Episode 2: Understanding the Alberta Independence Movement

This is the final episode of 7/50 that we're running before the October 19th referendum, and it focuses on the question that's received the overwhelming share of the public's attention: the notorious question 10. Question 10 isn't a simple yes/no, but asks Albertans whether they'd like to remain in Canada (option 1) or commence the legal process required to hold a secession referendum (option 2). In this episode, CCS summer student Kiera Fischer talks to Professor Andre Lecours (University of Ottawa) about this final ballot question, beginning with a discussion of the politics of the Alberta independence movement and the features that set it apart from other independence movements — except for the little known example of Western Australia. He also talks about the legal requirements laid out by the federal Clarity Act, and about the way that conversations about provincial secession are complicated by recent developments in Aboriginal law, including the recognition of the duty to consult and accommodate in the mid-2000s. Like the previous two episodes, this episode was produced by the Centre's 2026 summer students: Alexis Vander Linden, Claire Adam, and Kiera Fischer. 7/50 will be taking a break after this episode, but will return with a tenth episode to cap off the first season later in the fall.

In this episode, we continue our "miniseries-within-a-series" with another pair of student interviews on Alberta's upcoming referendum. This time, CCS summer student Alexis Vander Linden talks to Professors Trevor Tombe (University of Calgary Department of Economics) and Bruce Ryder (Osgoode Hall Law School, Emeritus) about ballot questions 8 and 9, both of which propose amendments to the Constitution of Canada. More specifically, ballot question 8 concerns proposed limits to the federal government's ability to spend in areas of provincial jurisdiction, and ballot question 9 suggests flipping the doctrine of federal paramountcy on its head, so that provincial laws would trump federal laws when the two are in conflict. This episode is part of the "Yes, No, I Don't Know" miniseries, a series within the larger 7/50 series that was produced by the Centre's 2026 summer students, Alexis Vander Linden, Claire Adam, and Kiera Fischer. It is intended to enhance public understanding of the constitutional provisions, doctrines, and debates that are engaged by ballot questions 6-10 in the upcoming referendum.

This is the first of three episodes produced by the Centre's 2026 summer students under the title, "Yes, No, I Don't Know." These three episodes form a miniseries within the larger 7/50 series, and focus on five of the ballot questions that Albertans will be voting on come October 19th, 2026. This first episode provides analysis of ballot questions 6 and 7, which concern proposed constitutional amendments on the appointment of provincial superior court judges and the abolition of the federal Senate. Question 6 is unpacked by Professor Gerard Kennedy (University of Alberta Faculty of Law), while question 7 is dealt with by Professor Emmett Macfarlane (University of Waterloo Department of Political Science). The "Yes, No, I Don't Know" miniseries was produced by Alexis Vander Linden, Claire Adam, and Kiera Fischer. Above all, it is intended to enhance public understanding of the constitutional provisions, doctrines, and debates that are engaged by ballot questions 6-10 in the upcoming referendum.

In this episode, 2025 CCS Summer Student Areeba Ismail talks to Professor Matt Wildcat (University of Alberta, Faculty of Native Studies) about recent developments around Indigenous sovereignty in Canada, including the Trudeau government's legislation recognizing Indigenous jurisdiction over child and family services, and the challenge posed to treaties and treaty rights by the possibility of a provincial referendum on Alberta secession. This episode was produced by the Centre's 2025 summer students: Areeba Ismail, Maria Kalapurayil, and Nicole Ibalio. The interview with Professor Wildcat was conducted in the summer of 2025 and therefore doesn't include commentary on Alberta's upcoming referendum or other recent political developments, including the Alberta court rulings on the impact of provincial secession on treaty rights.

In this latest episode of The 7/50 Podcast, 2025 CCS summer student Nicole Ibalio talks to Professor Jared Wesley (University of Alberta, Political Science Department) about how the political landscape in Alberta has evolved from the early 1900s until the present day. Among other things, Professor Wesley provides detailed analysis of the last constitutional referendum in Alberta — the Kenney government's 2021 poll on removing the equalization principle from the Constitution of Canada — and reflects on how the Smith government's Alberta Sovereignty Act fits within the history of Alberta-Ottawa relations (and moves that history in a strategically new direction). This episode was produced by the Centre's 2025 summer students: Areeba Ismail, Maria Kalapurayil, and Nicole Ibalio. The interview with Professor Wesley was conducted in the summer of 2025 and therefore doesn't include commentary on Alberta's upcoming referendum or other recent political developments.