A 'discombobulating' year that pushed Alberta to the centre of power

The year 2025 became a stress test of Canadian leadership and federalism, with Alberta repeatedly at the centre of the turbulence. Former Alberta trade minister Deron Bilous and former Alberta senior representative to Washington Gitane De Silva join The Hub's Alberta bureau chief Falice Chin to assess what the chaos revealed about the country's economic foundations, political incentives, and fault lines. They argue that trade disruption and geopolitical uncertainty forced a rare turn toward pragmatism, culminating in a tentative reset between Alberta and Ottawa. At the same time, rising separatist sentiment and unresolved internal trade barriers underscore just how fragile that consensus remains. This podcast is generously supported by Don Archibald. The Hub thanks him for his ongoing support. The Hub is Canada's fastest-growing independent digital news outlet. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get our latest videos: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get our best content when you are on the go: https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple) https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify) Want more Hub? Get a FREE 3-month trial membership on us: https://thehub.ca/free-trial/ Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en CREDITS: Falice Chin - Host, producer, and editor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.