When people first arrived in Alberta, there was very little here. Many of the immigrants who chose to make this land their home actually came to Alberta because Ottawa practiced some smooth advertising. In posters and communications for immigrants they touted the New Eldorado, homes for everyone, and free land. What they neglected to mention was that the immigrants would have to carve the New Eldorado out of a harsh and unforgiving land by the sweat of their brow. But the immigrants came, and they did indeed build an Eldorado. Through hard work, through realism, through willingness to take short term pain they created the best place on earth. 

The prospect of independence is very exciting. The idea of casting Ottawa loose, of freeing ourselves from Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s flawed vision of Canada gives us hope for the future. Amid that hope, however, we must ensure that we keep ourselves grounded in reality and look to our forbears for the approach that we should take. 

Some things we will be able to fix quickly when independence happens. We can alter the Criminal Code to ensure that criminals are truly punished for their deeds, so that rapists and murderers experience the consequences they deserve. We will no longer have to worry about the Canada Health Act holding back our ability to make the best government health care in the world. We will be free of useless and costly regulations, misguided environmental legislation that does not help our environment, we can even have a plastic straw once more! Once we complete the process of separation there are many things that may be done to benefit the hard working people of Alberta.

Independence, however, will not be all sunshine and roses. There are a lot of things that must be built from the ground up if we are to be an independent nation. Whether they do it well or poorly, there are many areas that Ottawa has responsibility for in our country. We will have to build and replicate each of these systems, hopefully with much less waste and corruption than we experience currently. Ther are many treaties, international bodies, and other external relationships that Canada is part of that we will not automatically continue when we leave Canada. Each of these relationships will have to be forged anew, with no guarantee that they will be simply solved or smoothly dealt with. There will be discomfort and uncertainty in some areas of life. It is important that we acknowledge this fact and prepare ourselves for reality. 

One of the biggest reasons why people do not make changes in their lives is because of the potential for difficulty that people see on the other side of a change. So how do they solve that problem? We need realism and preparation. If I want to go to Banff and climb a mountain in the middle of December, I will have a lot of trouble if I assume that the weather will be fine and I can climb with just my light windbreaker and regular tennis shoes. My hike will be cold, painful, and possibly dangerous. But if I prepare, get the proper equipment, wear the right clothing, and time my hike properly, I can enjoy a wonderful hike and see sights that will take my breath away. I will be warm, safe, and happy.

For Independence to be a success this is the work that we must do. We cannot merely talk about the ways life will improve and all the freedom we will have. These things are true. But we also must acknowledge that there will be some pain, there will be much work, there will be some difficulties. Just as in the past when the first people came to make a new land in the great wide West, if we do not roll up our sleeves and work hard, independence will be a failure. If we are not prepared for some sacrifice to build a better tomorrow, we will see our country fall apart. There will be years of difficulty as we transition from the broken relationship with Ottawa to the freedom of being the masters of our own house. But this difficulty will be worth it for the place that we will finish in the end. 

If we work hard, if we follow the example of our ancestors, if we build, sacrifice, and hope, then we can make a country that truly is the best place on earth. The future of Alberta will truly be in our hands, and the success or failure of our future will depend on our will to overcome any problem without losing hope or failing each other. I think Alberta has what it takes, even if it is hard.