Alberta Voices: It's not time for Alberta to abandon Canada

I love Canada and Canadians, and this includes Alberta and Albertans; they are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Growing up in Alberta, I learned the strength of our diversity, and our "get 'er done" attitude that enables us to overcome obstacles and achieve seemingly impossible goals. Woven in our fabric is our culture of looking out for each other, whether it's helping a stranded person, pushing a vehicle out of the snow, shovelling a neighbour's walk, or scraping their windshield, providing a battery boost, giving someone a lift, donating to charity, volunteering, or overall serving one another.

Albertans show up for each other during tough times and celebrate with each other during good times. This "get 'er done" attitude and "showing up" culture has always included our fellow Canadians (as well as newcomers, refugees and guests). It is therefore confusing and distressing to experience an emerging attitude in Alberta that so drastically differs from our usual warm, welcoming core strength. A new attitude seems to convey that we are weighing our contributions to Canada against a giant tally sheet and feel that Alberta is diminished despite our pervasive provincial wealth and overt abundance.

To consider abandoning our fellow Canadians and quitting our country seems un-Albertan (and un-Canadian).

When Canada calls, Albertans answer, and when Alberta calls, our fellow Canadians answer, whether to help battle wildfires, aid during floods, rebuild after tornadoes, help during crises, donate time and money, shore up our labour force, cheer our beloved sports teams, or spend their hard-earned loonies visiting our beautiful province.

I understand feeling unhappy with some federal policies over the years, but to pick up our nets and quit serves no purpose other than to alienate ourselves. It also erodes the monumental contributions Albertans have made to our country (unless they were all "quid pro quo", which runs contrary to everything we've been demonstrating since 1905).

Working together to "get 'er done" and help each other is in our nature and it is how we can collectively, successfully improve Canada.

I was born and raised in Alberta, and I will vote to remain in Canada — my home and native land. I will not abandon my fellow Canadians, and my hope is that this will always include my fellow Albertans.

Carmen Rattai resides in Edmonton

Alberta Voices is an Edmonton Journal/Calgary Herald project that amplifies Albertans' thoughts on separation-related issues. Send your opinion, to be considered for publication, to edm-feedback@postmedia.com with the subject line Alberta Voices.