Canada separatists hold secret talks with US to 'break-up' country
30 Jan 2026

British Columbia Premier David Eby has accused the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) of "treason" after it held secret meetings with officials from President Donald Trump's administration.

The APP is a far-right separatist group that wants Alberta to become an independent nation.

The Financial Times reported that the group met with Trump officials three times in Washington, DC, since April last year.

'Completely inappropriate to seek to weaken Canada'
Comments

"To go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there's an old-fashioned word for that - and that word is treason," Eby told reporters.

"It is completely inappropriate to seek to weaken Canada, to go and ask for assistance, to break up this country from a foreign power and - with respect - a president who has not been particularly respectful of Canada's sovereignty."

APP seeks US support for Alberta's independence
Independence push

The APP is reportedly seeking support from the United States, including a $500 billion line of credit from the US Treasury Department.

This would be used to fund an independent Alberta if a referendum on independence is successful.

The pro-independence campaign has been going around the province, with organizers hoping to collect roughly 178,000 signatures over the next few months.

The group's legal counsel Jeff Rath described US officials as "extremely enthusiastic" about the idea of an independent Alberta.

APP's separatist agenda and public response
Agenda and reaction

A handful of inhabitants in the oil-rich province have long claimed that the province's problems stem from the structure of payments to the federal government and a perceived inability to bring its substantial fossil fuel reserves to market.

APP co-founder Dennis Modry told the Financial Times that the separatist movement is "not treasonous."

"What could be more noble than the pursuit of self-determination, the pursuit of your goals and aspirations, the pursuit of freedom and prosperity?" he asked.

'They want what the US has got'
Official stance

US President Trump has made no secret of his ambition for Canada to become the 51st state.

Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared to back the Alberta secession movement, saying the province's massive oil reserves make it "a natural partner for the US."

"Albertans are very independent people," said Bessent. "People are talking. People want sovereignty. They want what the US has got," Bessent added.