WTF does that even mean?

Is Alberta Canada’s Texas? The Griff is fixin’ to answer the question, so hold your horses.

At some point, we’ve all heard someone relate ‘Berta to our southern neighbour state. However, what people say in their comparisons between ‘Berta and Texas is not always the same, or clear. So, what’s so gall darn similar ‘bout ‘em anyho??

Well, there are some obvious similarities: both have large oil and gas industries, large land masses, industrialized beef cattle production, and lean rightward politically.

A while back…

The old news, like a cowpoke’s boots from the 90s, is Texan colonial history (not to mention U.S. colonial history), which has been romanticized and mythologized in Hollywood and American culture in ways Alberta and Canada could never match. 

Interestingly, the Comanche and Mescalero Apache Peoples have not ceded their territories and are occupied peoples. Compared to other U.S. states, there are almost no Indian reservations in Texas. Alberta, however, is not established on unceded land but on Treaty territories, and Treaties Six, Seven, and Eight cover most of Alberta. One could argue that much of our settler-colonial history is similar and has produced nearly identical results. Both waged wars of annihilation for the sole purpose of land theft to access resources and settlement.

This history of land theft and colonization didn’t just fade into the past; it set the stage for modern battles over oil, cattle, and political power. The same forces that shaped the expansion of the cattle industry and fueled the rise of right-leaning politics continue to influence how land is controlled and who has access to it in both Texas and Alberta.

Thems’ a big’n

‘Berta is 661,848 km2, making it slightly smaller than Texas’ 695,662 km2. So, while everything might be bigger ‘n Texas, it’s only about five per cent bigger than Alberta.

In people numbers, ‘Berta (population: 4,931,601) ) has the fourth-largest population in Canada, but it pales compared to the second-largest populated U.S. state. Per the United States Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2024, there were approximately 31,290,831 Texans. That’s a whole mess of Texas.

Both are heavy hitters in the cattle industry. Alberta dominates in Canada, with 1.5 million head, a whopping 42 per cent of the country’s total beef cows. Texas accounts for 4.11 million head, or 15 per cent, of all beef cows in the U.S. (approximately 28.2 million).

There’s a BBQ joke in there somewhere — yee haw!

Over yonder the Patch and Texas tea

Texas and ‘Berta are oil and gas producers and production powerhouses in their home nation-states. The slight difference is that while Alberta produces 4.3 million barrels per day, Texas produces 5.8 million barrels per day — a record high hit last October. ‘Berta, while massive in its own right — producing some 84 per cent of all Canadian crude oil — doesn’t come close to Texas. Texas produces approximately 43.4 per cent of all U.S. oil production (which totals 21.91 million barrels per day) and compared to world production, trails Russia making it the fourth single largest darn toot’n producer in the world. 

While both lead their respective nations in oil production, they also lead in greenhouse gas emissions. Using 2022 data, Texas produced 851.1 million tonnes of greenhouse gases and is the largest U.S. state emitter. ‘Berta produced 269.9 million tonnes, about 38.1 per cent of Canada’s total in 2022 (708 million tonnes). If Texas were a country, in 2022, it would rank eighth in the world.

So, Alberta and Texas are busy pumping oil and emissions — like two cowboys in a dusty shootout, except this time, the winner gets the title of “Most Likely to End Up on a Climate Change Poster.”

That dog don’t hunt

‘Berta politics are funny, and, in some ways, not unlike Texan politics. Both bodies’ rural areas veer further right-wing than their urban centres. ‘Berta’s been ridin’ under the reins of conservative governments for decades, and Texas is certainly not that different. Perhaps while some may think Texas is more right-wing than Alberta, the last few years of ‘Berta politics must surely give Texas a run for their (billionaire’s) money. Alberta Premier Smith recently visited U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago to discuss energy and security — something something birds of a feather. Debate aside about the rightwardness of Texan and ‘Bertan politics, it’s obvious that both have a deeply embedded conservative politic that isn’t going away anytime soon.

This ain’t my first rodeo

Interestingly, both have large yearly stampede fairs. In my opinion, far too much stock goes into ‘Berta’s stampede (or any). However, from a cursory look, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs for a month and pulled in 2.5 million attendees in 2024. Plus, the concert guests will be ones most people, even non-country fans, will be familiar with. In contrast, the Calgary Stampede (the crown jewel of Alberta’s political-economic elite) only runs for ten days and saw 1.4 million visitors in 2024. Looks like Alberta’s Stampede might need to giddy up — Texas is out here turning rodeos into rock concerts with a side of barbecue.

…and here’s the kicker 

One noteworthy comparison between the two is public transit. While public transit in Alberta is far behind the times, Texas might be worse. You can still live without a car in Calgary (maybe less so in Edmonton). At least the two cities’ public transit can get you to most places easily, albeit at times, slowly. From what we gathered about Houston, few people live in the city core, for starters, and coupled with the heat and humidity, no one wants to walk. The Houston transit map shows fewer rail lines with fewer locations than Edmonton’s, and a 2024 Houston Magazine article might also indicate Houston’s transit quality: “If you have never had to make use of public transit in Houston, consider yourself fortunate.”

‘Berta and Texas have some clear threads ‘bout them, no doubt. The only similarity Alberta comes remotely close to Texas is total land mass. Texas is just gall darn bigger than ‘Berta in every way except public transit, which is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, I suppose.