Alberta separation tensions surface in small towns over flags and billboards

Alberta’s separation debate is increasingly spilling beyond legislatures and social media feeds and into everyday life, with disputes over symbols and political messaging playing out in small towns and even among families.

In Sundre, northwest of Calgary, organizers cancelled a long-standing rodeo parade after a dispute over a float bearing Alberta flags and amid allegations that volunteers were threatened and harassed.

“I feel like that shouldn’t stop the parade from happening, no matter what people’s opinions are,” said resident Jadyn Chapin.

Another resident, Frank Jahnke, said he did not see an issue with the display.

“If they just have the flags on the float, that’s totally fine,” he said.

The Sundre Pro Rodeo and Race Association said it initially rejected the float application to keep politics out of the parade. Organizers pointed to backlash they received over a controversial 2022 float mocking former prime minister Justin Trudeau and then-NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.

“This decision wasn’t about limiting free speech or preventing people from expressing their views,” said rodeo spokesperson Darby Crouch. “People are completely entitled to their opinions and we respect that.”

Zane Novak, one of the organizers behind the Alberta flag float, said there was nothing political about the display.

“It was just a simple float with 10 Alberta flags, no banners, no political statements, no leaflets,” he said.

Novak said the reaction highlights how charged symbols associated with Alberta identity have become.

“We have come to the point where we cannot fly an Alberta flag,” he said.

The rodeo association said it later welcomed the float back into the parade, but says volunteers were threatened, ultimately leading organizers to cancel the event.

“No volunteer should be subjected to harassment, intimidation, or personal attacks for just trying to organize a community event,” Crouch said.

Novak denies that they were invited back and says he and the other float organizers did not threaten or harass anyone.

“I strongly recommend that the town and the rodeo committee pursue those allegations and talk to the RCMP about it, because I do not want anybody making threats,” he said.

‘There’s a lot of division’

The dispute in Sundre comes days after the Town of Taber ordered a pro-separation billboard removed, saying it had received multiple complaints and considered the sign a nuisance.

The advertisement features Alberta’s shield and the message: “Send Ottawa a Message! Choose Alberta.”

Cory Morgan, organizer of Pathway to Independence and a registered third-party advertiser, said he plans to put up more signs.

“It was simply a way to show we were not going to be pushed around,” he said. “This is valid, legitimate advertising in anticipation of a referendum.”

On Oct. 19, Alberta will ask its citizens whether they want to remain part of Canada or kick-start the process of holding a binding referendum on separation.

For residents like Chapin, the issue has become deeply personal.

“There’s a lot of division between families,” she said. “Not just towns, but families and friends.”