By Sheila Gunn Reid
"Alberta is at a crossroads.For decades, debates about independence have been driven by frustration. But frustration alone does not build a country. Preparation does.In Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec, Sheila Gunn Reid examines the most serious modern attempt to leave Confederation: Quebec’s 1995 referendum. It came within a razor’s edge of success and permanently altered the balance of power in Canada.
What made Quebec’s effort credible?
How did it prepare legally and economically?
Where did it miscalculate?
And what lessons matter most for Alberta today?
This book walks through the mechanics of sovereignty — from constitutional process and negotiations to pensions, currency, trade, resource control, Indigenous partnership, defence, and international recognition. It addresses the risks as plainly as the opportunities.
Whether Alberta ultimately chooses to remain in Canada or chart a new course, that decision should be informed by facts, history, and a clear understanding of what serious preparation requires.This is a guide to that preparation."