The 7/50 Podcast

The Centre for Constitutional Studies
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The 7/50 podcast is a new series produced by the Centre for Constitutional Studies, a hub for legal research and public education at the University of Alberta. The series hosts conversations with leading scholars and lawyers about current Canadian constitutional debates, from debates over the balance of power between Canada's federal and provincial governments to debates over how to interpret our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In this first season of the podcast, we keep things close to our institutional home by reflecting on Alberta's constitutional politics, culminating in a breakdown of some of the ballot questions that will feature in the province's October 2026 referendum.

Episodes

  1. 19h ago

    Episode 5: Mapping the History of Alberta-Ottawa Relations

    In this latest episode of The 7/50 Podcast, 2025 CCS summer student Nicole Ibalio talks to Professor Jared Wesley (University of Alberta, Political Science Department) about how the political landscape in Alberta has evolved from the early 1900s until the present day. Among other things, Professor Wesley provides detailed analysis of the last constitutional referendum in Alberta — the Kenney government's 2021 poll on removing the equalization principle from the Constitution of Canada — and reflects on how the Smith government's Alberta Sovereignty Act fits within the history of Alberta-Ottawa relations (and moves that history in a strategically new direction). This episode was produced by the Centre's 2025 summer students: Areeba Ismail, Maria Kalapurayil, and Nicole Ibalio. The interview with Professor Wesley was conducted in the summer of 2025 and therefore doesn't include commentary on Alberta's upcoming referendum or other recent political developments.

  2. 5d ago

    Episode 4: What Happens If a Province Votes to Leave?

    This is the final panel from the Centre's "Alberta at the Crossroads" workshop, described by moderator and co-organizer Professor Feo Snagovsky as "a bit of a thought exercise." The gist of that exericse is that our three expert panelists — Trevor Tombe, Matt Wildcat, and Bruce Tait — are asked to contemplate the legal, political, and economic consequences that might flow from an eventual vote to secede from Canada. While such a vote would put Alberta and Canada in uncharted territory, the panel is nonetheless able to reflect on the challenges that would lie ahead, the actors who would take the stage, and the key issues that would likely define the inter-governmental negotiations that would be constitutionally required. Note: This episode doesn't concern the potential consequences that could flow from an affirmative vote on question 10 in the upcoming Alberta referendum (discussed later in this series). Question 10 is about whether Albertans want a referendum on independence, not about independence itself.

  3. Sep 28

    Episode 3: Secession Referendums in Comparative Perspective

    This episode features another recording from the Centre's "Alberta at the Crossroads" workshop, a one-day public event held in May 2026 that aimed to provide accessible, expert analysis of what the road to and beyond a referendum on Alberta independence might look like. This time, the recording is of a panel discussion that reflected on how other independence referendums (from Quebec to Brexit) have unfolded, and on what these experiences can and can't teach us about the potential dynamics of an independence referendum campaign in Alberta. The two panelists for the session were Professors Lori Thorlakson (University of Alberta) and André Lecours (University of Ottawa), with moderation provided by Dr Richard Mailey (Centre for Constitutional Studies).

  4. Sep 24

    Episode 2: Understanding the Alberta Independence Movement

    This episode features another recording from the Centre's "Alberta at the Crossroads" workshop, a one-day public event held in May 2026 on the prospect of a referendum on Alberta independence. This time, the recording is of a panel discussion that dealt with some of the big questions currently surrounding the Alberta independence movement, including questions about the movement's aspirations, structure, and fault lines, and questions about how it relates to other political movements, both in Canada and beyond. The three panelists for the session were Professors Feo Snagovsky (University of Alberta), Lisa Young (University of Calgary), and Rob Currie-Wood (Mount Royal University), with moderation provided by Professor Gerard Kennedy (University of Alberta).

  5. Sep 21

    Episode 1: Chantal Hébert on the Alberta Sovereignty Question

    The 7/50 podcast is a brand new series produced by the Centre for Constitutional Studies, a hub for Canadian constitutional research and public education at the University of Alberta. This first ever episode brings you a moderated conversation with Chantal Hébert (CBC's The National, Toronto Star), who spoke to us via Zoom during the Centre's "Alberta at the Crossroads" workshop, a one-day public event on the prospect of a provincial referendum on Alberta independence, co-organized with Professor Feo Snagovsky. Ms. Hébert reflects on how the increasing interest in Alberta independence (and the prospect of a referendum) fits with Canada's wider political history, including the '95 referendum in Quebec. She also discusses the roles that might be played by the Government of Canada, the courts, and Indigenous communities if discussions surrounding provincial independence move further forward.

  • 5 Episodes

About

The 7/50 podcast is a new series produced by the Centre for Constitutional Studies, a hub for legal research and public education at the University of Alberta. The series hosts conversations with leading scholars and lawyers about current Canadian constitutional debates, from debates over the balance of power between Canada's federal and provincial governments to debates over how to interpret our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In this first season of the podcast, we keep things close to our institutional home by reflecting on Alberta's constitutional politics, culminating in a breakdown of some of the ballot questions that will feature in the province's October 2026 referendum.

Information

  • Creator
    The Centre for Constitutional Studies
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The 7/50 Podcast

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