One of the central arguments from federalists is that even talking about Alberta independence is creating so much uncertainty that people and businesses will flee the province. The evidence says otherwise.

In a recent column for the Financial Post, economist and public policy expert Jack Mintz noted that Alberta has been Canada's biggest winner in interprovincial migration over the past three decades, gaining a net 539,000 residents from other provinces since 1995.

British Columbia came in a distant second with 215,000. Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan all lost people on a net basis. 

Even more striking, Alberta gained 409,000 people aged 18 to 44, the very workers, entrepreneurs and young families federalists insist are supposedly being scared away.

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Mintz explains why Canadians keep choosing Alberta: economic opportunity, lower taxes, comparatively affordable housing and a higher standard of living. Alberta has no provincial sales tax and maintains some of the country's lowest personal income tax rates while still providing comparable public services.

That reality cuts directly against the fear campaign.

If Albertans were truly stampeding for the exits because of political uncertainty or because a referendum is on the horizon, we would expect to see evidence of a mass exodus.

Instead, the long-term trend is exactly the opposite: Canadians continue to vote with their feet and move to Alberta. 

Federalists are free to argue that Alberta should remain in Canada. But the claim that people are fleeing Alberta simply isn't supported by the numbers.

The province's population growth tells a different story entirely: despite years of federal policies that many Albertans view as hostile to their economy, Alberta remains one of the most attractive places in Canada to live, work and raise a family.