Singer Paul Brandt teases support for Alberta separatist movement

A post showing Paul Brandt walking down a highway with bold letters highlighting the lyric "I've got independence in my veins" is raising questions online.

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame member Paul Brandt appeared to signal that he has a soundtrack for the Alberta separatist movement.

Brandt posted a photo of himself on social media late Saturday walking down a highway with the lyrics to his iconic 2004 tune “Alberta Bound” superimposed over the photo.

In bold letters, Brandt highlighted the lyric “I’ve got independence in my veins.”

Whether that was a show of support or not for the Alberta Prosperity Project, who are gathering signatures in an effort to have a referendum on the province leaving Canada is unclear -- but what was clear was that separatist supporters read the social media tea leaves that way and love it.

“When we started thinking seriously about a referendum for independence, my first thought was that you would be the one to compose our sovereign nation’s anthem!,” posted @AlbertaFree.

“You would make a good President of the Republic of Alberta,” posted another.

“The man has arrived,” posted another. “Fire me up.”

“I love Alberta Bound,” posted another. “Free Alberta.”

Stay Free Alberta, the group heading the petition on a separation referendum question, is canvassing and needs at least 177,732 signatures by May 2 before the petition can be verified and brought to the legislative assembly.

According to the Let’s Talk Alberta Independence Facebook page, volunteers will be gathering signatures Monday at the Big Four Building from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with speakers starting after that.

Separatists don’t want to join U.S.: Smith

On her Saturday radio show, Alberta premier Danielle Smith pushed back against recent comments from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who suggested that Alberta separatists want to join the U.S.

“I would say, when I talk to people (Canadians) who are frustrated with the way we’ve (Albertans) been treated (by Ottawa) for the past 10 years, they don’t say, therefore I want to be an American state. That is not what I am hearing.

“They (separatist Albertans) want a new relationship with Canada. And that’s what I’m doing,” she said.

“I’m forging a new relationship with Canada. We’ve got a new leader, we’ve got a new prime minister, we’ve got an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) – and we seem to have common cause on trying to get a new pipeline built.

“So that’s what I’m going to keep focused on.”

Jeffrey Rath, from the Alberta Prosperity Project, said in an interview with CTV Calgary that Smith was correct about that.

“All of our conversations with the U.S. are based on the fact that Alberta will be a free and independent country,” Rath said.

“Alberta statehood is not on the table from a U.S. perspective, (and) it’s not on the table from an Alberta perspective,” he said.

“What we are talking about is Alberta becoming the richest, least-regulated, lowest-taxed jurisdiction in North America in a common market with the U.S.”

‘She’s going to have to say yes or no’

Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt said the premier has to stop straddling the political fence and say what she stands for.

“If it goes to a referendum -- I think it will, right -- so if you have this question, Should Alberta separate from Canada, become its own country? And she goes, ‘Well, I support a sovereign Alberta within the united Canada’, is that a yes, or is that a no?” Bratt asked.

“She’s going to have to say that,” he said. “So are all elected officials in this province, whether they are federal, whether they are provincial, whether they’re municipal, where are they standing on this?

“And if they don’t, if she continues with that, that’s a real dereliction of leadership. You’re talking about a referendum to break up the country, and you won’t say what side you’re on as a premier.”

As far as Brandt’s social media post, Bratt said what it meant a year ago -- or in 2004 when the song was released -- might be different given the political landscape of 2026.

“You’re going to get any public figure who’s not a politician, they’re going to ask them where they stand on that (issue),” Bratt said. “And so, you know, Paul Brandt’s most famous song is ”Alberta Bound” and he was putting clips of that on there, and one of them was about being independent.

“Well, he’s talking about the independent-minded Albertan from from government, not necessarily an independent Alberta from Canada,” he added.

“But how do people interpret that (now), given the timing? If he put this out a year ago, there would have been no comment on it, but in the middle of a petition-signing separation campaign, it does raise questions.”

CTV News has reached out to Brandt for comment.

With files from The Canadian Press