More issues separatists do not want to discuss

Posted on April 23, 2026 by Sunny South News

Currency

An independent Alberta will have no legal right to use Canadian currency because the Canadian government, through the Royal Canadian Mint and the Bank of Canada, holds copyright on all Canadian coins and bills. Alberta will need its own new currency because it will not be able to use Canadian currency as a medium of exchange.

How much will it cost to establish an Alberta mint and a new Alberta counterpart to the Bank of Canada, so as to produce coins and bills for currency in Alberta?

Internationally, an Alberta currency will likely be less stable against the U.S. dollar, the Canadian dollar, the U.K. pound, and the Euro, and will therefore be devalued against major world currencies. How much will the Alberta national government have to spend, each year, to support an Alberta currency devalued against world currencies?

Postal System

Canada Post has not been profitable for ten years. It can likely be profitable if it focuses on parcel deliveries, eliminates home delivery of letters, and adapts its existing systems including buildings and equipment. An independent Alberta will have none of the above possibilities and will not have the economies of scale Canada Post has.

How much will it cost to establish, equip, staff, and operate a new postal system for an independent Alberta, including start-up costs and annual operating costs?

Debt

Canada’s federal debt is currently near $1.2 trillion. Alberta, with 11 per cent of Canada’s population, will be responsible for 11 per cent of that debt, i.e., about $132 billion dollars will be added to the current Alberta debt.

What is the best estimate of annual debt reduction costs (principal and interest) to pay down the debt of an independent Alberta, including payments on Alberta’s current provincial debt?

 Gregory R. Côté, Irvine