With petition drives for Alberta separatism gaining steam across the province, it’s perhaps more important than ever that Canadians outside Alberta understand the province’s important role in the federation and policymakers find a compromise on key issues fuelling separatist sentiment. 

Indeed, Albertans make a massive outsized net contribution to Canada—to the tune of $285.1 billion from 2007 to 2024. Put differently, during that 17-year period, Albertans contributed $285.1 billion more to the federal government (in taxes and other payments) than Ottawa spent or transferred to Alberta. And Albertans contributed more than four times as much (on net) as British Columbians or Ontarians. The other seven provinces, most notably Quebec, were net recipients, meaning Ottawa spent or transferred more money to those provinces than it collected.   

Albertans’ large net contribution........

© Edmonton Sun