The 'Waiters' from Alberta Hope for a Liberation March from the U.S. 0 9

The Trump administration held several secret meetings with separatists from the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta amid a deepening rift between Washington and Ottawa. According to the Financial Times (FT), the Canadian group Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), which advocates for the province's secession, plans to hold another meeting with U.S. officials next month and request $500 billion to fund the territory in case of a referendum and recognition of independence.

Since April 2025, APP leaders have met three times with representatives from the U.S. State Department in Washington, informed sources told FT. At the next scheduled meeting involving negotiators from the State Department and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the parties are expected to agree on a $500 billion loan to finance the province in the event of its recognition as independent.

APP's legal counsel, Jeff Rath, who attended the meetings, noted that the U.S. is "extremely interested in a free and independent Alberta." He claims to have "much stronger relations" with the Trump administration than Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The State Department and the White House were unable to confirm or deny the occurrence of such meetings, stating that administration officials regularly meet with civil society organizations without making any commitments.

"The State Department regularly meets with representatives of civil society. As usual, no commitments are made during such meetings," said a department spokesperson.

According to an FT source familiar with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's position, neither he nor other officials in the department are aware of the loan proposal and do not intend to discuss the matter. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the office of the Prime Minister of Canada declined to comment.

However, Bessent himself characterized the province last week as a "natural partner for the U.S."

"The people of Alberta are very independent. There are rumors of a possible referendum on whether they want to remain part of Canada. People want sovereignty. They want what the United States has," Bessent said in an interview with right-wing activist Jack Posobiec.

As the Financial Times reports, these contacts coincided with a deterioration in relations between the U.S. and Canada. Tensions were exacerbated by Carney's recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Carney spoke of a "breakdown" of the old world order and urged "middle powers" not to succumb to stronger states in search of compromise.

Carney did not mention the U.S. directly, but his statement was perceived as a jab at his neighbor. U.S. President Donald Trump accused Canada of ingratitude and then rescinded Carney's invitation to his "Council of Peace."

Political Signal or Action Plan?

A recent Ipsos poll showed that 30% of Alberta residents would vote for the province's secession from Canada. However, only 15%–16% firmly adhere to the idea of independence considering potential costs. As the Financial Times notes, this means that for about half of the separatism supporters in both provinces, independence is more of a political signal than a plan for which they are willing to sacrifice comfort.

Most independence advocates cite "historical injustice" towards the province as the reason.

Alberta has the fourth-largest oil reserves in the world but lacks access to external markets, except for the U.S. The province also cannot build a pipeline to the Pacific Ocean. The restrictive Bill C-69 (Impact Assessment Act) effectively blocks the construction of new pipelines and limits exports. From 1961 to 2017, Alberta contributed approximately $630 billion more to the federal budget than it received back in transfers, according to the APP website.

Currently, APP is trying to gather 177,000 signatures to bring a petition for independence before the legislature by May. Organization representatives declined to disclose how many signatures have been collected so far.