Amid USA Tariffs, Border Issues, Canada 51: Canadian Identity Isn’t One-Way Patriotism
I often appreciate Dr. Jordan Peterson’s insights, and as a fellow Canadian – if I still identify as such – I respect his efforts to propose and articulate societal value propositions.
As an entrepreneur specializing in customer success and technology, my goal is to provide the best tools, applications of science, and technological advancements to improve human experiences and ways of working. This naturally makes me sensitive to broader civilizational questions and our shared commitment to freedom and coexistence. One of my guiding principles, which I often use to close my podcast, is:
“Remember who you really are: You are wonderful, you are powerful, and your power resides in your choice to be whoever you want to be and to do whatever you want to do—always with respect for one another.” A.Frédéric Joly ©2021
Last week, Dr. Peterson released a video titled Canada Must Offer Alberta More Than Trump Could (YouTube link). While I agree with the premise that Alberta deserves more autonomy and economic opportunities, I completely reject the false and misleading narratives about Quebec’s role in the Canadian federation—specifically regarding equalization payments.
Dr. Peterson is not alone in perpetuating this misconception. Many commentators west of the Rideau River push a narrative that paints Quebec as a burden on the rest of Canada. Some even claim that Quebec is unfairly siphoning resources from Alberta. This rhetoric is not only inaccurate—it fuels division and resentment.
In this response, I aim to
- Dispel the myths and stop the unfair scapegoating of Quebec.
- Provide a historical and fiscal reality check.
- Encourage Quebecers to stand with Albertans in the fight for a more decentralized Canada.
One: Stop Bashing Quebec
Quebec-bashing is neither productive nor historically justified. The notion that Quebec enjoys some kind of privileged status within Canada is misleading. The province, like Alberta, has faced its own economic and political struggles, particularly due to an over-centralized federal system dominated by Ontario.
Let’s take a step back. I am a French-Canadian entrepreneur whose ancestors settled in New France in 1662 with My first grandfather Nicolas Joly, opening lands in Rivière-des-Prairies, at the East-end of the now Montréal Island.
My business operates on three continents, I speak almost four languages, and I have lived and worked across multiple Canadian provinces and in the United-State.
I understand firsthand the frustrations of Western Canada, having witnessed successive federal Liberal governments prioritize Ontario’s interests while neglecting both Quebec and the West.
However, the idea that Quebec benefits disproportionately from equalization is pure propaganda. It oversimplifies a complex fiscal system and ignores key economic realities.
Two: A History and Fiscal Reality Check
King Louis XIV let New France, now only Québec, drift away under the British Armada of King George V and kept Martinique Island instead. This collective and historical trauma, tied to sugar canes, was deemed better than a few acres of snow (Quelques arpents de neige), according to Voltaire, who expressed this to King Louis XIV regarding the economic value of what would become Canada (Québec). Voltaire’s derogatory assessment of the economic value of Canada, and by extension New France, as a colony in the 18th century, reflected a caricatured vision that was prevalent in certain circles of metropolitan France at the time. This expression has since become ingrained in Québec popular culture and is regularly cited.
That said, for those who understand the intersection of psychology and political science through transgenerational behavior and distant trauma, the reality is that modern Québec is rich in resources. We are far more than maple syrup and hydroelectricity. We are the largest geographical province and the second most populous. We pay the highest income and other taxes in North America. We have an oversized and, since 2004, a very ineffective and centralized government, with excessive spending on social programs that have put much of the population into a state of lethargy and dependence on the State. I personally hate that. I am an independent thinker who believes in individual responsibility and a smaller government. But my unrepresented view in Québec is not what matters here.
My message is to my fellow Westerners, whom I deeply respect, and I want them to understand that Québec is more than the welfare state. It is often used as a scapegoat by some English Canadians to justify a certain level of resentment, when in reality, we should be working together to build the modern nation-state that Canada could become: a true confederation of Indigenous, English, and French nations living together in real diversity within a decentralized federation.
Québec sends more to Ottawa than it receives. Despite the 13.6 billion dollars received in federal transfers, including other illegal federal expenditures in provincial jurisdictions such as healthcare and education, Québec contributes approximately 83 billion dollars to Ottawa through income tax, GST, and other federal taxes. Do the math: we are 8.9 million people, the most taxed, with the lowest average wages, in a dysfunctional federation with a mismanaged Equalization Program that only fuels division and resentment.
Three: My Message to Quebec—Rise Up and Stand with Alberta!
It has been more than 10 years since some of us—entrepreneurs and center-right conservatives—were so optimistic about the CAQ under François Legault, an entrepreneur and fiscal conservative, with his Saint-Laurent Project, aiming to develop our gas, oil, and other resources into a strategically autonomous economic development plan. It was far superior to Jean Charest’s 2009 Plan Nord, which failed to liberate Québeckers from excessive taxation.
The disappointment began in 2019 when Legault refused to align with Premier Kenney of Alberta on equalization and made a 180-degree turn on the Eastern Pipeline and natural resource plan after meeting with the eco-dictator of ecological transition, Dominic Champagne.
Then, Legault blamed the 2020 worldwide pandemic for his backtracking on promises. His government became weak, engaging mostly in political clientelism, betraying many Québec conservatives and centrists. This led to a rise in support for the Conservative Party of Québec under Éric Duhaime and even a resurgence of the PQ in 2022.
Now, in 2025, with a MAGA resurgence at our southern border, I once again call on my fellow French Canadians in Québec to hold Legault’s government accountable.
He must return to his original principles and side with Premier Smith against the circus of Carney-Trudeau centralists and con artists. We should unite in demanding a real Canadian federation—decentralized and respectful of all provincial economies, with a smaller and more efficient government, both in Ottawa and in all provincial capitals. Moreover, if Legault is truly committed to the well-being of all Québeckers, he should join forces with Albertans and push for the end of equalization. I propose that all provinces retain their income tax revenues by abolishing federal income tax, which is as illegitimate as our 1982 constitution!
Finally, Dr. Peterson and all my friends across Canada, can we aim to unite? Together, with our differences but with a common goal: to live freely, responsibly and intelligently. To save not only Canada but also our Western civilization with responsible governance and the right to self-determination—at both the national and individual levels.
Thank you.
Alexandre Frédéric Joly, CEO of AFJ Solutions
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