--- title: "Calgary Mayor Criticises Separatists for Offering Alberta Assets to US" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/calgary-mayor-criticises-separatists-for-offering-alberta-assets-to-us" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/calgary-mayor-criticises-separatists-for-offering-alberta-assets-to-us" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/calgary-mayor-criticises-separatists-for-offering-alberta-assets-to-us.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/calgary-mayor-criticises-separatists-for-offering-alberta-assets-to-us" category: "Politics" published: "2026-10-06T01:45:45.148Z" source_reported: "2026-10-06T01:08:28.350Z" updated: "2026-10-06T01:45:45.148Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-06T01:33:20.789Z" --- # Calgary Mayor Criticises Separatists for Offering Alberta Assets to US *Jeromy Farkas stated separatists are 'selling out Alberta' by offering resources for US support.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to named individuals and a specific report, but key details rely on anonymous sourcing. - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. Reporting includes quotes from affected parties and names specific individuals and locations. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise a strong reaction from the Calgary mayor, but the article details are more nuanced. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas accused separatists of 'selling out Alberta' by offering access to provincial assets for US support. - A Globe and Mail report claims separatists discussed offering water and oil royalties to Republican operatives in exchange for help with independence. - Separatist leader Jeff Rath denied negotiations occurred, stating they were sharing aspirations for an independent country. - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's office said she was unaware of meetings between her party president and US strategists. Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas has publicly criticised members of the Alberta separatist movement, stating they are "selling out Alberta" to the United States. His comments follow a report by The Globe and Mail alleging that separatists offered access to provincial assets, such as water resources and oil royalties, in exchange for US support for their independence cause. Farkas stated that such discussions were not representative of an "Alberta first" approach and that the separatists were gambling with the livelihoods of Albertans. Separatist leader Jeff Rath has denied that any negotiations took place. Rath stated on social media that the claims were a "lie" and that the meetings were solely for sharing aspirations for an independent country. The Globe and Mail report also indicated that meetings between Republican operatives and the Alberta Prosperity Project, which included the Alberta Premier's party president, discussed influencing the provincial referendum campaign using voter targeting technology. ## Disagreement on negotiations Jeff Rath, a separatist leader, stated that "negotiating" with the US State Department did not occur and called the Globe and Mail report a "fake news piece." He asserted that the meetings were for "sharing the aspirations of hundreds of thousands of Albertans for a lawful process leading to an independent country." The Globe and Mail report, however, claimed that separatists offered access to Alberta assets like water and oil royalties in exchange for US support during at least one meeting at the US State Department. ## What the coverage left out None of the left or centre-rated reports mention any specific figures related to the potential cost or economic impact of separatism, nor do they detail the specific nature of the "voter targeting technology" discussed by Republican operatives and the Alberta Prosperity Project. The reports also do not include any statements from the Republican operatives or the Alberta Prosperity Project regarding these meetings. ## Who covered it Shares of the 16 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 94% (15) - Centre: 6% (1) - Right: 0% (0) 1 of 17 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-06T01:33:20.789Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-06T03:45:20.444Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports focused on Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas's accusation that separatists were "selling out Alberta" by offering provincial assets to the US. These reports highlighted the Globe and Mail's claim that water and oil royalties were discussed as part of the exchange for US support. The coverage also noted Jeff Rath's denial of negotiations, characterising his statements as a defence against the allegations. Several reports mentioned that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's office stated she was unaware of meetings between her party president and US strategists. ### Centre - The centre-rated report led with Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas expressing "wrath" over separatist meetings with Americans, quoting him saying, "That’s selling Alberta out." It detailed the Globe and Mail's report that separatists suggested offering access to Alberta's fresh water and crude oil royalties in exchange for help with independence. The report also included Jeff Rath's denial of negotiations, stating they were "simply sharing the aspirations of hundreds of thousands of Albertans for a lawful process leading to an independent country." The involvement of Republican operatives and the Alberta Prosperity Project in discussing voter targeting technology was also mentioned. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 9 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 7 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [CBC News](https://cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7370172) — Calgary mayor calls out separatists for 'selling out Alberta' to U.S. - [Calgary Journal Online](https://calgaryjournal.ca/2026/10/05/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-u-s-strategists) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [Rocky Mountain Outlook](https://rmoutlook.com/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [Orillia Matters](https://orilliamatters.com/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [Midland Today](https://midlandtoday.ca/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [Collingwood Today](https://collingwoodtoday.ca/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [Thorold Today](https://thoroldtoday.ca/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [Elora Fergus Today](https://elorafergustoday.com/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [Sudbury](https://sudbury.com/national/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [Bay Today](https://baytoday.ca/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [ElliotLakeToday.com](https://elliotlaketoday.com/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [The NOTL Local](https://notllocal.com/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [Timmins Today](https://timminstoday.com/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [thealbertan.com](https://thealbertan.com/national-news/alberta-premier-unaware-of-reported-separatist-meetings-with-us-strategists-12857086) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with U.S. strategists - [La Presse](https://lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2026-10-05/alberta/le-cabinet-de-la-premiere-ministre-prend-ses-distances-avec-l-un-des-presidents-de-son-parti.php) — Alberta: Prime Minister's Office Moves Away From One of His Party's Presidents - [City News](https://calgary.citynews.ca/2026/10/05/calgary-mayor-shows-wrath-over-separatist-meetings-with-americans-thats-selling-alberta-out) — 'Selling Alberta out': Calgary mayor shows wrath over separatist meetings with Americans - [National Observer](https://nationalobserver.com/2026/10/05/news/alberta-premier-unaware-reported-separatist-meetings-us-strategists) — Alberta premier unaware of reported separatist meetings with US strategists ## Questions **What did Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas accuse separatists of doing?** Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas accused separatists of "selling out Alberta" by allegedly offering access to provincial assets, such as water and oil royalties, to US interests in exchange for support for their independence movement. **Did separatist leader Jeff Rath acknowledge any negotiations with US officials?** No, Jeff Rath denied that any negotiations took place. He stated that the meetings were for "sharing the aspirations" for an independent country and called reports of negotiations a "lie." **What was Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's response to the reported meetings?** Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's office stated that she was unaware of the meetings between her party president and US Republican strategists who were reportedly looking to assist the province's separation movement. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/calgary-mayor-criticises-separatists-for-offering-alberta-assets-to-us. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Calgary Mayor Criticises Separatists for Offering Alberta Assets to US", https://mediabias.news/politics/calgary-mayor-criticises-separatists-for-offering-alberta-assets-to-us