THREE ALBERTAS
They say the trouble’s Ottawa,
The feds are always wrong;
They say that Alberta’s better off
If Canada moves along.
But wait a minute — look around:
From north to south we find
Not one Alberta, but several
With rather different minds.
One lives on oil, gas, trees and mines,
One farms the prairie plain;
One builds its future in the cities,
And not all vote the same.
So if the quarrel never ends,
And every side feels sore,
Perhaps the map deserves a look
Before they slam the door.
Three provinces? A foolish dream?
Or something worth exploring?
Would smaller, like-minded Alberta’s
Mean less political warring?
Perhaps the question isn’t simply
“How do we leave Canada?”
But “Can Alberta’s own divisions
Be settled closer to home?”
No answer comes with drawing lines,
And borders aren’t a cure —
But if they blame the map of Canada,
Why not first test their own?
Three Albertas, then, may not be
The answer to the row —
But it might reveal the real divide
That everybody ought to know.