Before the panellists took their seats, Jason Lavigne’s team turned a hotel ballroom into a pop‑up forum for 100‑plus Albertans who wanted to talk independence face‑to‑face, not through headlines or hashtags.
Warm‑up set Lyndsay Butler, acoustic & unfiltered.
Opening salvo: “Prairie Settler Song” – the Gladys Ridge troubadour saluted seven generations of Albertan grit.
Laugh‑out‑loud moment: “Trailer Park Pretty” had the crowd howling at the line about the lawn chair from the dollar store.
Freedom anthem: She closed, eyes misting, with her rally standard “Freedom” and had the room singing the chorus back to her before handing the mic to Lavigne.
Panel on Alberta’s next chapter
Panelist
Art Hanger – former Reform MP “The West tried ‘getting in’; Ottawa never opened the door—time to build a new house.”
Katherine Kowalchuk – family‑law lawyer & freedom advocate “Nothing changes if nothing changes: a clean constitutional slate or bust.”
Dr. Michael Wagner – political historian “The East doesn’t want us in; the Clarity Act spells the legal exit—let’s use it.”
Theo Fleury – Stanley‑Cup champ & trauma mentor “This is a spiritual war; unite, drop the ego, and lead with courage.”
Host
Jason Lavigne – PPC candidate, independent journalist, and host of The Lavigne Show, kept the flow fast, fact‑checked stats on the fly.
Highlights & hot buttons
Reform déjà‑vu: Hanger traced the 1993 sweep, then warned that reunion with old‑guard Conservatives “handed the reins right back to the Laurentian elites.”
Legal nuts‑and‑bolts: Kowalchuk explored the Clarity Act, why the referendum must ask one question, and why Ottawa can’t stall if Alberta’s majority is “clear.”
Wave on the horizon: Wagner predicted an April federal win for Mark Carney would “trigger the biggest surge of Prairie alienation.”
Heart over fear: Fleury’s freestyle pep‑talk “You’re only as sick as your secrets… a spiritual fight needs a spiritual movement” earned the audience's respect.
Audience cross‑examination: Questions ranged from firearms confiscation (“do not comply”) to how to stop factions from cannibalizing the movement. The consensus was to build one platform, pick leaders who live the values, and recall them if they don’t.
The full, unedited recording captures Butler’s toe‑tapping set, every unscripted panel jab, and a Q&A that pulls no punches. Grab a coffee (it runs just under three hours) and decide whether April 19 was another town hall, or the day a province quietly drew a line in the sand.
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