An independent Alberta faces no real security threats and minimal defence cost.
Claimed by: Commonly stated by Alberta independence advocates
False: False as written according to the settled evidence. How we rate.
Summary
There is no immediate military threat to Alberta, but the cost is not minimal. Standing up a defence force, securing airspace, and arranging borders would all need negotiation and ongoing spending the federal government currently covers. One critical review noted that even the separatist movement's own budget of $3 to $5 billion a year would put Alberta below the NATO spending standard. So calling the defence cost minimal is misleading, even though the exact figure depends on negotiations that have not happened.
Evidence
A defence analysis found the Alberta Prosperity Project's planned $3 to $5 billion defence budget would amount to under 2 percent of GDP, below NATO's standard, and that Alberta would lose Article 5 protection on separation.
Analysts note defence, continental security, and border functions now paid for federally would shift to a new Alberta state and have to be negotiated.