It is time for us once again to show one of the most quintessential parts of our Canadian character.
We settle things with ballots and not bullets, with discussion and not violence.
Alberta’s election agency has approved a proposed referendum question on the province separating from Canada.
The question seeks a yes or no answer to: “Do you agree that the province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”
Aside from the fact that is should say Country (and not State), I have no objections to putting that on the provincial ballot, which some may find surprising.
I harken back to the last Quebec referendum on separation in 1995, where the rhetoric was even more highly charged, leading to what some called a “slim majority” of 45,000 votes leading to a win for the “no” side.
Now in Alberta, both sides will get a chance to make their case, as we have a larger national discussion on what it means to be part of Canada, which is a discussion worth having and a case worth making every once in a while.
Most importantly (in Canada), we don’t tell people who you are and what you are a part of. We ask you to decide that for yourselves, like we did in Quebec. As Canadians, we have always valued the open hand over the clenched fist, and a future chosen over a legacy dictated by force.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
