Escape from Alberta

By the time you read this, I will have escaped from Alberta.

Escape may be a strong word, but it perfectly describes the feeling of leaving Alberta for the final time. Freeing. Liberating.

When I first arrived in Alberta from the Maritimes in the mid 1990s, like so many other interprovincial immigrants, I viewed Alberta as the promised land of opportunity with plenty of work. Besides, for Maritimers, ‘home’ was always only a five-hour plane ride away.

Eventually, Alberta became home. I worked hard, made a good living, made a lot of friends and had a good time. The story should end there, shouldn’t it? A guy down on his luck, succeeds, prospers and winds up content. A happy, storybook ending for sure. Not so fast.

Before I moved to Alberta, I was keenly aware of the ongoing West versus East Alberta-invented melodrama and the politicians who exacerbate the problem, the Wild West libertarian attitude, and the deep vein of social conservatism that runs through the province. To me, it was all just amusing noise in the background.

So, what happens to politically aware people like me who succeed in the ‘land of opportunity’ when the noise becomes so loud and ludicrous that it begins to affect your quality of life? Some people can ignore it. Some simply don’t care. Some are too busy to listen. And others, like me, begin to feel suffocated by the nonsense and overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness.

I’ve pinpointed the exact moment I lost faith in the Alberta government’s ability to govern for all Albertans, selflessly put the public ahead of its own agenda, interests and petty feuds, and genuinely care about the health and safety of those it represents. It was May 29, 2023, the day Danielle Smith was elected premier.

With her victory, I completely lost all hope of ever belonging in Alberta. She and the UCP are an embarrassment to public office. The policies this government has announced are so outlandish, even the best satire couldn’t mock them. They are a model of a government at its absolute worst. They have no business being anywhere near public office, because their agenda is not public-based. It’s completely about divisive partisanship, appeasing their base to hold onto power and leaving the rest of Alberta behind.

The litany of screwball decisions and announcements they have made is astounding, from coddling outrageous conspiracy theories about vaccines and chemtrails, to pilfering money from the Canada Pension Plan to start an Alberta Pension Plan. The policies are always wrapped in a big blue bow of Alberta’s one-sided fight with Ottawa. It’s an old crutch from decades ago that still plays well with their base.

What is astonishing about this political performance art is that Smith wants more provincial autonomy, yet constantly has her hand out for federal funds with no strings attached to fix Alberta-based problems like abandoned oil wells and the Jasper wildfire recovery efforts. When Ottawa obliges, it’s never enough. She purposely riles up her base so they’ll become even more agitated, angry and unhinged, because in their minds, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau really does hate Alberta and wants to divide Canada, even though Smith is the one initiating the hate and division. This is satire that writes itself.

I have never witnessed a leader of a provincial government so out of touch with the real needs and wants of the public. When she bends even slightly to the demands of a minority of far-right conspiracy theorists, this shows that she is totally unfit as a leader. If this was any other premier in any other province, she would have been forced to resign long ago. It’s embarrassing. It’s sad. It’s infuriating. Alberta has turned into a ‘this can’t be happening, can it?’ kind of place.

And so, I have escaped the nightmare that is Alberta. On election night, I said I was leaving. People laughed, “No, you’re not.” I meant it. Alberta didn’t feel like home anymore. Home can be a place or something intangible that provides comfort. It’s something that makes you feel secure, calm and content. I felt none of those things in the waning years of my time in Alberta.

There were people who said, ‘No, stay and fight with us for all that is good about Alberta!’ Sorry, I just couldn’t. I was too tired and exhausted by all the nonsense. And there it is. Premier Smith and the UCP are exhausting. They exhaust people with their foolishness. They do it on purpose to quell dissent, demoralize opposition, and make people like me throw up their hands in defeat and say, “I can’t take this craziness anymore.” I know there are others who will say, ‘Good riddance, who needs you anyway,’ to put it politely. To them I say, enjoy. You voted for turmoil, chaos, fear, hate and petty divisiveness, but as long as you have a few bucks in your pocket, who cares, right?

I must give credit to the 40.5 per cent of the electorate who couldn’t take 30 minutes or less out of their selfish lives to bother or even care to vote because they helped me make my decision to leave. Political apathy, especially when it directly affects the lives of others, is a serious problem. In the end, I can only offer a disinterested shrug at their careless decision.

But here is the thing. I can complain about the people who didn’t vote or shake my head at the people who voted for Danielle Smith, but that is their choice. What I want people to do is irrelevant. How and where we live, whether it is a small town, a city, a province or a country, is not all about you and what you want. It’s not about the single issue you’re passionate about, and when you don’t get your way, you become radicalized and fanatical about it. Decisions politicians make should involve everyone – not the select few for political gain.

There’s also a thing called humanity. It’s supposed to be based on compassion, kindness, and tolerance. In Alberta, it’s been replaced by fear, hate and division by the very officials elected to suppress such heinous behaviour. The Alberta Advantage – right. So goodbye Alberta, and good luck. You’re going to need it.

Trevor Chittick is a writer and screenwriter. Born in Nova Scotia, he is an alumnus of Acadia University and Toronto Metropolitan University. A former civil servant, he lived in Alberta for 27 years and currently resides in the Maritimes.