If separatists get their way, would Edmonton be forced to go with them? Not if Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette has anything to say about it.
On Wednesday, Paquette announced he is introducing a motion to research how Edmonton can shield itself from potential economic fallout — including exploring how Edmonton could remain part of Canada — should the province actually go forward with separation.
“What we saw in Montreal and Quebec City when they were having these discussions is a lot of investment flight, a lot of pauses on investment because the risk was too high and even head office flight.They’re still recovering from it,” he told Postmedia. “So what are the mechanisms we can use in the City of Edmonton to protect ourselves? Up to and including a new partnership with the province so we’re no longer in a parent-child relationship but a true partnership.
“The way the provincial-municipal relationship developed in Canada was during an agrarian period when Canada was just forming. It doesn’t quite make sense in the modern context. You will see around the world there is a much different relationship between municipalities with their attendant states where they have much more autonomy.”
Noting municipalities such as Yellowknife and Whitehorse have their own relationships with the federal government without territorial oversight, Paquette said that could work for Edmonton as well.
Paquette’s motion asks administration to explore several avenues related to strengthening Edmonton’s autonomy from the provincial government, including exploring legislation up to the Constitution but also how the city’s location within Treaty 6 and its relationship with Enoch Cree Nation could help establish a bulwark from provincial overreach.
It also directs administration to explore how municipalities could band together to provide a united front and call for a new framework on how municipalities are treated by higher levels of government across the country, developing a new fiscal framework with the federal government to make the city less dependent on provincial transfers.
But at the crux of the motion is a question of whether Edmonton need follow if the separatists get their wish or if the city could take its assets and stay Canadian.
“With our treaty partners, we can make the case to the federal government that because our population does not want to separate from Canada, there can be some special status afforded to municipalities who don’t want to participate,” said Paquette. “There are a number of federal investments in our region that obviously are national concern.
“This is the beginning of those conversations we absolutely have to have. It would be fiducially irresponsible not to ask these questions at this point.”
Paquette said the federal government owns enough properties in Edmonton, including military assets, that the city could make a case to remain a Canadian territory in the event Alberta goes the way of Brexit.
Pointing out territories lack the authority of provinces, Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt said the chances of municipalities staking out a new relationship with Ottawa under Danielle Smith’s government was a “non-starter” but said the idea that Edmonton or other parts of Alberta could separate themselves was an interesting question.
“If Alberta can secede from Canada, can Edmonton secede from Alberta? What about Indigenous reserves? What about national parks?” he said. “If you’re arguing Alberta can leave Canada, can you then make that same case that other parts of Alberta can leave Alberta? If not, why not?
“When you listen to some of the separatists, which is rurally based, they’ve had over a year to talk about these issues. Now it’s time for urban Albertans to respond back.”
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