Alberta premier calls for strong economic relationship with Quebec

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her tenuous grasp of the French language and other differences shouldn’t get in the way of Alberta and Quebec deepening their economic ties.

Smith, who is on a two-day trip to Quebec City, told business leaders Wednesday that the recent playoff demise of the Montreal Canadiens was just one of many ways Albertans and Quebecors could relate to each other.

“Unfortunately, you know the same heartbreak that we’ve known the last two years in Alberta,” Smith said in a speech at a Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Quebec event.

Smith, who switched between French and English, said when the Habs became the last Canadian team standing in the National Hockey League playoffs Albertans threw their support behind Montreal.

“This is an excellent example of why I’m here too. And we hope that you are cheering for us too, not only in hockey, but in the strength of our federation,” Smith said.

She said Alberta and Quebec should forge ahead with a stronger economic alliance, and called on business leaders to deepen their connections with Alberta and promised to do the same upon returning home.

“We should do everything that we can to boost trade ties, partnerships and collaboration between our two great provinces,” Smith said.

“I’m here … to ensure our governments, our economies and our people are building strong autonomous provinces within a united Canada.”

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette agreed both economies are complementary.

“We export a lot of manufactured goods, agricultural products as well, and also aircrafts, while Alberta exports energy products and natural resources to us,” Fréchette said.

‘Canada can work for all of us’

Smith says there’s more that unites the two provinces than separates them.

“Our capacity for scale and your relentless technological innovation adds up to a stronger domestic food supply and a more globally competitive export capacity,” she said.

Premier Smith jokingly pointed to her grasp of the French language — at one point telling the crowd to “hang on to your ears” before switching from English — and said that while there are major differences between Quebec and Alberta, she thinks there’s much to gain by working together.

She said Alberta’s agriculture sector was a perfect match for Quebec’s agri-food processing industry and that plastics produced in her province feed well into the manufacturing sector in the east.

“We see lots of other points of connection, too — in aerospace, in defence, in critical minerals, in liquefied natural gas and clean energy,” said Smith, who also mentioned each province’s historically shaky relationship with Ottawa.

“And with shifting geopolitics, Alberta is keen to collaborate on an east-west energy corridor as discussion about energy, sovereignty and security become increasingly relevant.

“I’m here to show all Albertans, especially those who feel otherwise, that Canada can work for all of us.”

Quebec’s Canada relations minister, Jean Boulet, speaking at the same event, said Smith’s trip to Quebec was a clear sign of the importance she placed on the relationship between the two provinces.

“The current geopolitical situation worldwide unstable, but Quebec and Alberta can count on each other,” Boulet said.

Smith had said earlier this week that she and Fréchette have plenty of shared interests, especially in deepening their independence within Canada, despite bubbling support for separation in both provinces.

Timing of visit

Smith’s visit to Quebec City comes two weeks after she confirmed the date — Oct. 19 — of the province’s referendum that would decide if Alberta would undergo a vote to separate from Canada.

It’s no coincidence Smith’s visit to La Bell Province is happening now, according to political analyst Eleni Bakopanos.

“Quebecers don’t feel like they get a fair share out of the tax money that’s sent to the federal government, and Alberta has had all these grievances about the pipelines,” said the former Liberal MP.

Bakopanos says bumping up trade with Quebec remains a top priority for Alberta as Canada wades into an economically uncertain period.

“Albertans have been for a long time saying that they’re the ones who are footing the bill for a social safety net,” she said.

“She still wants to make sure that, in terms of our economic future, that Alberta gets a good deal from the federation.”

–With files from Zachary Cheung