I just finished reading Premier Smith’s statement celebrating Alberta Day and wondered how I would explain it to someone who knows nothing about Alberta’s history.
I suspect the conversation would go something like this:
Me: Oh look, Premier Smith issued a statement celebrating Alberta Day.
You: Goodie, what did she say?
Me: She says, “Today is a special day, not only for our province but for everyone that calls Alberta home.”
You: Aw, that’s nice. Why is Sept 1 so special? Is it our birthday or something?”
Me: [madly scanning Smith’s statement] It’s because Alberta is a place of “unparalleled natural beauty and amazing opportunities for success, and a home to Canada’s entrepreneurial spirit.”
You: That’s true every day. What’s so special about Sept 1?
Me: Um, she says “this land was stewarded by Indigenous and Métis communities, followed by farmers and ranchers who grew our agriculture industry, and newcomers from around the world. Every Albertan contributes to making Alberta the best place to live, work and raise our families.”
You: I repeat my question.
Me: Oh wait, she says today is a chance to celebrate who we are, where we’ve come from and everything we’ve achieved together.
You: Didn’t we do that last month on Heritage Day?.
Me: [grasping at straws] She also says, “Today is about telling our stories, celebrating what makes this province unique and recognizing every Albertan’s talent and contributions to our province.”
You: Unique? Telling our stories? You mean like telling everyone that her government has shattered our healthcare system which was once ranked among the world’s best for integrated care? And her government is starving our public education system which was once one of the best in Canada so our classrooms are understaffed and packed to the gills? Those unique stories?
Me: …….
You: Tell you what, I’ll join Smith in recognizing the talent and contributions of the doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, teachers, teachers aides, and others who are doing their level best to stop public healthcare and public education from slipping into the abyss. How’s that?
Me: [frantically googling the origin of Alberta Day and finding Jason Kenney’s announcement] Ah, here it is. Kenney said Sept 1 is important because that’s the day Alberta became a province and joined Confederation.
You: So Sept 1 is special because that’s the day we joined Confederation; it’s our 119th birthday.
Me: Yes.
You: [grabbing Smith’s statement out of my hand] May I suggest that when we celebrate “who we are, where we’ve come from and everything we’ve achieved together…” we should reflect on the fact that we didn’t do it alone, we did it as part of Canada. And Sept 1, 1905 is special because that’s the day we became Canadians.
Me: I don’t think Smith and the UCP want us to think about Alberta that way.
You: Likely not. Say, isn’t tomorrow Labour Day? The day that began as a protest where 10,000 workers marched in solidarity with the striking Toronto Typographical Union? The day that we celebrate the hard work unions have been doing—fighting for fairer and safer workplaces—ever since? I can’t wait to see Smith’s statement celebrating that.
Me: You and me both.
Susan on the Soapbox 
On Labour day we will be hosting a celebration of working folk with our friends and family. As a retired teacher with over 25 years experience working in Alberta schools, I remember the days when we were the highest educated teachers in Canada….and at least in Calgary’s English departments, had some of the most progressive curriculum in the country….but alas…
We weren’t able to broaden the provincial mind, or convince the reigning Tories that investing in Education was cheaper than investing in Ignorance. For them, open minds and good thinking skills just lead to jettisoning of a past already perfect. There were always a majority of people who didn’t see the need for reflection, good political conversations or creative ideas about how the future could be better.
They knew it all already….and were determined to preserve that very special Albertan advantage. They thought Kenney was up for the job, but covid disappointed them. Turned out Kenney believed the science…
so now, they have Smith. And alternative days to anything so socialist as Labour Day. Good heavens!!! To imagine that labour is something Albertans need stoop to is bordering on sedition.
Unrepentant though…….let me share with my fellow workers, an old poem by J.S. Woodsworth. It’s a prayer before eating actually. A grace:
GRACE BEFORE MEAT
We are thankful for these and all the good things of life
We recognize that they are a part of our common heritage
and come to us through the efforts of our brothers and sisters, the world over.
What we desire for ourselves, we wish for all.
To this end, may we take our share in the World’s Work and the World’s Struggles.
HAPPY LABOUR DAY ALBERTA.
Noklebym: what a lovely poem. It must be disheartening to see how far our education system has strayed from what it once was. Seems like we’ll have to crash and burn before we can turn this situation around. That’s why we stay and fight.
I should have added that J.S. Woodsworth was a founding member of the CCF…we all should know more about that movement of farmers….they gave us our medical care system…and hope it doesn’t take another great depression to convince more of us that Socialism is far from an evil ideology.
The belief that our task is to care for all members of a society is a noble belief……..the idea that we are all workers, if we aren’t parasites or CEO’s…would help us get the work done that needs doing……and perhaps wean us off drudgery and the need to consume constantly.
If you can hang Woodsworth’s grace in your kitchen, you’re a genuine NDP…too many of us want to be exceptions. Better than the majority of humanity.
A UCP fantasy, in my opinion. And now in Alberta, we can see how it looks on em.
noklebym: this was a great comment, particularly this sentence: :The belief that our task is to care for all members of society is a noble belief.” Thank you and Happy Labour Day! .
So is Alberta Day a thing now? Like a provincial holiday? Because I hadn’t really heard about it prior to now – I guess I wasn’t paying attention if it has been around for a while. I can say that in Calgary, Heritage Park is packed to the gills as apparently the Alberta government funded a free entry day for whoever signed up online for it. Capped at Park capacity, whatever that might be – several thousands, for sure. My partner had to negotiate the traffic on the way home earlier today & asked me if I knew what was going on. Went to the Heritage Park website & found out about the celebration then. Apparently all sorts of entertainment, free cookies were handed out to the first 1,000 park entrants & one could pre-purchase tickets/wrist bracelets to go on the SS Moyie paddlewheel boat or line up to go on the various rides.
So we might not have adequate health care for all or enough resources to ensure our youth get the best education possible, but we can ensure those who are paying attention can have a day at Heritage Park without paying the usual entry fee. I’m just guessing other provincial heritage sites had similar deals on offer – couldn’t just be limited to Calgary, right?
Linda, Jason Kenney created Alberta Day in July 2022. It’s not a stat holiday. Unlike Smith he acknowledged that Sept 1 was the day Alberta entered Confederation. After I posted this post I caught Smith’s video clip on Twitter. At the very beginning she says “It was on this day in 1905 that Alberta officially became a province…” and that’s it. Someone waved a magic wand and poof, we became a province. Not once does she mention Confederation and the fact that the only way to become a province was to negotiate the terms of entry into Confederation with the federal government.
Hi Susan. I did look up Alberta Day & discovered when it had actually been created. As for the celebrations, the estimated attendance at Heritage Park yesterday was 30,000 people. I also checked to see whether there were celebrations elsewhere & according to the Alberta Day website yes. On the Legislature Grounds in Edmonton & apparently there were some other events put on in various parts of the province over the past few days too. Don’t know how things went elsewhere but apparently the Calgary crowd has a great time.
l so look forward to your weekly comments…my dose of sanity after the week of …okay l’ll use puke…that comes from the Premier and her version of government….cheers!
Thank you Bruce!
Absolutely agree, Bruce.
Thanks Dawn.
ooooh Pooh I live your tongue in cheek style Miss Susan on the Soapbox
Thank you Yvette. We do what we can.
Marlaina is probably upset that we don’t have any public holidays celebrating CEO’s. Happy Labor Day to one and all.
Public Servant, I’m afraid every day is Happy CEO Day in this province!
Time to call it Tarsands day!!
TB
trailblazer: Hear, hear!
Time to call it Tarsands day!!
TB
It is difficult to celebrate the day Canada made Alberta a province without giving credit to Canada, or even mentioning it. That’s why this figment of Jason Kenney’s ego is bogus. Happy bogus non-holiday, everyone. Enjoy Labour Day as usual, instead. (Don’t be surprised if we have a new “Smith Day” holiday soon, equally bogus.)
Albertan, I absolutely agree with you. Kenney managed to say the word “confederation” when he announced the creation of Alberta but he linked the announcement to the Free Alberta Strategy recommendation that we celebrate Alberta ingenuity, etc and then launched into a discussion about Alberta’s exceptionalism. Smith wished us a happy Alberta Day without ever once mentioning “confederation” but then again, that’s what her supporters want to hear, isn’t. We’re this magical little province that came into being all by ourselves.
Susan: I see that the UCP are getting worse and worse. I did see Jann Arden live for the 20th time this year. She was with Rick Mercer. One of the things she mentioned was how she’d hate to say it but she actually misses the last UCP leader. That speaks volumes. I’ll share some more music. This is a Jann Arden composition, from 1993, and it is called Will You Remember Me? It is in my music collection. Jann Arden is a great Calgary musician, artist and actress.
Dwayne, I have to agree with Arden. Kenney was bad, but at least he understood (kind of) that covid was dangerous. He was also a history buff, he knew that our past counted for something even if he disagreed with how things turned out. Smith appears to be living in a bubble where Alberta is a perpetual victim when in fact it is Canada’s wealthiest province. Not that its citizens feel it given the sorry state of our healthcare, education and other public service programs.
That was a lovely song by Arden. I wonder who those people were? One thing is for sure, they will be remembered.
I’m currently reading Jeremy Appel’s book about JK, “Kenneyism: Jason Kenney’s Pursuit of Power” (2024: Toronto|Dundurn Press). I already detested the man; now I hate and loathe him even more. What an irredeemably horrible person.
As for September 1st, 1905, being the date we — meaning, I presume, Albertans — became “Canadian”, I beg to differ. The territory that now constitutes the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta prior to 1905 was already part of Canada: it was the “Northwest Territory”, so designated after the Government of Canada bought Rupert’s Land from the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1870.
jerrymacgp: interesting point re: whether we became “Canadian” on Sept 1, 1905 or were already Canadian by virtue of being residents of the NWT. Thanks.
I believe you’ve mentioned Appel’s book before. Does it cover off Kenney’s religious beliefs. From what little I’ve read it appears to me he saw his life in politics as akin to that of being a priest. I recall a comment he made in a speech when he was a young politician in which he praised an early pope who said if a politician finds himself in the position of having to govern a group who’s adopted a repugnant policy (eg the right to abortion) it was incumbent on that politician to do everything he could to defeat this policy (ie. circumscribe a woman’s access to abortion).
As someone who believe religion has no place in politics I found this his most horrific trait of all.
Susan: I see that the UCP are getting worse and worse. I did see Jann Arden live for the 20th time this year. She was with Rick Mercer. One of the things she mentioned was how she’d hate to say it but she actually misses the last UCP leader. That speaks volumes. I’ll share some more music. This is a Jann Arden composition, from 1993, and it is called Will You Remember Me? It is in my music collection. Jann Arden is a great Calgary musician, artist and actress.
Susan: WordPress is causing problems. If it’s possible, can you delete my duplicate comment. Thanks!
Dwayne, I don’t dare delete it because WP just might toss you off all together. It really is the most annoying service provider, and yet it’s one of the really big players on the block. People will just skip over repeat posts, don’t worry about it.
Susan: There are famous Albertans in my family. Politicians, an actor, a screenplay writer, an astronaut, an NHL hockey player, well known university professors, among others.
I’ll play some more good music, that is in my music collection. This is a Hoyt Axton composition, which Three Dog Night covered, in 1971, called Joy To The World. Floyd Sneed, the drummer here, was from Calgary, Alberta. He passed away in his early 80s, within the last few years.
Dwayne, what a varied family tree! Wouldn’t it be great to get them all in the same room at the same time (although that’s probably not possible).
I smiled the minute I heard the opening line “Jeremiah was a bullfrog” It’s impossible to be crabby with this song playing in the background. Thanks! .
Susan: Here is my next song pick. This is a composition from Dennis Potter and Brian Lambert called One Tin Solder. This version is Don by The Original Caste, who are from Calgary, Alberta. Very fitting for these times we are in.
Dwayne, thank you for this. It brought tears to my eyes. What’s really sad is that the song was written in 1969 and here we are 55 years later and we’re still at it. Will we never learn?
*done*
She cannot say the word LABOUR, her teeth will fall.
Carlos: Danielle Smith isn’t concerned about the well being of Albertans. She has got to go.
Carlos: you were right. I just got the UCP government’s statement (issued by the minister of labour, Matt Jones, not the premier) thanking Alberta workers for what they do. Not a mention of “labour” or “unions” anywhere to be seen.
Susan: Here is my final song pick. This is a Gary Brooker and Keith Reid composition, from Procol Harum, called Homburg. It was recorded and released in 1967. Sadly, we lost Gary Brooker and Keith Reid, within the last few years. I was fortunate enough to see Procol Harum live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra 4 times. They did play this song. I also met Gary Brooker and Keith Reid. Gary Brooker is an amazing singer and pianist. This is also in my music collection.
Dwayne, thank you for this great clip. You’d mentioned you’d seen Procol Harum with the Edmonton Symphony but I didn’t realize it was 4 times. You are a true blue fan!
Dear Ms Soapbox, long time reader but first time commenter. Thanks for a great column as always! But I must challenge one of your statements. In 1905, we were already Canadians. 1905 was when we became Albertans. We didn’t bring Alberta into Canada, instead Alberta and Saskatchewan were carved out of the NWT. The government of Canada devolved power to allow us to (theoretically at least) manage our local affairs more effectively. This is a difference between the prairie provinces and the others, which existed as distinct British colonies before joining Confederation.
keep up the great columns, many thanks for work!
Will, thank you for this very important comment. One thing that’s always interested me about how Alberta (and Sask) entered Confederation is the fact that Ottawa kept control of Alberta’s crown lands and natural resources arguing that unlike the earlier provinces, Alberta had never owned them in the first place. This didn’t change until 1930. I find this interesting, I would have thought the treat of the US annexing the prairies would have given the politicians negotiating on behalf of the prairies greater leverage.
Here’s an interesting link for anyone interested in those negotiations. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/alberta-and-confederation
Thanks for this, Susan, I didn’t know about the delay in AB and SK getting control of resources. I still feel that I am a Canadian first, though! 🙂
I cannot hold my breath long enough anymore waiting for a pro-Labour comment from the UCP minions.
dbtazzer: I’m waiting to see how Smith’s PR people will spin this…will it be praise for hard-working Albertans without mentioning that they belong to unions? who knows, but we’ll find out soon. A long time ago I met an industrial psychologist (that’s what they called consultants who made companies more efficient back then) who said the only way to breed trust is to ensure your actions are aligned with your words. So regardless of what Smith says, her actions clearly show how she feels about unions. (
“Alberta Day”, what an embarrassment left for us by the grandson of that jazz master Herbert Kenney. Chubby little Jason also referred to Canada Day as “Dominion Day”, did he not? True to form the official echo chamber of the right, the National Post, referred to the day as “Alberta Day”. Hard to believe we were better off with Kenney, as bad as he was.
Jaundiced Eye…I think you’re right on all counts. Kenney revelled in history and never missed an opportunity to remind Albertans they were exceptional merely because they lived here. While he was a better premier than Smith, that’s not setting the bar very high.
I think Kenney was worse, in the sense that he had the knowledge and experience to know what he was doing.
He knew very well how things like the equalization payments worked but used that as a cynical political football anyway. He paved the golden road for the UCP and TBA’s takeover of the province, forcing the merger of the Wildrose and PCs, pushing out any moderate voices, using conspiracy theories and exaggerated grievances as grounds for policy, and turning a blind eye to misbehaving ministers so long as they served him. Kenney was critical of Smith’s policies but they’re just slight exaggerations of policies he was pushing.
At least Smith genuinely wants to be Premier of this province. To Kenney, this job was a consolation for and stepping stone to the Prime Minister job he really thought he was destined for.
Jason, great perspective. I will just add that she is now the cementer of a neo-liberal extreme that has been waiting for a long time to be implemented. The last step has been accomplished with Rachel Notley giving up the fight as well as Eby in BC. Manitoba may be the very last fort but not relevant because right now the NDP is also a moderate neo-liberal bag. The fight is moderate versus extreme. The end of the middle class as we know it is not a question anymore. Monarchies are back but this time with way more money. The fight came full circle. The resolution could mean the end of it all. Nenshi is a neo-liberal, he does not have his heart on what is supposed to represent. Jagmeet Singh is probably the last believer but he is being worked by propaganda and he will be forced to quit. He does not have a place in the new reality.
Rachel Notley quit because she knew her fight was uselss. Even Phillips is now joining the force.
Human beings are not capable of a strong long civilization especially when technology has now surpassed our non-existent morals or ethics and greed is at an all time high.
Slavery is back. I think for now the fight is done. Any return will be in the very future and that is if we manage to save our planet.
Shocking? Tell me your alternative view. Would love a discussion.
Well said, thanks for saying that out loud.
Thank you Keith!
Standing Ovation Susan! She is so desperate to brainwash uninformed Albertans, of an “Alberta Day”. I believe this is just another way she is trying to carve out our sovereignty. I agree with you…becoming a part of Canada in 1905 required many CANADIANS to make it happen! Being a part of our Canadian constitution (the whole of Canada) is not something she wants to boast about.
Kimberlee: thank you! Yes, I believe you’re right, I’m a Canadian first and an Albertan second. Try as she might Smith can’t take that away from me.
I have never belonged to a political party until now!! Thank you for blogging and informing your subscribers! When you bring awareness to what our Premier is attempting AND DOING, many times has made me want to leave this province!
Thanks Susan!
Kimberlee
Disquis is giving me a hard time … so I’m responding to your email. Hope this isn’t a pain for you.
Great blog again Susan! It seems Smith is out there engaging in all manner of crazy-talk in the lead-up to the November leadership review. Appropriating Labour Day for political reasons can’t be terribly popular with most workers?
Its difficult to comprehend anyone buying into her political stance. Really … is there a contagion in the air? Lack of education, certainly a lack of critical thinking? Short memories? Koolaid drunkenness? Your blogs are therefore refreshing to me as are the TicToc rants from Lisa that show-up on X (Twitter). Hopefully Smith doesn’t permanently disable AB.
Kathleen
>
Kathleen, it’s quite remarkable watching this government rewrite history. They’re banking on blind loyalty and a lack of critical thinking. We need to push back each and every time.
Thanks for mentioning Lisa. She’s amazing!
I love your Labour Day satire! I do hope Premier Smith will be apprized of it. She needs a little humour and honesty in her life.
I understand that most people who read this blog do not agree with the article I will post for you to read. I just suggest that we also did not believe it would be possible for lunatics to be running a lot of the so called developed world. It is important we read different perspectives because it is becomes easier to see understand how propaganda and politics work these days. It is not easy to understand a world drenched in propaganda without a bit of a different perspective.
It has now been 2 years that the west was going to paralyse Russia with sanctions. Have you noticed it? I think all in all we are the ones that are paying the biggest price for this war with our societies struggling to survive. Confusion abounds and hope is now a non existent commodity. When you include climate change and disinformation and misinformation, the game seems to be over. Now Pierre Poilievre, without any plans or any vision other than slogans like Axe the Tax will be doing what they have been ordered to do – push the final neo-liberal step and cement it. He will lift any climate change regulations and let it rip. The economy will love it and so will their fans. The after party is what we will be left with. I do not believe it will be a great picture but by then they will all have what they believe in – only the believers will be in paradise. Unfortunately they forgot that that story is has real as the 72 virgins after death.
Time will tell.
https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/why-poverty-reduction-under-capitalism-is-a-myth