Alberta's push to join the US reignites fears of foreign meddling

Thirty years after Quebec’s independence campaign courted sympathy abroad — including a trip by the province’s premier to France and a Parisian welcome that outraged anglophone Canada — reports of a covert visit to the US by a group from Alberta’s independence movement have provoked a similar backlash, reviving long‑standing anxieties about foreign involvement in domestic unity debates.

“To go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there’s an old‑fashioned word for that,” British Columbia’s premier, David Eby, told reporters. “And that word is treason.” Scholars note that proto‑diplomacy, or courting sympathetic countries, is common for secessionist movements preparing a referendum.

“Leaders often look abroad in an attempt to secure sympathy or support,” said André Lecours, a professor of political science, explaining that movements seek signs that foreign states might recognize independence.

Canada, Alberta

alberta, independence, united states, foreign meddling, treason, david eby, secessionist, referendum, quebec, proto-diplomacy