If separatists get their way, would Edmonton be forced to go with them? Not if Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette has anything to say about it.
On Wednesday, Paquette announced he is introducing a motion to research how Edmonton can shield itself from potential economic fallout — including exploring how Edmonton could remain part of Canada — should the province actually go forward with separation.
Protecting Edmonton from Separation Fallout
“What we saw in Montreal and Quebec City when they were having these discussions is a lot of investment flight, a lot of pauses on investment because the risk was too high and even head office flight. They’re still recovering from it,” he told Postmedia. “So what are the mechanisms we can use in the City of Edmonton to protect ourselves? Up to and including a new partnership with the province so we’re no longer in a parent-child relationship but a true partnership.”
Paquette noted that the provincial-municipal relationship in Canada was developed during an agrarian period and does not fit the modern context. He pointed to municipalities around the world that have much more autonomy from their states.
Exploring New Relationships
Paquette’s motion asks administration to explore several avenues related to strengthening Edmonton’s autonomy from the provincial government, including exploring legislation up to the Constitution but also how the city’s location within Treaty 6 and its relationship with Enoch Cree Nation could help establish a bulwark from provincial overreach.
It also directs administration to explore how municipalities could band together to provide a united front and call for a new framework on how municipalities are treated by higher levels of government across the country, developing a new fiscal framework with the federal government to make the city less dependent on provincial transfers.
A Question of Secession
But at the crux of the motion is a question of whether Edmonton need follow if the separatists get their wish or if the city could take its assets and stay Canadian.
“With our treaty partners, we can make the case to the federal government that because our population does not want to separate from Canada, there can be some special status afforded to municipalities who don’t want to participate,” said Paquette. “There are a number of federal investments in our region that obviously are national concern.”
Paquette said the federal government owns enough properties in Edmonton, including military assets, that the city could make a case to remain a Canadian territory in the event Alberta goes the way of Brexit.
“This is the beginning of those conversations we absolutely have to have. It would be fiducially irresponsible not to ask these questions at this point,” he added. The motion will be debated at a future council meeting.
