‘Discombobulating’: Alberta at the centre of Canada’s 2025 stress test

The year 2025 became a stress test of Canadian leadership and federalism, with Alberta repeatedly at the centre of the turbulence. Former Alberta trade minister Deron Bilous and former Alberta senior representative to Washington Gitane De Silva join The Hub’s Alberta bureau chief Falice Chin to assess what the chaos revealed about the country’s economic foundations, political incentives, and fault lines. They argue that trade disruption and geopolitical uncertainty forced a rare turn toward pragmatism, culminating in a tentative reset between Alberta and Ottawa. At the same time, rising separatist sentiment and unresolved internal trade barriers underscore just how fragile that consensus remains. This podcast is generously supported by Don Archibald. The Hub thanks him for his ongoing support.