Other Alberta: Decoding a Political Enigma

162 Pages·2006·9.21 MB·English

by  Doreen Barrie

The cover of this book incorporates
the "Janus Head." In Roman
mythology, Janus was the god of
gates, doors, doorways, beginnings,
and endings. He was also god of
war and peace. Janus was frequently
used to symbolize ambiguity
and duality, as well as transitions.
Thus, the "Janus Head" looking
backwards and forwards seemed
an appropriate choice to help
symbolize differing perceptions
of Alberta: the internal and the
external, the Wild West and the
New West, modern cities and
dinosaur capital of the world.
The Other Alberta:
Decoding a Political Enigma
To my husband, Derek Brown, my son,
Michael and all those who have made this
book possible
The Other Alberta:
Decoding a Political Enigma
Doreen Barrie
2006
UNIVERSITY OF
CANADIAN PLAINS
REGINA
RESEARCH CENTER
Copyright © 2006 Doreen Barrie
Copyright Notice
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyrights hereon may be
reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechani-
cal—without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any request for photo-
copying, recording, taping or placement in information storage and retrieval systems
of any sort shall be directed in writing to the Canadian Reprography Collective.
Canadian Plains Research Center
University of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan S4S OA2
Canada
Tel: (306) 585-4758
Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.cprc.uregina.ca
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Barrie, Doreen Patricia
The other Alberta : decoding a political enigma / Doreen Barrie.
(Trade books based in scholarship ; 16)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-88977-192-8
1. Alberta—Politics and government—1905-. 2. Alberta—History—1905-.
I. University of Regina. Canadian Plains Research Center. II. Title. III. Series: TBS ;
16
FC3661.B37 2006 971.23
C2006-900238-X
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the
Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPDIP) for our publishing
activities.
Cover design: Brian Danchuk Design, Regina, Saskatchewan
Index: Patricia Furdek (www.userfriendlyindexes.com)
Contents
Milestones and Memorable Moments vi
Preface vii
Introduction ix
Chapter 1: A Province is Born 1
Chapter 2: Solidifying the Memories 13
Chapter 3: Political Culture 31
Chapter 4: Perceptions and Misperceptions 43
Chapter 5: Alberta Political Culture 59
Chapter 6: Opinion Formation 83
Chapter 7: Constructing a Canadian Identity 101
Chapter 8: The Alberta Story 113
Chapter 9: Conclusion 129
Bibliography 133
Index 138
-v-
Milestones and Memorable Moments
1905 Alberta achieves provincehood
Governments
Liberals
1905-1910 Alexander Rutherford, Premier
1910-1917 Arthur Sifton, Premier
1917-1921 Charles Stewart, Premier
United Farmers of Alberta (UFA)
1921-1925 Herbert Greenfield, Premier
1925-1934 John Brownlee, Premier
1934-1935 Richard Reid, Premier
Social Credit
1935-1943 William Aberhart, Premier
1943-1968 Ernest Manning, Premier
1968-1971 Harry Strom, Premier
Progressive Conservatives (PC)
1971-1985 Peter Lougheed
1985-1992 Don Getty, Premier
1992-present Ralph Klein, Premier
Other Notable Events
1917 First woman in the British Empire, Louise McKinney,
takes her seat in the Alberta legislature
March 1919 Meeting in Calgary to organize One Big Union
May 1919 Winnipeg General Strike begins
1923 Alberta Wheat Pool established
1930 Prairie provinces obtain ownership of their land
and natural resources
February 1947 Oil strike at Leduc transforms Alberta's economy
October 1973 Oil prices quadruple as the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries impose an embargo
on exports to some countries
October 1980 National Energy Program unveiled
April 1982 Constitution Act 1982 which includes and amending
formula and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
signed by Queen Elizabeth
-vi-
Preface
entennial celebrations provided Albertans with an opportunity to
c
look back at their achievements and to contemplate the legacy that
will be left to future generations. At the time of writing, it is as if the
economy is on steroids, benefiting mightily from soaring oil and gas
prices. However as provincial coffers overflow, there is an undertow of
anxiety that a bust must inevitably follow.
Volatile commodity prices are familiar to Albertans, so fears of a col-
lapse are not unfounded. Media reports of resentment and envy in other
provinces fuel the suspicion that this is a rerun of an old movie and some
of the province's wealth will be skimmed off by Ottawa. As the debate
over Alberta's affluence rages, it is entirely possible that the rest of
Canada will get the impression that as nouveau riche Albertans gloat
over their good fortune, they care little about the rest of the country.
Nothing could be further from the truth, but as there is some hysteria
about a possible raid on the treasury, mixed signals are emanating from
the province. Albertans have a tendency to swagger a bit, to delight in
their good fortune, but I do not believe we are mean-spirited.
This book is intended to rectify some misconceptions about this
province. It covers a lot of ground as the Alberta story can only be under-
stood against the backdrop of earlier events. In our current affluent cir-
cumstances it is useful to be reminded that Alberta's pioneers were less
fortunate. They had to cope with poverty, foreclosures and crop failures.
As they struggled to come to terms with their circumstances, their met-
tle was tested and their legacy shows they were up to the challenge.
-vii-
Doreen Barrie
At the outset, I had a very different book in mind but part way
through I decided to target a wider audience. Consequently, I have tried
to write in an accessible style with a degree of informality (and a few fee-
ble attempts at humour) that is not characteristic of academic writing.
However, I will not insult my audience by dumbing down the material.
I have cited references so readers can check the accuracy of quotes
because much of what I have written rests on analyses done by others.
This book is a product of the 15 years I have taught Alberta politics
and the many more years I have studied it. As I have spent most of my
life here, the analysis is based, in part, on observations and insights I
have gained from students, from being active in the community, and
having a husband and family members in the oil patch. All these con-
tribute to the wide sweep of the analysis. I hope it will help Albertans
understand themselves and will contribute to a better understanding of
Alberta outside the province. My views are bound to provoke discussion
but I hope they will also result in some soul searching.
Doreen Barrie
Calgary, Alberta
Postscript: As this book goes to press, a new Conservative Prime
Minister has been sworn-in. Having achieved the long-awaited prize of
national office, the Party's Reform/Alliance wing is buoyed by high
expectations. As longtime supporters of the Party, they expect to be
repaid for their loyalty and to play a key role in the new administration.
However, there are already murmurings that the Progressive
Conservative element is having too much influence on Stephen Harper.
The Prime Minister has an unenviable task as he performs a delicate
balancing act: shoring up his Alberta base while convincing voters in
Central Canada that the Conservatives are a truly national party. This
requires wooing voters primarily in Ontario and Quebec, which might
be interpreted as a betrayal by some loyalists. If the new Party seems to
be turning its back on its origins and behaving just like the parties it has
replaced, it is entirely possible that a disgruntled rump will drift away
and form yet another protest party in the future.
-viii-