‘Treason’: Alberta separatists meet with U.S. officials in Washington
By Alexander Howey, March 26 2026—
Independence movement raises concerns for already strained Canada-U.S. relations.
Leaders from the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), a separatist group advocating for the independence of Alberta, have confirmed that they have spoken directly to U.S. officials in Washington.
While U.S. officials have affirmed that no commitments have been made, this is stoking existing concerns of meddling in Canadian domestic affairs from the U.S. government and its proxies, at a time in which Canada-U.S. trade relations are already strained.
“To go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada. There’s an old-fashioned word for that, and that word is treason,” said B.C. Premier David Eby.
The APP is currently attempting to gather 177,000 signatures to bring an independence petition to the legislature by May.
In January, the Financial Times reported that the group met with officials in Washington three times since April last year, according to people familiar with the talks.
Members of the APP have not specified which members of the U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration they have talked to.
The group is reportedly seeking another meeting with state and Treasury officials to ask for a $500 billion credit facility to bankroll the province if an independence referendum is passed.
“We’re conducting a feasibility study on the availability of a sufficient credit facility to get Alberta over the hump in the hypothetical eventuality that Ottawa is going to play hardball and try to cut off our money once Alberta declares itself independent from Canada,” APP legal counsel Jeffrey Rath said.
“Quite frankly, the Trump administration shows Albertans far more respect than are shown to Albertans by the government in Ottawa,” Rath later added.
While Rath has stated that Trump himself has not been part of these meetings, he has asserted they have met with people at a high level.
“The US is extremely enthusiastic about a free and independent Alberta,” Rath told the Financial Times.
In an interview with Real America’s Voice last week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent weighed in on the separatist movement, calling Alberta a “natural partner for the U.S.”
He additionally advocated for the province to be allowed to expand oil shipments through the U.S.
Despite opposing independence for the province, last year Premier Danielle Smith lowered the threshold for a referendum to 177,000 signatures, roughly 3.5 per cent of Alberta’s population.
Rath has claimed that some members of Smith’s United Conservative Party caucus have signed the petition, but wouldn’t name them or cite how many due to confidentiality rules.
“I don’t police the responses of my MLAs, they can sign whatever petition that they want,” Smith said.
“The approach of our caucus as a united caucus, has been to support a sovereign Alberta within united Canada,” Smith added.
Separatist Canadians have long argued that their interests are not represented in Ottawa.
Often cited are reasons such as opposition to the federal government’s climate change efforts holding back Alberta’s oil industry and opposition to federal equalization payments.
Last year, the Alberta Forever Canada campaign, which was a counter-petition in opposition to Alberta separatism, received 438,568 signatures by its December deadline.