Treason much? Canada, host of Sikh separatists, cries ‘sovereignty’ as Alberta independence group meets Trump officials

Recent meetings between Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) representatives and Trump officials have led to the Canadian prime minister schooling the province on sovereignty and the British Columbia Premier calling out ‘treason’. The angle of this story is that US President Donald Trump, or his proxies, are encouraging resource-rich Alberta to break away from Canada. But in India, the irony was not lost on many that Canada, which hosts many Sikh Khalistani separatists, is now getting a taste of its own medicine on separatism. What is the Alberta Prosperity Project? What do they want? How is the US helping them in their independence bid? And what are Canadian leaders saying about the situation? Here is what you should know.

What is Alberta Prosperity Project (APP)?

APP, founded in 2021, promotes Alberta’s “prosperity, self-determination, and independence” from Canada, over frustrations with federal policies under former prime minister Justin Trudeau and current Prime Minister Mark Carney. Their liberal policies were detrimental to Alberta’s oil industry, such as climate regulations and resource management that prevented energy trade arising from its oil sand deposits.

The APP educates Albertans and mobilises them on ideas around faith, family, freedom, low taxes, property rights, and resource ownership, as per its website. With a mission to restructure Alberta’s relationship with Canada, APP advocates for full sovereignty, making it a key player in Alberta separatism.

The group is currently campaigning for Alberta to hold a referendum on secession from Canada to become an independent sovereign nation. APP has been described in various media accounts as a “fringe separatist group” or “far-right separatists”. But it rejects “separatist conspiracy myths” on its website, while promoting Alberta as a “free and independent” entity.

Recent polling suggested that nearly 30 per cent of Albertans might support starting a separation process, but most prefer staying in Canada.

APP meetings with Trump officials

APP leaders met with US State Department officials three times in Washington, DC, since April 2025. These meetings were exploratory in nature, looking at the feasibility of the US giving a $500 billion credit line to support an independent Alberta.

The fourth such meeting is set for January, this time with both State and US Treasury officials, to discuss financial support. The White House, while confirming the meetings, called them routine engagements with civil society groups, with “no support or commitments conveyed”.

Meanwhile, APP legal counsel and top leader Jeffrey Rath said US officials were “extremely enthusiastic” about the prospects of cooperation. President Trump has not raised Alberta separatism publicly, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in an interview this month, called Alberta a “natural partner for the US”, and said Albertans are “very independent people” who may seek sovereignty.

What does Alberta Prosperity Project want?

Alberta’s full independence is the main aim of APP, in order to create a prosperous, low-regulation society. The group is seeking a referendum on independence with the question on the ballot whether Alberta should “cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state”.

APP wants to stop sending $68–75 billion in annual federal tax to Ottawa, eliminate personal income taxes by 2030, and create an Alberta Pension Plan worth $183 billion, according to reports. It wants Albertans to manage their own natural resources, energy, and agriculture independently.

A new Alberta Constitution is envisioned, recognising the “supremacy of God”, equal rights, and family as society’s pillar. The draft constitution would call the significant Indigenous populations of Alberta co-equal partners. APP wants the lowest taxes and regulations in the world, balanced budgets, the right to recall elected officials, and protections for freedoms like religion, expression, and self-defence, including gun rights.

Last December, Elections Alberta approved the APP-backed citizen initiative petition. APP would need around 177,000 valid signatures to trigger a fall 2026 referendum, and in the process of achieving this.

US involvement in Alberta sparks backlash: How Carney and others responded

Canadian PM Carney said, “We expect the US administration to respect Canadian sovereignty. I’m always clear in my conversations with President Trump to that effect.”

On Thursday (Jan 29), British Columbia Premier David Eby called the APP’s actions ‘treason’. “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,” Eby said.

But Alberta Premier Danielle Smith sought non-interference, saying that discussions about Alberta’s future should be left to Albertans. Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Smith to denounce separatists, saying “enough is enough”, but Rath dismissed treason claims as “stupid” and “childish”. Canadian labour groups condemned US “interference” in the nation's affairs, in the context of APP meetings with American officials.