all giddy about it, because I'm like...
00:07:37.180 There had to have been, like, at least thousands of people here,
00:07:39.460 so I'd say, like, that was my number one highlight, for sure.
00:07:42.300 I think my number one highlight was, because we're young,
00:07:45.560 everybody likes to say that not a lot of young people are following this movement.
00:07:50.460 I have at least 20 photos on my phone now of proof to show people
00:07:54.780 there are a lot of young people, and not just young rigger men,
00:07:57.840 young women, 20s in university, and they're going to share their thoughts.
00:08:02.680 Hi, guys.
00:08:04.260 We're here with Lawrence.
00:08:05.100 Bird of Proud Dad needs no introduction.
00:08:06.980 How are you, sir?
00:08:07.480 What did you think of the event?
00:08:08.720 This event was absolutely amazing.
00:08:10.280 It was, you know, I did a tour around the event,
00:08:12.400 and I really wanted to get it on video.
00:08:13.900 I started in the one corner to the other, and it was packed.
00:08:17.020 You know, it was packed in here, and it was so great to see Albertans
00:08:19.900 come into one room for one reason, because they're tired.
00:08:23.540 They're tired of what's going on in Canada.
00:08:25.000 Yeah, and we were talking to a few people here who said, you know,
00:08:28.940 even as packed as it was, they wish they had more chairs here
00:08:31.860 for all the people who would have packed out even more.
00:08:34.820 Yeah, absolutely, and, you know, I know the event organizers,
00:08:37.720 they did the best they could, and we know moving forward,
00:08:40.740 like this is a train, and it's not stopping, right?
00:08:42.560 So there is going to be more chairs at the next event.
00:08:45.380 It'll probably be a bigger event, because, you know, we have momentum,
00:08:48.240 and like I said, nothing's going to derail this.
00:08:51.040 What do you think of what you're hearing around the area here
00:08:54.320 from people who, like we've heard from a few people who brought friends
00:08:57.540 who may not necessarily have been convinced yet,
00:08:59.460 and this event convinced them.
00:09:01.220 Did you hear anything here that would be useful for people
00:09:03.900 to tell their friends and family who may not be on board with this yet?
00:09:07.480 I think the big thing people need to realize is how much money Alberta
00:09:11.140 does actually give to the federal government.
00:09:14.100 That is something that a lot of people don't understand,
00:09:16.740 and, you know, as Albertans today are finding it hard to afford their rent
00:09:21.440 or their mortgage, their groceries, you know, just the cost of living,
00:09:24.800 just thinking about an independent Alberta and how much money would stay here
00:09:28.760 and how many social programs we could actually pay for
00:09:30.920 and have a lower cost of living, you know, that's something
00:09:33.600 that you can look out your back door and you can see every day.
00:09:36.440 You know, it is more expensive to live today,
00:09:38.960 and what does a free and independent Alberta look like? 1.00
00:09:41.460 A lot cheaper than what you have now and more prosperity
00:09:44.080 and future for future generations.
00:09:45.680 So if you're tired of being dismissed,
00:09:49.660 of being told to comply without question,
00:09:53.100 tired of being silenced,
00:09:55.440 this is your moment.
00:09:57.280 I am inviting all of you to make your voices heard
00:10:01.520 clearly, confidently,
00:10:05.180 and so that Ottawa hears it once and for all.
00:10:08.980 Thank you and so much for the first time soon!
00:10:13.320 Thank you.