Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Why, in the evolution of the Canadian federal state, does there seem to be so much regional conflict and so little unity?
In this talk, Dr. Loleen Berdahl (Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina) considers the persistence of regional conflict in Canada by examining western alienation - that is, discontent emerging from one, some, or all of Canada’s four westernmost provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Dr. Berdahl’s argument is that Canada’s national unity challenges reflect reactions to the centering of one of Canada’s many possible narratives as the dominant national narrative, creating tension with other alternative perspectives.
She further argues that the study of western alienation allows us to delve into the structural features of Canadian federalism that exacerbate rather than moderate endemic regional conflict in our vast and diverse country.
Why, in the evolution of the Canadian federal state, does there seem to be so much regional conflict and so little unity?
In this talk, Dr. Loleen Berdahl (Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina) considers the persistence of regional conflict in Canada by examining western alienation - that is, discontent emerging from one, some, or all of Canada’s four westernmost provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Dr. Berdahl’s argument is that Canada’s national unity challenges reflect reactions to the centering of one of Canada’s many possible narratives as the dominant national narrative, creating tension with other alternative perspectives.
She further argues that the study of western alienation allows us to delve into the structural features of Canadian federalism that exacerbate rather than moderate endemic regional conflict in our vast and diverse country.
