Why Alberta Votes Conservative and Why That Might Change
Alberta’s conservatism runs deeper than oil and gas. A complex history of resentment, identity, and generational habit holds it in place.
What Can Be Learned from Alberta?
Alberta is not merely a conservative province. It is a cultural phenomenon, a political case study, and a mirror for Canada's unresolved internal tensions. To outsiders, it can seem stubborn, even irrational, locked in a perpetual cycle of grievance and reaction. But for those who listen closely and look beneath the surface, Alberta tells a story that stretches across geography, generations, and the very idea of what it means to belong in Canada.
This story matters. Understanding Alberta’s deep-seated conservatism is not just about decoding an electoral map. It’s about grappling with how resentment forms, how identities calcify, and how change, if it is to come, requires more than policy. It requires trust, empathy, and hard reflection.
A Province Shaped by Extraction
Much of Alberta’s economy has always hinged on what lies beneath its soil. The province’s modern wealth stems from the oil, gas, and minerals industries that are not just sources of employment but are deeply embedded into its collective identity. In countless communities, the oil patch isn’t just an employer. It’s the reason a father was able to buy a house, the reason a teenager skipped university, the reason entire families made it into the middle class.
This kind of economic dependency, while beneficial in the short term, can harden over time into a defensive posture, especially when that way of life is criticized by those outside of it. Climate policy, environmental regulation, and carbon pricing are not just abstract policy debates in Alberta. They are existential threats. They feel like condemnations of a livelihood, a region, and a culture. The oil companies know this and lean into it, funding information campaigns and political lobbying efforts that present environmentalism as an attack, not an opportunity.
It is in this environment that conservative parties have found fertile ground, not just to defend industry, but to define identity.
A Generational Inheritance of Distrust
Many Albertans today cannot clearly articulate why they mistrust the federal government, particularly the Liberal Party. They don’t need to. The distrust is inherited, passed down like heirlooms or homestead deeds. To grow up in Alberta is, in many families, to grow up with the assumption that Ottawa doesn't care, that the Liberals are the enemy, and that Alberta must fend for itself.
This sentiment was forged in the crucible of federal policies that hit Alberta hard, most famously Pierre Trudeau’s National Energy Program (NEP) in the 1980s. Meant to stabilize oil prices and ensure Canadian energy independence, the NEP devastated Alberta’s economy. It led to layoffs, bankruptcies, and widespread financial ruin. For many families, the trauma remains vivid, even if the precise policy details have faded. What remains is a visceral memory of betrayal and a convenient political symbol in the Trudeau name.
Today, even programs that benefit Albertans, such as the Canada Child Benefit or federal parental leave, are overlooked or minimized. The narrative of resentment is simply too strong, too embedded in Alberta’s political DNA.
Oil Money, Easy Wealth, and Misplaced Entitlement
For several decades, Alberta’s oil boom created an unusual social phenomenon: young workers earning six-figure salaries without finishing high school. In the oil patch, money flowed freely. This engendered not only economic independence but also a kind of entitlement, a belief that hard work was optional, that wealth was deserved, and that government interference was an obstacle to personal success.
Yet the oil wealth was not equally distributed, nor was it permanent. As prices fell and markets shifted, many found themselves stranded in boomtowns gone bust. But the ideology remained. Even those who suffered continued to vote for the parties that promised to resurrect the good old days.
This is where conservatism evolved from policy preference into identity. It became a habit. It became culture.
Education, Indoctrination, and American Influence
The oil industry’s influence in Alberta extends beyond the economy. It reaches into education, advertising, and even curriculum development. Generations of Albertans have grown up exposed to materials, often funded by the energy sector, that frame oil not just as an economic necessity but as a patriotic duty. Government partnerships with energy companies have blurred the line between public education and corporate propaganda.
At the same time, Alberta’s cultural proximity to the United States, particularly the conservative ethos of the Midwest and Texas, has reinforced anti-government sentiment. Many Albertans are descended from American settlers who came north in the early 20th century to claim free farmland. With them came a culture of rugged individualism, religious conservatism, and suspicion of federal power. These values still echo in Alberta’s rural towns and suburban homes.
Populism and "Sports Team" Politics
Today, Alberta’s political landscape is dominated not by ideology but by a kind of populist tribalism. Voting has become an act of allegiance rather than analysis. Many Albertans vote Conservative not because they agree with every policy, but because that’s what their parents did, and their parents before them. It’s not uncommon to hear people openly admit that they would never consider voting for the Liberals or the NDP, no matter the platform, no matter the candidate.
This phenomenon, often described as "sports team voting," is not unique to Alberta, but it is particularly potent here. It creates an environment where facts, policies, and personal interest often take a backseat to loyalty and resentment.
A More Complicated Reality
Despite the dominant narrative, Alberta is not a monolith. In the most recent provincial election, the United Conservative Party (UCP) secured just over 52 percent of the vote, while the New Democratic Party (NDP) captured 44 percent. Progressive voices are gaining ground in urban centres. Both Calgary and Edmonton now boast city councils with a strong progressive presence.
Even federally, there are signs of a more nuanced electorate. Many Albertans recognize the value of federal programs, express concern about climate change, and support social policies typically associated with more left-leaning parties. The problem is not a lack of progressive sentiment, but a lack of trust in anyone outside the Conservative brand.
The Legacy of Marginalization
Historically, Alberta has often felt marginalized by the federal government. As one of Canada’s most productive provinces, especially in terms of resource revenue, Albertans have long felt that they pay more into Confederation than they receive back. The equalization program, in which the federal government redistributes wealth from “have” to “have-not” provinces, is frequently cited as an example of this unfairness, even though Alberta’s complaints often stem from misunderstandings of how the system works.
Nonetheless, perception is powerful. The West has, for generations, been treated as a resource colony for the East, producing the raw materials, while the wealth and political clout remain concentrated in Ontario and Quebec. This historical imbalance has left scars that no budget line or federal program can easily erase.
What Needs to Change
Alberta’s conservatism did not emerge overnight, and it will not change overnight. But change is possible if it comes from a place of respect, listening, and understanding. Rather than dismissing Alberta as backwards or selfish, the rest of Canada must engage with its history, its pain, and its people. It means acknowledging past harms, dispelling propaganda, and providing honest leadership that doesn't write Alberta off as a lost cause.
Albertans, too, must confront the limitations of generational loyalty. Voting is not an inheritance; it is a responsibility. The future of the province depends not on clinging to old resentments but on demanding better representation, regardless of party.
If this helped you think differently about Alberta’s political culture, please consider sharing it with a friend, subscribing for future pieces, or buying me a coffee to support more deep-dives that aim to bring clarity to complexity.