Alberta & Saskatchewan’s Exit Has SURGED — Leaving Canada in Panic

No Canadian flag out here.

This is probably where that federal flag

[music] should be.

But it ain't there.

This is Saskatchewan [music] flag flying

proud out here.

Good for them.

That should be a Western flag.

That's the flag he was hung on there

basically.

>> [music]

>> Hey everybody, it's PJ. I'm out here in

Central Saskatchewan on the road.

Figured I'd would show you guys a little

piece of history that's just aside of

Bladworth out here again in Central

Saskatchewan.

Before there was any talk of

independence, any talk of modern

independence in Alberta and

Saskatchewan, there was this man right

here.

Legendary Louis Riel

who fought for the rights of the Métis

people, founder of Manitoba

who fought against the overreaching

Federation of Canada, the overreaching

federal government of Ontario and

Quebec, upper Canada.

And he basically lost his life in

fighting for that. He was hung in

public. If you are on the highway

between Saskatoon and Regina, like

myself make sure you stop and make a

left if you're going north-south in

Bladworth

and um learn a little bit of history

from one of the first freedom fighters

out in the west. Say what you will.

He wasn't a perfect man, but he was

fighting for Western independence before

any of the movements of today. Louis

Riel, know the name, know your history.

Riel was a central figure in the

province's history leading two popular

Métis governments and bringing Manitoba

into Confederation. He was later

executed for high treason for his role

in the 1885 resistance to Canadian

encroachment on Métis lands. CTV's Alex

Skarpa has more on the events marking

this day. We have a few personal pieces

that belong to Riel himself. Winnipeg's

Saint Boniface Museum is home to some of

Manitoba's oldest and best preserved

artifacts, including ones belonging to

Louis Riel, the founder of Manitoba.

This is one of Riel's trunks. Riel is

regarded as a complex and controversial

figure in Canadian history. He led two

Métis resistances in what is now

present-day Manitoba and Saskatchewan

fighting to protect Métis rights and

culture. Riel was an instrumental person

in terms of the negotiations with the

government. He made a list of rights

that would encompass all peoples who

were living here at the time in the

settlement. That list became the

foundation for what is known today as

the Manitoba Act, but Riel was seen as a

traitor for his resistance. He was

hanged for treason at just 41 years old

in 1885. Now he is celebrated in

Manitoba, recognized as the province's

founder, and was named first honorary

premier in 2023. All of our history is

important, not only Riel, not only Métis

people, but all of our histories

combined.

>> Riel's history and culture is on full

display here at Winnipeg's Festival du

Voyageur, which is Western Canada's

largest winter festival.

Live music

and woodworking are just some of the

events featured at the festival. Breanne

Lavallee-Hecquart says it's important to

honor Riel through all of the festival's

different events. Our founder, Joseph

Riel, was a a proud Métis man. Um so

really it's it's really it's it's rooted

in everything we do here at Festival,

but especially today on Louis Riel Day.

>> As for Cindy Desrochers, she says she

will continue to educate others on

Riel's legacy.

No Canadian flag out here.

This is probably where that federal flag

[music] should be.

But it ain't there.

This is Saskatchewan flag [music] flying

proud out here.

Good for them.

You have

another statue [music]

of Mr. Louis Riel

Western

legend.

Western revolutionnaire

fought for the rights

of Westerners

in the 1880s.

Surveyor

talking about

how the settlement continued westward in

the 1860s and 70s

how a lot of Westerners and Métis

[music] indigenous people were being

screwed

by the federal government

and how that was in part reason

for

the Northwest Rebellion

led by Mr. Louis Riel.

Is this out here

in

Chamberlain

out here in Chamberlain, Saskatchewan.

It's

Louis Riel Highway

heading

south

about 100 km north of

the city of Regina.

Yes, Regina, not Regina, Regina.

Pretty sure that's the Saskatchewan

flower.

Not sure what the name of that flower is

if you're from Saskatchewan, if you're a

Saskatchewanian

um

I don't know what that's called. If you

can chime in whether that's your flower

and what it's called or whether it is

just called Saskatchewanian or

Saskatchewan.

Let me know

fellow Westerner.

So what's going to happen with

Saskatchewan when Alberta votes to leave

Canada? Freedom, hope, prosperity for

our children, for their futures cuz

right now in Canada it's a sinking ship

and if we don't take our little

lifeboats and throw it out and get off

while we can, we're going down with the

ship.

>> You see, there's a lot going on out here

in the prairies.

Alberta and Saskatchewan

some parts of British Columbia.

See, my province here of Alberta

is going to have a referendum later this

year. Officially, we're going to have a

referendum on independence, whether a

majority of Albertans choose to stay a

part of Canada

or become an independent nation.

And a lot of people wonder, well, what

happens with Saskatchewan?

Saskatchewan being a province

neighboring province to the east of

Alberta

about an hour

that way, 100 km or so that way

being that I'm in

eastern central Alberta.

And more importantly, they're very

similar to Alberta culturally,

politically economically.

They voted over 90% conservative just

like Albertans did.

They are very conservative-minded.

Mostly a Christian province

just like Alberta. And while Albertans

are collecting signatures for a petition

to get a referendum likely in October of

this year

Saskatchewan is not far behind. Hall

near Saskatoon, over 200 people have

come to hear from the Saskatchewan

Prosperity Project, a group promoting

Saskatchewan's independence from Canada.

The group's president, Brad Williams,

focuses on Western alienation and what

he says are the economic and political

benefits of separation.

>> So the reality of this situation is that

the people of Saskatchewan and Albertans