[The author of this piece is Dr. Jessica Davis, the president and principal consultant at Insight Threat Intelligence, who served in various roles for 17 years in the Canadian security and intelligence community including the Canadian Forces, Global Affairs Canada, FINTRAC (Canada’s financial intelligence unit), and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).]
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The 2024 election disinformation campaign was far from Moscow’s first foray into illicit political finance. Credible reporting indicates that Russia has engaged in vote buying, bankrolling political parties and candidates, funding propaganda and influence networks, and a host of other (sometimes illegal) activities designed to bolster preferred candidates and shape a political outcome. While Russia is not the only country that does this—India, Iran, and China also use various methods to interfere in the politics of other countries—it is a big player. Since 2014, it has channelled at least $300 million to political parties, officials, and politicians in more than twenty-four countries. And that’s only what we can trace.
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According to research published by Disinfowatch, a group that exposes foreign disinformation campaigns targeting Canada, between late 2025 and early 2026, the Pravda News Network published dozens of stories depicting Alberta as a province systematically exploited by Ottawa. An influence campaign known as Storm 1516 reportedly went further, creating websites such as albertaseparatist.com to circulate fabricated claims—including the assertion that the federal government fleeces $20,000 a year from every Alberta family. Russian state-aligned outlets, like Sputnik and RT, then helped elevate these narratives, alongside inflammatory commentary from sympathetic US influencers on YouTube and X, giving fringe claims the appearance of mainstream debate.
These messages are not always entirely consistent or aligned. Russia is well-known for advancing any divisive narrative and for testing and refining what works and gains traction. The objective is corrosion: to convince Canadians their democracy is irreparably broken and that the country’s internal divisions are deeper than they really are, particularly as Alberta moves toward a referendum.
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When I worked at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, I learned a very important lesson: there is money behind every threat to the security of Canada. Terrorism requires money, as does the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and foreign interference and transnational repression are no different. When states try to influence political processes, they do so with the full power of the state behind them. This means they use corporate structures, but they also enlist their intelligence agencies, as well as covert operator networks. The trick is figuring out how states are paying for this activity, because if you can cut off the flow of funds, you can seriously limit the amount of damage they can do. Even shining a light on the flow of funds can have important deterrent and messaging effects.
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Canada currently has no integrated system for detecting foreign illicit political finance. CSIS, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (or FINTRAC), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and election authorities each play a role, but no single body is responsible for connecting the dots or disrupting these networks before they take hold.
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In Alberta, separatist advocacy is becoming big business. It is clear from the evidence that the US and Russia are both actively interfering in the referendum process, either through engagement with Alberta separatists, like the Alberta Prosperity Project, or through social media influence campaigns.
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[Edit typo.]
The “separatists” are just useful idiots. Just like the clownvoyers.
I’m Albertan, and entirely unsurprised by this. It’d amazing how readily boomers and blue collar folks will gobble up this rhetoric.
No shade against being blue collar - just that’s largely the demographic eating said slop.
Anyone with critical thinking skills can see right through this facade and how damaging separation would be.
Many white collar asshats exist as well. Some are even leftist that shit on blue collar workers and call them stupid while saying “no shade”.
Saying blue collar workers have no critical thinking skills is beyond stupid and you should feel stupid for writing it.
A lot of blue collar people do swallow a load of horseshit because of dumbfuck reasons. I say this as someone whonis blue collar.
That’s the point I was trying to make - it ain’t all of blue collar people who gobble this stuff down, but boy a lot of them sure love to.
Yup, and I was trying to amplify the point by providing my anecdotal evidence.
You are both idiots then.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
Russian-linked actors stoking division in Alberta separation debate, research says
The ongoing study has found the discussion about Alberta separation has gone far beyond Canadian borders – mainly to Russian and American ‘content farms’ and influencers.
“It’s very clear that there is foreign interference,” said Brian McQuinn, who is the co-director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Conflict at the University of Regina and the CEO of Cipher AI …
Through July and August, researchers found hundreds of websites, headlines, social media content and more generated that “repeated misleading framing.”
“Their goal is to have us start to turn on each other, is to no longer see someone who disagrees with you as someone who has a different opinion, who still cares about the country, but is actually an enemy of the country,” McQuinn said …
McQuinn says Russian-based attempts to influence the debate have been more covert through misleading headlines, articles and false narratives. Russian-linked participants made up the vast majority of influence attempts, the data shows.
American-based influences have been more overt, through influencers or politicians making comments publicly …
So why is the government acting like their hands are tied?
Because they are the same morons that support her.
This should go over well with all the Ukranians living in Alberta.
Premier Danielle Smith: The leader of the separatist movement is a gun store owner, who strongly opposes Bill C21 and the governments use of the Order in Councils.
TheWalrus: Them pesky Russians!
Um…. A) Marlaina “Melania” Danielle Smith is an American asset at this point and about as credible and informed as an American Republican (read: not at all)
B) The fact that some redneck trashablanca Alberta yokel leads the separatist movement does not preclude Russian involvement behind the scenes to foment chaos and manipulate public opinion
I remember Quebec trying to do the same thing back In 2007, they wanted their own identity and sovereignty and the rest of Canada shamed them for it, eventually the federal government gave in to their demands and here we are today.
Alberta wants to separate, the rest of Canada is shaming them, they’ll whine and complain until the federal government caves, which is what they’re doing with the pipeline deal.
What?
