Alberta’s growing separatist movement could carry significant economic risks, largely driven by the uncertainty it would create, economist Todd Hirsch says.
Todd Hirsch
Speaking on Economics for Everyone, the Calgary-based author and speaker, said global businesses are already navigating unstable conditions in 2025 and would be further unsettled by questions surrounding Alberta’s political future. He pointed to Quebec’s experience from the mid-1970s to early 2000s, when sovereignty debates contributed to an exodus of people, capital and corporate head offices from Montreal to Toronto.
Hirsch said trying to calculate whether Alberta would be financially better off outside Confederation oversimplifies the issue. While the province is a net contributor to federal revenues, he noted that demographic factors and interprovincial migration complicate the picture. Alberta’s younger population receives fewer federal age-related benefits, and the province also benefits economically from attracting workers educated in other provinces.
On equalization, Hirsch acknowledged local frustration but emphasized that the program is constitutionally entrenched and cannot be scrapped without reopening the Constitution.
He described Alberta’s current economy as sluggish, with unemployment above the national average despite strong population inflows. Hirsch said a potential federal–provincial memorandum of understanding on pipelines would be significant, though he cautioned that low oil prices and the absence of private-sector partners remain major barriers.
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Entrepreneur. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024 and 2025.
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