Iranians rally for freedom as Ayatollah toppled in US-Israeli strike
Guest host Sheila Gunn Reid reflects on her experience at an Independence Tour stop at Medicine Hat College and is joined by Rebel reporter Scarlett Grace for an in-depth discussion on the fallout from the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
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Guest hosted by Sheila Gunn Reid
It was a cold, snowy Friday night in Medicine Hat — not exactly the scene Ottawa’s chattering classes picture for “radical separatists plotting the end of Confederation.”
Just a rented hall at Medicine Hat College, my notes, a microphone, and a room full of Albertans tired of being told to sit down and be grateful. That’s the heart of this Independence Tour with Cory Morgan of the Western Standard and Freedom Convoy leader Tamara Lich.
It’s not about rage; it’s a systems conversation. We walk through the hard mechanics: pensions, debt, trade corridors, energy exports, equalization, Indigenous jurisdiction, currency, courts, borders — the nuts and bolts that make a country work, or don’t.
Medicine Hat College deserves real credit. In an era when public institutions often cave to a few angry emails or social-media threads invoking “safety,” they honoured the contract.
No invented glitches, no buckling under pressure. They upheld free expression, even for uncomfortable ideas.
That matters deeply to me. I defend the real kind of free speech — not the trendy version that only protects agreeable views, but the inconvenient one that lets both sides speak and trusts adults to sort it out peacefully.
Both sides showed up.
Inside: a packed room of ranchers, oilfield workers, retirees, students, small-business owners, and families who brought their adult kids to hear this. Some were sold on independence; others cautious or skeptical. Exactly the crowd I want: serious people pressure-testing the idea.
We’re learning from Quebec’s 1995 process: 18 travelling commissions, 435 hearings, 55,000+ participants, thousands of briefs. Serious homework. If Alberta ever pursues this, we must do the same. One shot only.
Outside: a solid group of protesters, prepared with signs and slogans. Prickly, especially toward me — my face, wardrobe, even my belt apparently offensive. But no violence, no blocking doors, no vandalism, no black-bloc theatrics.
Just determined, mostly well-behaved opposition. Some fitting every “white liberal middle-aged lady” stereotype, disapproving stares included. They stayed peaceful.
We invited them in to ask questions directly— about CPP, equalization, federal employees, trade risks. They declined. Unfortunate, because we genuinely want the hard objections; they’re essential.
Still, I’d take civil disagreement over chaos any day. If more protests looked like this, Canada would be less divided.
Inside, questions were rational: pensions (Alberta’s demographic edge and net contributions), debt (negotiated splits), trade (energy corridors), Indigenous treaties (honoured and strengthened), being landlocked, federal retaliation. We answered like adults — boring mechanics of self-governance.
The mood wasn’t anger. It was resolve. People feel ignored, overruled by distant decision-makers in Ottawa who don’t understand or care how Alberta works.
Whether independence becomes reality or just bolsters Alberta’s negotiating power, the conversation itself is powerful.
Friday night showed we can still gather peacefully, institutions can stand firm, opponents can protest without shutting things down, and ideas can clash without fists. In 2026, that’s no small victory. We proved we can disagree, vigorously, even rudely, without tearing each other apart.
GUEST: Rebel News reporter Scarlett Grace, who joins the show to discuss the fallout from joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran and what it was like being at an Iranian freedom rally as news broke about the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
COMMENTS
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Gary Schoutsen commented 2026-03-03 14:19:42 -0500I get the impression the Rebel News wants Alberta to separate. -
Anthony Salotti commented 2026-03-03 07:37:09 -0500Confederation is dead . Time for electoral reform now
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Susan Ashbrook commented 2026-03-03 00:11:37 -0500Silver Feet, I don’t envy where you are. It seems that your provincial government is giving away everything, but I don’t understand why… and the federal government seems to be encouraging it all. Dallas Brodie does seem to be the only adult in the room.
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Silver Feet commented 2026-03-02 23:54:28 -0500Guys I’m just here in BC and guess what, a huge chunk of BC has been given away to an indigenous band by the liberals and Eby said he didn’t know about the deal but he was there for the signing. I live in clown world and only Dallas Brodie has condemned it. Alberta please save me by saving yourself!
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Susan Ashbrook commented 2026-03-02 21:06:56 -0500Bruce, I’m inclined to agree with you. I am in Ontario and would love to see a number of things change so that Alberta gets a fair shake… at least equivalent to Quebec’s deal, however, it’s obvious that the powers that be are quite happy with the current situation. Say, didn’t Justin Trudeau promise us electoral reform??
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Don Hrehirchek commented 2026-03-02 21:05:53 -0500Yep the good ship called Canada has hit an ice berg and is quickly sinking and carnage is helping it along .
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Bruce Atchison commented 2026-03-02 21:01:26 -0500I’m convinced that it’s impossible to fix confederation. Alberta must leave this toxic relationship before we’re dead broke and dependent on the federal government.
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Susan Ashbrook commented 2026-03-02 20:47:16 -0500Great show Sheila! Thank you!
