With a federal election in full swing, the left and right wings in Canada are hosting duelling conferences in Ottawa this week to hash out a vision for the country’s future.
From Wednesday to Friday, the Broadbent Institute is hosting its Progress Summit where progressives will discuss topics like a green industrial strategy, the ripple effect of tariffs on workers, and how to use social media for progressive advocacy. Speakers include Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Canadian Labour Congress President Bea Bruske, and Steve Verheul, Canada’s former chief trade negotiator.
On those same days, separated by a 20-minute walk across Ottawa’s downtown, the Canada Strong and Free Network is hosting its annual conference where the stated goal is turning ideas into action and includes topics like “crypto’s political awakening,” educational reform, and cutting government waste. Attendees will hear from speakers, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, TC Energy Vice-President Dave Forestell, and Robert Lighthizer — who served as the US trade representative during US President Donald Trump’s first term.
Keith Stewart, senior strategist with Greenpeace Canada, told Canada’s National Observer it’s a crucial time to discuss competing visions for the future of Canada because the status-quo trade and foreign policy relationships Canada has relied upon are being broken by Trump. Something will have to be built to replace them, he said.
“There are going to be huge battles over how that rebuilding happens,” he said. “But I also think there's a real opportunity here for the right to have a mask-off moment where people see what they really are advocating, because we're seeing how this plays out in a country where the far-right takes power, just south of the border.”
Political minefield for Poilievre
The timing of the conferences could be a major political risk for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, observers say. The Canada Strong and Free Network, previously known as the Manning Centre, is the brainchild of Reform Party founder Preston Manning.
Last week, Manning turned heads by writing in The Globe and Mail that if elected, Liberal Leader Mark Carney poses a secession threat to the country.
“Voters, particularly in central and Atlantic Canada, need to recognize that a vote for the Carney Liberals is a vote for Western secession – a vote for the breakup of Canada as we know it,” Manning wrote. “Understand that separation of the resources-based economic engine of Western Canada from what’s left of the rest of Canada will have dire economic and social consequences for the latter.”
Manning’s comments, aimed at voters where Carney is leading Poilievre, explicitly threaten what Smith has similarly suggested in recent weeks. In March, Smith warned of a “national unity crisis” unless the federal government meets her list of demands to repeal environmental regulations to benefit the oil and gas industry. Smith has been widely criticized for undermining Canada’s negotiating position, and for discussing how Canada can elect “solid allies” for the Trump administration at a private gala with American right-wing influencer Ben Shapiro.
Polling shows that navigating separatist threats is not a helpful situation for Poilievre. His support has plummeted in recent weeks, and according to the Angus Reid Institute, a majority in Alberta and Saskatchewan want to remain in the federation, regardless of which party forms government.
“I understand Danielle Smith's position — she's an Alberta sovereigntist — but I don't understand why she's going out of her way to do things that create trouble for Mr. Poilievre,” said Asa McKercher, research chair in Canada-US relations at St. Francis Xavier University, in an interview with Canada’s National Observer.
“There's the kind of bozo interruptions that the Conservatives were always worried about — some weird backbencher talking about abortion or something — but those interruptions are coming from the premier's office in Edmonton,” he said. “It's very bizarre.”
Poilievre, who began his political activism in the Reform Party, rejected Manning’s suggestion that a Carney election would fuel Western sovereignty movements, telling reporters the country needs to be united.
Despite Poilievre’s attempts to distance himself from the secession comments, the Canada Strong and Free conference this week poses a risk that Conservatives must be careful with, Stewart said. That’s in large part because with an election underway where the ballot box question is who can best manage the Canada-US relationship as Trump attacks Canada, Poilievre is being branded by opponents as “Maple MAGA.”
Avoiding comparisons to Trump could be very difficult with the Canada Strong and Free Conference unfolding because there are several connections between the network and the administration.
Jamil Jivani, former Canada Strong and Free Network president, joined Poilievre’s Conservatives last year, and is running for re-election now. Jivani was classmates with US Vice-President J.D. Vance, and had previously described their relationship as “best friends.”
Last year, the Canada Strong and Free Network invited far-right American provocateur Chris Rufo to a conference in Red Deer to learn how to advance conservative priorities. Rufo has advised that conservatives conceal their “radicalism in the mask of respectability,” and is a major influence on the White House’s gutting of the Department of Education.
Progressive counter-narrative
Caroline Brouillette, executive director of Climate Action Network Canada, is speaking at the Progress Summit, and said it’s good Canadians are having a public conversation about the dependence Canada’s economy has on the US.
“But the conversation we're not having is how that dependence overlaps with our dependence on volatile fossil fuels, and the new opportunities that we have,” she said, referring to examples like renewable energy and clean manufacturing.
She said a key priority for Canada should be a green industrial strategy that could position the Canadian economy competitively through the energy transition.
Stewart agreed on the need for a green industrial strategy, and said the next federal government should launch a commission on the future of the Canadian economy to support an informed national conversation.
Paraphrasing Italian writer Antonio Gramsci, who said, “The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters,” Stewart said that’s the task at hand for progressives.
“We've got to figure out a way to navigate past those monsters and build something better.”
Comments
The fear of "western" (read: Alberta) separation is slightly palpable, but not from people like me who are westerners who never were deeply saturated in Alberta political culture, but who were exposed to the loudmouth cacophony early on.
The fear is based largely on the smoke billowing from smoldering wet wood embers, not on a raging bonfire. That fear needs to be purged with a referendum in Alberta on separation, real separation where Albertans will be asked to put their Canadian citizenship on the line.
The separatist talk is the only effective weapon oil-backed Alberta politicians have against perceived threats to their limited conservative agenda and the continuing economic power of their oil industry masters. The separatist threat is the equivalent of a kid showing off his unopened tiny Swiss Army knife. It's not ever going to be used other than for whittling more kindling from wet wood.
The threat of separation stems from a small rump of dedicated cranks who have a grip on the most sensitive parts of the UCP government. The tail is clearly trying to wag the dog.
There's a 99.999% probability Danielle Smith will balk at holding an actual referendum, at least not on pure, clean separation. The people hold the power over her on that topic.
Given our current economic crisis and and threats to national sovereignty, the rest of Canada may well get fed up, swallow that little hint of fear and challenge Alberta leaders to put up or shut up.
Now is the time to put out that tiny fire that produces so much snoke.