The federal election results are in, and while it’s clear that Justin Trudeau and the Liberals won, it’s even more apparent who lost. In Alberta and Saskatchewan, following Conservative victories in every single riding except one, the realization that the Liberal party will retain control of Ottawa has unleashed frustration about the government’s supposed disregard for the western provinces. ‘Wexit,’ the latest twist on Brexit, has been trending on social media as talk of western separatism has grown louder and louder. Though journalists across Canada have been quick to dismiss ‘Wexit’ as insincere, the problems, policies, and challenges regarding secession from Canada are worth analyzing should the movement continue to grow. 

What is ‘Wexit’?

‘Wexit,’ or western exit, is the idea that Alberta and Saskatchewan want to secede from Canada and become independent nations. Though western separatism has a long political history, in its current form, there are two key issues fueling western separatism.

First is the issue of equalization payments. In 1957, Canada established a federal transfer payment program to counter the fact that some provinces generate more revenue than others. It aims to maintain relatively equal levels of taxation and access to government services for citizens across all of the provinces. Under this program, less prosperous or “have-not” provinces receive federal funds for public services and programs. During the 2018-2019 fiscal year, these included Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Provinces labelled as “have” provinces, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Newfoundland and Labrador received no payments, which has only contributed to the sentiment of alienation in the West. 

The second issue is the juxtaposition of the West’s oil-dependent economy with the environmentalist agenda in Ottawa. If Alberta were a country, it would be the world’s fifth-largest oil producer, and its oil sands remain the world’s third-largest proven oil reserve. Saskatchewan’s economy is also largely dependent upon oil as a source of revenue, and both provinces have faced pressure from environmental groups and the government. Protests against the Trans Mountain pipeline along with the government’s carbon tax have increased the concerns that the Liberal government is working against the interests of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Is secession legally possible?

‘Wexit’ is not Canada’s first foray into secession; following the narrow defeat of a 1995 separation referendum in Quebec, the Canadian government instituted the Clarity Act in 2000 to outline and define the process of secession. The most important stipulation within the Clarity Act is that secession of a province can only take place through a constitutional amendment. However, there is currently no clause within the Constitution of Canada that allows for a province to separate from Canada, and the Clarity Act states that an amendment to the Constitution cannot be proposed until the terms of secession have been agreed upon. In short, ‘Wexit’ is legally possible, yet it would most likely be a complicated, headache-inducing, multiple-year process, much like Brexit. 

What about Indigenous rights?

To further complicate the legal process of leaving Canada, provinces intent on separating would need to renegotiate the treaties signed between Canada and First Nations groups. These treaties came before the establishment of the current provincial boundaries, meaning that if a province were to secede, it would violate both the agreements that Canada is built upon and the inherent rights of First Nations Peoples as guaranteed by those agreements. Therefore, any attempt at separation must go through First Nations groups in addition to the other required legal steps.

In short, ‘Wexit’ might be written off as insincere or unlikely, given the complicated legal nature of separation from Canada. Despite this, the issues raised by Alberta and Saskatchewan should not be ignored, as secession is legally possible and the process would have severe consequences for both First Nations Peoples and Canada.