Introduction
Professor Jack Mintz and Morten Paulsen's recent opinion piece in the Financial Post presents a provocative thesis that characterizes the relationship between Western and Central Canada as "a living, breathing form of colonialism." While their piece effectively captures genuine sentiments of Western alienation and frustration with federal policies, their central theoretical framework fundamentally misapplies colonial theory and oversimplifies the complex dynamics of Canadian federalism. This response examines their arguments through both empirical evidence and theoretical analysis, demonstrating why their colonial framing is not only inaccurate but potentially counterproductive to addressing legitimate regional grievances.
Theoretical Foundations: Understanding Colonialism
To critically assess the colonial thesis advanced by Mintz and Paulsen, it is essential to first clarify the theoretical parameters of colonialism itself. Classical colonial theory—shaped by thinkers such as Edward Said, Frantz Fanon, and more recently Jürgen Osterhammel—defines colonialism as a system of external political and economic domination marked by several core characteristics: the subjugation of indigenous populations by foreign powers; the extraction of resources for the exclusive benefit of the metropole; the imposition of alien legal and political institutions; the suppression of local cultures; and the denial of meaningful political representation or self-determination.
This framework is fundamentally misaligned with the structure and historical evolution of the Canadian federal system, particularly in relation to the demographic development of Alberta. Unlike a colonial regime imposed upon an unwilling and subjugated population, Alberta’s non-Indigenous settler communities were primarily composed of voluntary immigrants. These groups arrived largely through government-sponsored initiatives such as the Dominion Lands Act and subsequent immigration programs, which actively encouraged European settlement on the prairies. Far from being agents of a foreign colonial power, many of these settlers—including Germans, Ukrainians, Scots, and others—were refugees of poverty, persecution, or upheaval in their countries of origin, drawn by the promise of land and opportunity.
By 2021, Alberta’s ethnocultural landscape reflected this legacy of voluntary migration and pluralistic integration. The most commonly reported ethnic or cultural origins (allowing for multiple responses) included English (18.3%), German (15.3%), Scottish (15.1%), Irish (13.5%), Canadian (11.6%), Ukrainian (8.2%), and French (8.2%). Among so-called "racialized groups," South Asian (7.1%), Filipino (5.2%), Black (4.3%), and Chinese (3.9%) communities were the largest. These populations were not governed by a distant imperial authority but were integrated—however imperfectly—into a developing framework of Canadian citizenship, parliamentary representation, and legal equality.
Thus, to apply a classical colonial lens to the relationship between Alberta and the federal government is not only analytically flawed but ethically fraught. It diminishes the lived experiences of peoples who endured genuine colonial subjugation, while misconstruing the constitutional and political reality of Canadian federalism. Provinces like Alberta possess elected representation in federal institutions and constitutionally guaranteed jurisdictional authority. While federal-provincial disputes over resource control and governance are real and at times intense, they occur within a shared legal and democratic framework—not within a paradigm of foreign domination, imposed rule, or cultural erasure.
Empirical Challenges to the Colonial Thesis
The Representation Question
Mintz and Paulsen argue that Western Canada, particularly Alberta, is politically marginalized within the Canadian federation, citing unequal Senate representation and the dominance of Central Canadian interests in the House of Commons. However, this interpretation overlooks both the constitutional design of Canadian institutions and the empirical realities of electoral representation.
The House of Commons functions on the principle of representation by population, a core feature of liberal democracy. Alberta, with approximately 11.6% of Canada’s population, currently holds 34 out of 338 seats (10.1%), while Saskatchewan holds 14 (4.1%) with just 3.3% of the population. These figures reveal only modest disparities, hardly amounting to structural disenfranchisement. Moreover, representation is periodically reviewed by independent electoral commissions, as seen in the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act processes following each census. In 2022, for instance, Alberta gained three new seats to reflect population growth—demonstrating that the system remains responsive to demographic shifts.
The Senate, while unequal in its regional composition, was designed not as a forum for regional veto but as a chamber of “sober second thought.” Recent reforms under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—including the introduction of the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments—have aimed to depoliticize the process and expand regional and demographic diversity. For example, Alberta’s Paula Simons, appointed in 2018, brought critical regional and journalistic perspectives to the chamber, demonstrating that representation can be improved within the existing structure.
Economic Interdependence versus Exploitation
The colonial analogy collapses most definitively when applied to the economic dimension. Mintz and Paulsen cite economist Robert Mansell’s estimate that Alberta contributes approximately $20 billion annually more to federal revenues than it receives. But interpreting this fiscal imbalance as a form of colonial tribute ignores the realities of fiscal federalism and mutual economic interdependence.
Take the Trans-Canada Highway Act (1949) and the construction of the national highway system, which significantly bolstered Western Canada's economic integration. Or the Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) initiative, launched in 1987, which channeled billions in federal investment into infrastructure, innovation, and employment across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Between 2015 and 2020 alone, WD invested over $700 million in over 3,000 regional projects, including the growth of clean tech and indigenous entrepreneurship.
Alberta’s oil industry, often cited as a victim of federal overreach, has in fact benefited from integrated national policies and market protections. For example, the Energy East Pipeline proposal—ultimately cancelled in 2017—was backed by extensive federal consultation efforts to expand Alberta’s reach into Eastern Canadian and international markets. Furthermore, the federal government’s 2018 purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion for $4.5 billion is a striking counterexample to the colonial thesis: a case of federal intervention to preserve Alberta’s access to tidewater markets and international capital, over strong opposition from other provinces.
Equalization payments, meanwhile, are funded not from Alberta’s treasury but from federal general revenues. As confirmed by the Parliamentary Budget Officer in multiple reports, these funds are redistributed based on a province’s fiscal capacity, not its geographic origin. The 2005 O’Brien Report on fiscal imbalance clarified that “equalization is not a transfer from one province to another but from federal taxpayers collectively.” Alberta’s oil wealth remains overwhelmingly under provincial control, with non-renewable resource revenues constitutionally exempted from the equalization formula under Section 36(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Resource Sovereignty and Federal Jurisdiction
The claim that federal policies infringe on Alberta’s resource sovereignty distorts the actual constitutional framework, where natural resource development is governed jointly by both levels of government.
While provinces possess jurisdiction over natural resources under Section 92A of the Constitution Act, 1867, this authority is subject to legitimate federal involvement in areas such as environmental protection, Indigenous rights, and interprovincial trade. This layered authority was affirmed in cases such as Friends of the Oldman River Society v. Canada (Minister of Transport) [1992], where the Supreme Court upheld federal environmental assessments on provincial resource projects.
The National Energy Program (NEP), introduced by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in 1980, is often invoked as a paradigmatic case of federal overreach. However, even this controversial policy was implemented during a global oil crisis to ensure national energy security and manage inflation. The NEP was repealed by 1985 following the Western Accord, negotiated by Alberta and the federal government. The temporary nature of the NEP and its subsequent reversal underscore the functioning of intergovernmental negotiation, not colonial coercion.
More recently, the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (2018) was challenged by Alberta but upheld by the Supreme Court in 2021 (Reference re GGPPA), which affirmed that climate change presents a matter of national concern. While these policies affect Alberta’s energy sector, they apply equally across provinces and represent the will of a democratic majority, not the imposition of foreign rule.
The Democratic Deficit Argument
Mintz and Paulsen's argument about Western "powerlessness" in federal decision-making processes reveals a more fundamental misunderstanding of democratic governance. Their complaint appears to be not with the absence of representation, but with the outcomes of democratic processes when Western preferences are outvoted by national majorities.
This conflation of democratic outcomes with colonial subjugation is theoretically problematic. In genuine colonial relationships, colonized populations lack meaningful political participation entirely. In contrast, Western Canadians participate fully in democratic processes, elect representatives to Parliament, serve in federal cabinets, and have produced multiple Prime Ministers. The fact that Western preferences sometimes conflict with national majorities reflects democratic pluralism, not colonial domination.
The authors' reference to Quebec's "autonomy" over its own affairs similarly misrepresents Canadian federalism. Quebec's distinct arrangements within Confederation result from its unique linguistic and cultural circumstances, constitutional negotiations, and specific legal frameworks developed over decades of federal-provincial diplomacy. These arrangements are available through constitutional processes to all provinces, not special privileges granted to Central Canada.
Historical Context and Provincial Development
The historical narrative presented by Mintz and Paulsen regarding the creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan contains significant omissions that undermine their colonial thesis. While they correctly note that natural resource control was initially retained by the federal government, they ignore the extensive federal investment in Western development that accompanied Confederation.
The Dominion Lands Act, railway construction, immigration promotion, and agricultural development programs represented massive federal investment in Western settlement and economic development. The temporary retention of resource control facilitated this investment and reflected the federal government's financial commitment to Western development. The transfer of natural resources to provincial control in 1930 represented the successful completion of this development strategy, not the grudging concession of colonial powers.
Contemporary Political Dynamics
The recent federal election results cited by the authors as evidence of Western frustration require careful contextual analysis. While Western alienation is undoubtedly a real political phenomenon, polling data suggests that separatist sentiment, while notable, remains a minority position even in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The June 2025 Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills by-election results, while showing significant support for separatist parties (approximately 19% combined), also demonstrated that the United Conservative Party retained decisive majority support (over 61%). This suggests that while some Western Canadians are exploring more radical alternatives, mainstream provincial governments retain strong democratic legitimacy and continue to work within federal frameworks.
Premier Danielle Smith's Alberta Next panel, referenced by the authors, explicitly excludes separation from its referendum considerations, focusing instead on enhanced provincial autonomy within Confederation. This approach reflects a pragmatic recognition that Western grievances can be addressed through federal reform rather than separation.
Alternative Frameworks for Understanding Western Alienation
Rather than colonial theory, Western alienation is better understood through established frameworks of federal-provincial relations, regional economic development, and democratic representation. The concept of "province-building," developed by scholars such as Alan Cairns, provides a more accurate analytical framework for understanding Western assertiveness within Canadian federalism.
Western alienation reflects legitimate concerns about regional economic development, federal policy coordination, and the balance between national unity and regional diversity. These concerns can be addressed through enhanced federal-provincial consultation mechanisms, reformed fiscal arrangements, and improved regional representation in federal institutions, all within existing constitutional frameworks.
Policy Implications and Recommendations
Addressing Western alienation requires serious federal reform, but within democratic and federal frameworks rather than through the divisive rhetoric of colonialism. Meaningful reforms might include Senate modernization to enhance regional representation, improved federal-provincial consultation mechanisms, reformed equalization arrangements that better reflect contemporary economic realities, and enhanced regional development programs that support economic diversification.
The federal government's recognition of Western concerns, as evidenced by Prime Minister Carney's nation-building initiatives, suggests that mainstream political processes remain capable of addressing regional grievances. Pipeline approvals, while symbolically important, represent only one component of a broader federal strategy to balance regional economic development with national environmental commitments.
Conclusion
Mintz and Paulsen offer a compelling articulation of Western Canada’s frustrations with federal policies and political dynamics. However, their use of the colonial framework fundamentally misconstrues the character of Canadian federalism and risks trivializing the profound and often brutal realities of actual colonialism. While Western alienation is a genuine and consequential political sentiment—deserving of national attention and thoughtful reform—it arises within a democratic federation in which Western Canadians possess full citizenship rights, constitutional protections, and meaningful political representation.
Invoking the language of colonial subjugation to describe federal-provincial tensions does little to advance the cause of regional equity. On the contrary, it risks distorting policy debates and undermining the very intergovernmental dialogue needed to resolve grievances. Framing disputes over resource development, fiscal policy, or representation as manifestations of colonial domination substitutes rhetorical escalation for pragmatic solutions. It transforms negotiable issues of governance into existential questions of sovereignty—thereby reducing the space for compromise.
A more constructive path lies in focusing on concrete reforms: enhancing regional representation in national institutions, refining equalization and fiscal federalism mechanisms, and ensuring fairer regulatory processes that take regional concerns seriously. Canadian federalism, while imperfect, provides institutional mechanisms—constitutional negotiation, judicial review, intergovernmental agreements—through which such reforms can be pursued.
The challenge facing Canada today is not one of colonial emancipation, but of democratic renewal. Maintaining the delicate equilibrium between regional diversity and national cohesion—long a hallmark of successful federations—requires patience, leadership, and mutual respect. Western Canada's legitimate grievances deserve robust and substantive responses, but within the framework of a mature democratic polity.
In this context, the way forward is not through the incendiary metaphor of colonialism, but through the sustained, often difficult work of reform—through dialogue, consultation, and the reaffirmation of a shared Canadian project that has, for over 150 years, proven capable of adaptation and compromise.
