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It shows very much how perception is the main driving force of dissatisfaction and, subsequently, grievance. Even though, objectively, Albertans still have it much better than most of their fellow Canadians.

I think part of the problem with “look in the mirror” was that Prentice represented the government that made all the decisions that got us there, and thought everyone understood that PC=Alberta=everybody. But a lot of voters said “you’ve been in charge this whole time—how is this our fault?”

That's such a good analogy. And it reminds me of this literal example of the shift that happened amid the 2014-15 oil-price crash: corporate Calgary Christmas parties had be to pared back and could no longer include "acrobats pouring champagne from the ceiling."

Alberta's oil boom was mainly a tar sands plant construction boom because Alberta chose to focus on selling raw bitumen. The oil companies are enjoying record profits while slashing jobs and investments. Albertans are right to be angry but not at Ottawa.

My late mother would have described this disconnect between nostalgic entitlement and current reality as, "your eyes are bigger than your stomach."

The sense of grievance is worsened by the fact that remaining O&G folks are getting monster bonuses, and happily flaunting it.

The chart absolutely exemplifies how economic growth has helped to build an entitlement mindset in Alberta. There will be no sympathy for the recalibration.

Yeah, I remember chatting at the time with an acquaintance who did job placement for youth, and she was concerned that young men were abandoning education as soon as possible so they could work in the patch.

It wasn't just Stelmach who was aware of this. Many people have been worried for a very long time ago that we were on a bad trajectory because many young people were dropping out of high school and foregoing education to take insanely well paying but ephemeral jobs.

I don't have anything at my fingertips but I remember it because my kids were in high school at the time and it created quite a stir with the principal and the teachers.

Ah, good catch! Fixing that now. Thank you!

we had Rachel Notley NDP in a period of no oil value she was premier until 2019 we had the highest minimum wage in Canada now we have the lowest she rebuilt much of AHS that Klein destroyed & built the Tom Baker Cancer hospital started a Superlab in Edmonton that Kenney bulldozered now Smith