I remember back in the 'West wants in' days being told by easterners that AB ought to remember it's place, that it is essentially a colony built by Ontario. Though I don't think we've technically benefitted from equalization in many years - if any.
AB has basically been milked by the rest of the country for as long as we've had anything to milk. It's the great canadian way. We're probably screwed in 50 years when our fisheries and ship building are dead (oil and gas) and there's no new alberta for us to live off, but c'est la vie. Maybe BC's greenies will have it right and they will step up
The one who ought to want to seperate is Ontario. By their sheer size they'll always be on the hook, and no one else is big enough to support them.
I used to get more worked up over this stuff. Now I understand this is always the way no matter where you go. If you have wealth, others feel entitiled to it and will get some of it. At least in canada the whole process is pretty safe and civil.
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