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Donna Kennedy-Glans: The real test for Alberta and Canada is not who shouts loudest, but whether we can all listen

A calm Easter doorstep encounter with an Alberta independence canvasser reveals why respectful listening — not volume or anger — may be the only path through rising separatist tensions.

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My Easter baking rituals this year were interrupted by a knock at the front door.

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On the porch of my Calgary home stood a woman roughly my age, clipboard clutched to her chest like a shield. No makeup, a timid smile. When I opened the door, she met my eyes with quiet determination.

Donna Kennedy-Glans: The real test for Alberta and Canada is not who shouts loudest, but whether we can all listen Back to video

This wasn’t a pair of Mormon missionaries on Easter weekend. She was a different kind of evangelist: a volunteer canvasser for Stay Free Alberta, hoping I would sign a petition calling for a provincial referendum on Alberta’s separation from Canada.

I’m firmly pro-Canada; she was campaigning for independence. Yet we talked — politely, candidly — for nearly 15 minutes. I’ve always believed people should feel free to knock on doors and speak their truth, even when I disagree. But there are boundaries.

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