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Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
North America $975+ Mn Wireless Gas Detection Market Forecast and Opportunities 2020-2024 & 2025-2030F
The North America Wireless Gas Detection Market offers promising opportunities driven by increased industrial safety regulations and compliance demands, particularly in sectors like oil and gas. Adoption is boosted by the integration with cloud-based analytics for enhanced monitoring and trend forecasting, despite high initial costs. North American Wireless Gas Detection Market Dublin, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Wireless Gas Detection Market, By Country, Competition, Forecast and Opportunities 2020-2030F" report has been added to North America Wireless Gas Detection Market was valued at USD 740.25 Million in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 975.47 Million by 2030, rising at a CAGR of 4.71% This market involves the use of wireless sensor systems designed to detect harmful gases in industrial and commercial settings, transmitting data in real time without wired connections. These systems play a vital role in enhancing workplace safety by delivering early warnings of gas leaks, toxic accumulation, and explosion risks. Growth in this market is being propelled by increasing industrial activities and the enforcement of stringent safety regulations, particularly in industries like oil and gas, chemicals, mining, and manufacturing, where protecting worker safety and adhering to compliance standards are top priorities. Key Market Drivers Increasing Industrial Safety Regulations and Compliance RequirementsRising enforcement of industrial safety norms and regulatory standards across North America is a key growth driver for the wireless gas detection market. Authorities such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have introduced more stringent safety requirements for sectors handling hazardous gases, including oil and gas, mining, chemical manufacturing, and waste management. These mandates demand the implementation of reliable gas detection systems to mitigate risks from leaks, toxic exposure, or explosions. Wireless gas detectors are particularly effective due to their real-time monitoring capabilities and rapid response features, meeting regulatory demands for proactive safety management. In addition to being a legal requirement, adherence to these standards has become a strategic necessity, as non-compliance can lead to severe penalties, operational disruptions, and reputational Market Challenges High Initial Investment and Maintenance CostsA major obstacle to the broad adoption of wireless gas detection systems in North America is the considerable upfront cost associated with these technologies. Compared to traditional wired solutions, wireless systems require higher capital outlays for specialized sensors, advanced communication frameworks, and seamless integration with current monitoring systems. Installation further demands expert labor and comprehensive site evaluations, driving up initial expenditures. These financial demands are especially burdensome for small and medium-sized enterprises operating within limited budgets, deterring many from transitioning to wireless systems despite their long-term advantages in safety and Market Trends Increasing Integration with Cloud-Based Monitoring and AnalyticsA notable trend influencing the North America wireless gas detection market is the integration of detection devices with cloud-based analytics and monitoring platforms. This advancement allows organizations to aggregate and analyze large volumes of real-time data from various locations, offering centralized oversight. With cloud connectivity, facilities can enhance their operational agility through features like remote access, predictive maintenance, and trend forecasting. This is particularly beneficial for organizations with assets spread across different geographies. Moreover, cloud-based systems facilitate scalability, allowing for easy expansion of monitoring capabilities. The collaboration between tech vendors and industrial clients is also intensifying, leading to tailored dashboards and alert systems that improve compliance and safety strategies across industrial operations. Report Scope: Key Market Players Honeywell International Inc. Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA MSA Safety Incorporated Emerson Electric Co. Industrial Scientific Corporation Crowcon Detection Instruments Ltd. Sensidyne, LP Blackline Safety Corp. North America Wireless Gas Detection Market, By Detection Technology: Electrochemical Sensors Catalytic Bead Sensors Infrared Sensors Photoionization Detectors Ultrasonic Sensors North America Wireless Gas Detection Market, By Gas Type: Toxic Gases Combustible Gases Oxygen Refrigerants Specialty Gases North America Wireless Gas Detection Market, By Application: Industrial Safety Environmental Monitoring Healthcare Transportation Oil & Gas North America Wireless Gas Detection Market, By Country: United States Canada Mexico Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 120 Forecast Period 2024 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $740.25 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $975.47 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 4.7% Regions Covered North America For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment North American Wireless Gas Detection Market CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
SNP's Fergus Ewing to run as an independent in Scottish elections
SNP veteran Fergus Ewing has announced that he will stand as an independent in next year's Scottish Parliament has represented Inverness and Nairn since 1999, and previously served as rural affairs secretary in March, he confirmed he would not stand for the SNP in 2026 and said the party needed to change as it was "no longer the party for all of Scotland".He has been increasingly at odds with the SNP over its slow progress in dualling the A9 and A96 roads. The MSP has also raised issues with the deposit return scheme, gender recognition reform, marine protected areas and what he perceived as a lack of support for the oil and gas defied party whips to vote against then Green minister Lorna Slater in a motion of no confidence in 2023 - with this resulting in him being temporarily suspended from the SNP group at Holyrood. 'Fractious and tribal' Ewing said he had seen the Scottish Parliament at its best and worst during his time at Holyrood and he believed he had seen it at its worst in recent years."This has not been an easy decision," he said. "I have taken it because I love the people of Inverness and Nairn and the people of Scotland more than my party, which I have been in for more than half a century."But Ewing said the party had "deserted many of the people whose causes we used to champion".He added: "I believe the SNP has lost its way and that devolution itself – presently - is letting Scotland's people down. It doesn't need to be this way."Holyrood is more fractious and tribal than ever before."Too much power rests unchecked in the hands of party leaders, free to choose candidates who will slavishly support them, rather than stand up for the people who sent them to Holyrood. Choosing the pliant over the talented." He urged politicians in the main parties to work together "whether in a grand coalition or a less formal arrangement" to reform public services and maximise economic first hinted to BBC Scotland in March that he could stand as an independent in the 2026 the time, SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney said that he was sorry to learn of Ewing's decision, describing him as a "faithful servant" of his constituents who had contributed much to the Scottish added: "I said I would be the first minister for all of Scotland and that is what I will do."Fergus Ewing is the son of Winnie Ewing, whose 1967 by-election victory in Hamilton was a historic breakthrough for the SNP. He is also the brother of Cowdenbeath MSP Annabelle was first elected to the Scottish Parliament when it was re-established in 1999 and held a ministerial portfolio for 14 years in the governments of both Alex Salmond and Nicola added: "It's time for Holyrood to live up to the high expectations people rightly held for it, when my mother, Winnie, reconvened our own Parliament in 1999."It came of age some years ago - surely now it's time for it to grow up."
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Oilpatch companies spent billions on Indigenous-affiliated businesses: survey
Social Sharing Oilpatch companies are big spenders on Indigenous-affiliated businesses, according to a survey commissioned by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers released Thursday. Data science firm iTotem Analytics collected figures from 12 members of the industry advocacy group that together represent half of Alberta's oil and natural gas production. They collectively spent $14.4 billion between 2021 and 2023 on goods and services from Indigenous-affiliated businesses, which iTotem defines as an enterprise with some degree of First Nations, Métis or Inuit ownership. The vast majority of those funds — $13.9 billion — were spent in Alberta. "Working collaboratively with Indigenous communities and businesses, the oil and natural gas industry can support economic reconciliation and prosperity for generations to come," CAPP president and CEO Lisa Baiton said in a news release. During the three-year period captured in the study, almost 18 per cent of the industry's supply chain spending was directed to Indigenous-affiliated vendors. In Alberta the CAPP members did business with 585 Indigenous-affiliated enterprises across 110 municipalities and 45 Indigenous communities. Most of the spending was on construction vendors, followed by environmental and industrial waste services and equipment services and maintenance. John Desjarlais, executive director of the Indigenous Resource Network, praised CAPP for holding itself accountable regarding its commitments to Indigenous communities. "As can be seen, the impact is considerable and, as we have seen in our work and through our members, one of the great drivers of self-determination is through economic reconciliation," Desjarlais said in the release. Crystal Quocksister, client service manager at iTotem and an Indigenous data science entrepreneur, said the work with CAPP was about industry transparency and checking the numbers. "There's still work to do," she said in the release. "But I'm hopeful, because I see a shared commitment from Indigenous communities, entrepreneurs, and industry to shape the future of resource development together. And the numbers show this to be true." Staffers of Indigenous descent make up seven per cent of the oil and gas workforce — well above the national average of just under four per cent, CAPP said. In an onstage interview at the Global Energy Show in Calgary last week, the chief executive at Crown-owned pipeline operator Trans Mountain Corp. said it's worthwhile to hire Indigenous contractors not only because they're Indigenous, but "they're really good at what they do." "The Indigenous part would be a bonus, so to speak," Mark Maki said. "But they're good at whatever it is we're asking them to do." In British Columbia, First Nations have been playing a key role in liquefied natural gas projects in development. One of those is the Haisla Nation, which owns just over half of the Cedar LNG project under construction in Kitimat, B.C., alongside Pembina Pipeline Corp. Haisla Chief Crystal Smith told the Global Energy Show last week that there's a misconception that Indigenous groups are an obstacle to development. "We're not a problem," she said. "We're actually the solution."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EnerCom Announces Liberty Energy and Baker Hughes as Keynote Speakers at the 30th Annual EnerCom Denver - The Energy Investment Conference
Register for EnerCom Denver – The Energy Investment Conference, featuring a broad group of public and private energy companies at Limited presentation opportunities remain for E&P, Midstream, OFS, Energy Transition, Nuclear and Emerging Technology companies Sponsorship opportunities are available for companies seeking to increase marketplace and brand awareness through EnerCom's multi-channel approach before, during, and after the event DENVER, June 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EnerCom, Inc. is pleased to announce that Ron Gusek, CEO of Liberty Energy and Amerino Gatti, Executive Vice President of Oilfield Services & Equipment for Baker Hughes have been confirmed as keynote speakers at EnerCom Denver – The Energy Investment Conference. For the past 30 years, EnerCom Denver has been the largest independent investor conference for the global oil and gas and broadening energy industry that is open to all energy companies, investors, and professionals to participate. This year's conference will occur August 17-20, 2025, at The Westin Denver Downtown. Institutional investors, portfolio managers, family offices, financial analysts, CIOs, and other investment community and industry professionals are encouraged to register now for EnerCom Denver at The conference is free for qualified investment professionals. About Ron Gusek Ron Gusek is the CEO of Liberty Energy, after serving as President since November 2016. He joined the company in 2014 as VP of Technology and Development. With 25 years of experience in North American oil and gas, Ron has also gained international expertise through work in Asia, Russia, and the Middle East. At Liberty, he focuses on technology innovation, service quality, efficiency, and optimization. Ron holds a in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and has held previously roles at Sanjel Corporation, Zodiac Exploration, and Pinnacle Technologies, specializing in hydraulic fracturing in unconventional reservoirs. Ron is a runner, cyclist, hiker, skier, and occasional adventure racer. Ron is a devoted husband to Jodi and a proud father to their two daughters. About Amerino Gatti Amerino Gatti is Executive Vice President of Oilfield Services & Equipment at Baker Hughes. He is responsible for leading approximately 33,000 employees and setting the value-creation strategies of the business. Gatti brings more than 30 years of experience in energy and industrial sectors. Prior to joining Baker Hughes, he served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of TEAM, Inc. from 2018-2022, a provider of integrated specialty industrial services with operations in over 20 countries. Prior to joining TEAM, Gatti spent 25 years with oilfield services firm Schlumberger, holding a variety of leadership roles including Executive Officer and President of the Production Group. His roles also included President of Well Services, Vice President of the Production Group for North America, Vice President and General Manager for Qatar and Yemen, Global Vice President for Sand Management Services, and Vice President Marketing for North America. His earlier experience includes field operations, engineering, and human resources across North America, South Asia, and the Middle East. Gatti served on the Board of Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. from 2018-2024. Additionally, he serves on the Board of American Cancer Society, Greater Houston Area; co-chairman of the Men Wear Pink Campaign; and previously Board member of Junior Achievement; and co-Chair of the Easter Seals Walk with Me Executive Leadership Committee. Gatti earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta, Canada. Companies interested in presenting can contact Larry Busnardo at lbusnardo@ Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Blanca Andrus at bandrus@ The presenting company lineup as of June 18, 2025, includes: Advantage Energy (TSX: AAV) Amplify Energy (NYSE: AMPY) Anschutz Exploration Armstrong Oil & Gas APA Corp. (NASDAQ: APA) Aureus Energy Services Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) Bayswater Exploration and Production Baytex Energy (TSX/NYSE: BTE) Berry Corporation (NASDAQ: BRY) Bison Oil & Gas BKV (NYSE: BKV) Blackbeard Operating CanCambria Energy (TSXV: CCEC; OTCQB: CCEYF) Deep Blue Water Deep Isolation Diversified Energy (NYSE: DEC) DNOW (NYSE: DNOW) Drilling Tools International (NASDAQ: DTI) EnerCom Eni SpA (NYSE: E) EOG Resources (NYSE: EOG) ESal Flotek Industries (NYSE: FTK) Fundare Resources Gondola Resources Gran Tierra Energy (TSX/NYSE: GTE) Granite Ridge Resources (NYSE: GRNT) Hemisphere Energy (TSX: HME; OTCQX: HMENF) Kelt Exploration (TSX: KEL) Kiwetinohk Energy (TSX: KEC) Koda Resources Liberty Energy (NYSE: LBRT) LOGOS Energy Mach Natural Resources (NYSE: MNR) Meren Energy (TSX: MER) NCS Multistage (NASDAQ: NCSM) New Era Helium (NASDAQ: NEHC) NuVista Energy (TSX: NVA) Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) Parex Resources (TSX: PXT; OTC: PARXF) Prairie Operating (NYSE: PROP) Precision Drilling (TSX: PD; NYSE: PDS) Prospera Energy (TSXV: PEI; OTC: GXRFF) Providence Energy ReconAfrica (TSXV: RECO; OTCQX: RECAF; NSX: REC; Frankfurt: 0XD) Renewell Energy Ring Energy (NYSE: REI) SandRidge Energy (NYSE: SD) Saturn Oil & Gas (TSX: SOIL; OTCQX: OILSF) Select Water Solutions (NYSE: WTTR) SM Energy (NYSE: SM) Solestiss Spartan Delta (TSX: SDE) Surge Energy America Tamarack Valley Energy (TSX: TVE) Tenaz Energy (TSX: TNZ) Teren Ubiterra U.S. Energy Development Corp. UpCurve Energy Valeura Energy (TSX: VLE) Verde Energy Solutions Vermilion Energy (TSX/NYSE: VET) Vitesse Energy (NYSE: VTS) Whitecap Resources (TSX: WCP) Zephyr Energy (AIM: ZPHR; OTCQB: ZPHRF) Companies continue to be added to the schedule daily. Conference Overview Conference Details: EnerCom Denver offers investment professionals a unique opportunity to network and listen to senior management teams from leading companies across the energy value chain update investors on their operational and financial strategies and learn how they create value for stakeholders. Conference Dates: August 17–20, 2025. EnerCom will host its annual Charity Golf Tournament on Sunday, August 17th at the scenic Arrowhead Golf Club in Littleton, Colorado. Benefitting IN! Pathways to Inclusive Higher Education, the Golf Tournament requires a $150 charity donation to participate. Formal presentations and meetings will be held Monday, August 18th, through Wednesday, August 20th. Venue: Westin Denver Downtown. Please book rooms under the EnerCom Denver block. We encourage attendees to book their reservations as soon as possible, as rooms may sell out quickly. Who Attends the Conference: Institutional investors, family offices, high-net-worth investors, private equity, research analysts, retail brokers, trust officers, investment and commercial bankers, and energy industry professionals gather in Denver for the conference. Conference Format and Details: The EnerCom Denver conference follows EnerCom's familiar 25-minute presentation format, followed by 50-minute Q&A opportunities in separate breakout rooms, one-on-one meetings, and multiple networking opportunities. In addition to in-person access to all company presentations, panel discussions, and keynote speakers, conference registration allows investors and management teams to meet formally and informally over cocktails, breakfast, and lunch. About EnerCom, Inc.: Founded in 1994, EnerCom, Inc. has been a trusted advisor to the global energy industry, working with clients to differentiate and deliver targeted messages to investors. Headquartered in Denver, EnerCom is an internationally recognized strategic communications and management consultancy that advises companies on investor relations, corporate strategy/board advisory, fractional/interim CFO advisory services, marketing, financial analysis and valuation, media, branding, and visual communications design. For more information about EnerCom and its services, please visit or call (303) 296-8834 to speak with one of our consultants. EnerCom Denver Sponsors Include: Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (NSAI) Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (NSAI) was founded in 1961 to provide the highest quality engineering and geological consulting to the petroleum industry. Today they are recognized as the worldwide leader of petroleum property analysis to industry and financial organizations, and government agencies. With offices in Dallas and Houston, NSAI provides a complete range of geological, geophysical, petrophysical, and engineering services and has the technical experience and ability to perform these services in any of the onshore and offshore oil and gas producing areas of the world. They provide reserves reports and audits, acquisition and divestiture evaluations, simulation studies, exploration resources assessments, equity determinations, and management and advisory services. Haynes and Boone, LLP Haynes Boone is an energy-focused corporate law firm that provides a full spectrum of legal services and solutions to clients across the energy industry, including the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors as well as power and renewables. Our team of more than 100 energy lawyers and landmen has been helping operators, lenders, and private equity firms with some of their most complex and significant transactions and disputes in recent years. The firm's nearly 700 lawyers practice across 19 global offices located in California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City, and Shanghai. The 2023 Chambers USA Legal Guide ranked 31 different firm practice areas, and in 2024, Haynes Boone became the first Am Law 100 firm to ever earn a Gold-level Bell Seal from Mental Health America. The U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" 2023 survey ranked Haynes Boone in National Tier 1 in Oil & Gas Law. IMA IMA Financial Group is an independent broker, defining the future of insurance through comprehensive and consultative risk and wealth management services. A majority employee-owned and managed company, its 2,300-plus associates in offices across the country are empowered by a shared mission to manage risk, protect assets, and make a difference. Petrie Partners Petrie Partners, LLC is a boutique investment banking firm dedicated to the energy industry. The senior leadership has a multi-decade legacy of delivering specialized advice on mergers and acquisitions, asset transactions and valuations, and financings to the boards and managements of public, private, and sovereign entities. Petrie clients benefit from the independent, conflict-free perspective and unwavering advocacy of their best interests that the team brings to every engagement. Vitesse Energy Vitesse is a Denver-based company focused on returning capital to stockholders through owning and acquiring predominantly non-operated working interests in oil and gas properties in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana. The Company also owns non-operated interests in the Central Rockies, including the Denver-Julesburg Basin and the Powder River Basin. Oil & Gas 360® The Media Sponsor of Enercom Denver, Oil & Gas 360® is a one-stop source of news, information, and analysis from the professionals at EnerCom, Inc. The website is dedicated to all things energy: people, technologies, transactions, trends, and macro-economic analysis that impact our industry. Oil & Gas 360 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE EnerCom, Inc. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
51st state? Bring it on, these Canadians say.
CALGARY, Alberta — As President Donald Trump visits western Canada for this week's Group of Seven economic summit, a passionate minority is thrilled by his talk of making them part of a 51st state. Across most of Canada, Trump's annexation talk has caused outrage. His antagonism has stirred displays of flag-waving patriotism that are unusual here. In downtown Calgary, shops that sell maple syrup and other Canadian souvenirs have seen a surge in purchases of Canadian-flag lapel pins. A bookstore says 'Proudly Canadian' in its window. But the U.S. president's expansionist designs have also galvanized a 'Make Alberta Great Again' movement, which has gained traction among some in western Canada long frustrated by a Liberal government that they say stifles the oil and gas industry that drives their economy. For them, Trump's 51st-state talk is not a provocation, but a chance for lower taxes, Second Amendment gun rights and a shot at the American Dream. At the Red Deer Curling Center, about 90 miles north of Calgary, hundreds of Albertans gathered Saturday to discuss their frustrations with Ottawa at an event hosted by the right-wing media company Rebel News. Several in the crowd wore black or red Make Alberta Great Again caps, and provincial flags flew from their trucks in the packed parking lot. Most cheered as a speaker standing in front of a black curtain that partially covered the rink's scoreboard made the case for forming a 51st state. Jacob Fraser, selling bags of Resistance Coffee at the event, said he was 'excited' when Trump began talking about annexing all or part of Canada. The 37-year-old sees joining the United States as an opportunity to gain more freedom of speech, more gun rights and more opportunities to pursue his own businesses. 'We're very much intertwined with the States, and as Albertans, especially, we're very much more compatible with the American perspectives than the current Canadian perspective,' he said. 'For me and a lot of my social groups, it's a hopeful moment and an exciting time in history.' Nationwide, that's clearly a minority view. Backlash to Trump, who was set to arrive here Sunday night, helped fuel Prime Minister Mark Carney's victory in late April — a stunning comeback by his Liberal Party over the Conservatives, who had a healthy lead before Trump's taunts. About 15 percent of all Canadians supported joining the United States as of a January poll by YouGov. That percentage was slightly larger in the prairie provinces, including Alberta — 'Canada's Texas' — where some say they have more in common with Republicans in the U.S. than with their compatriots in the rest of the country. Albertans who support joining the U.S. are a faction of a broader group of western Canadians who are alienated by Canada's government. They have made their presence visible with billboards and blue-rubber bracelets that say 'AB USA.' Shawn Harvey, a 52-year-old oil-field-tanker driver who lives in Edmonton, flaunted his support for joining the U.S. with a red, white and blue hockey jersey emblazoned with the number 51 and Trump's slogan 'Drill Baby Drill.' He has talked to immigration attorneys about attempting to seek political asylum in the U.S., and he is ready to make a deal with any liberal Americans who are considering a move to Canada to seek refuge from the second Trump administration. 'I'll trade places with them any day,' Harvey said during an interview in Edmonton at Montana's, a Canadian barbecue restaurant chain with antlers hanging on the walls. 'I'll burn my Canadian passport right in front of them, and I'll go there. No problem.' Feelings of discontent and alienation have long ebbed and flowed in the western prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, home to natural resources such as crude oil, natural gas, potash and uranium. They rose after the 2019 federal elections, in which then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals were shut out here but won enough seats in the rest of the country to form the government. In this year's elections, the Liberals won just 28 percent of the vote in Alberta. Whether Carney, who was raised in Edmonton, can placate prairie voters will pose an early test for the new prime minister. He has tried to mollify the disquiet, promising to make Canada 'the world's leading energy superpower in both clean and conventional energy.' Alberta could hold a referendum as soon as next year to ask voters whether they support separating from Canada. Polls show limited support for separatism, but the provincial government recently passed a law that makes it much easier for citizens to initiate a referendum on constitutional matters. Such a separation would be 'very unlikely,' said Duane Bratt, a political science professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary. And even if separation was approved, it would not necessarily lead to becoming part of the United States. Even many of the Canadians who support an independent Alberta are skeptical of attempting to join the U.S. 'Why go from one master to another master?' said Art Matsui, a 68-year-old resident of Calgary, who began to support Alberta independence in 2020 because he disagreed with the Canadian government's pandemic policies. Chances of the U.S. annexing Canada or one of its provinces are small. Both countries have constitutional barriers to such a move and limited political appetite to overcome those obstacles. Other provinces would be likely to block Alberta from leaving Canada, and in the U.S., Congress would have to pass a law to admit any new state. Ardent supporters of secession insist, however, that a split between Alberta and the rest of Canada is inevitable. They see joining the U.S. as the best step to address the economic and security challenges that a split could create. 'So why don't we just join the United States now?' said Peter Downing, an Edmonton-area separatist who previously led a political party called Wexit, a portmanteau of 'western' and 'exit.' More than four years before Trump told Trudeau that he wanted to make Canada the 51st U.S. state, Downing bought a giant billboard on the road to the province's legislative assembly that asked, 'Should Alberta join the U.S.?' The billboard featured a giant image of Trump's face. After Trump lost his reelection bid in 2020, Downing began to make inroads with conservatives in the U.S., even paying a visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he said he missed a run-in with Trump by only a few minutes. How Trump became fixated on annexing Canada remains unclear. A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail the president's thinking, told The Washington Post in March that the 51st-state concept sprang spontaneously into Trump's mind, that it is a serious proposal, and that it is motivated by his belief that annexation would benefit Americans and Canadians alike. After Trump floated the idea, Downing put up another huge billboard that pictured Trump visiting with Alberta's Conservative Premier Danielle Smith at Mar-a-Lago. 'Tell Danielle! Let's Join the United States,' it said. The billboard featured a link for a website that laid out arguments for Alberta to join the U.S., which included lower taxes as well as national security. Smith ultimately said she opposed any effort to join the U.S. — or to separate from Canada. Trump's visit is likely to intensify the debate, even as it strengthens the backlash among most Canadians to his policies. Protests of Trump's visit have been planned, and some of his critics say he should not be allowed to enter the country because felons are often inadmissible to Canada. In grocery stores, stickers on products note that they were made in Canada, a sign of how some Canadians are boycotting U.S. goods and travel. Sales of T-shirts that say 'Canadian' and other products have surged at Local Laundry, a Calgary clothing store that manufactures its products domestically. The business has grown 100 percent year over year and is on track to do its best year ever, said Connor Curran, the company's founder. 'It hit us a like a tsunami,' Curran said. 'People coming from all over the country wanting to support Canadian-made.' Calgary-based Process Color Print, which manufactures flags, has experienced the growing polarization of debate. The company saw a surge in sales of Canadian flags in February following Trump's comments. Many people in the city are just hanging the flags in their windows or directly on their houses because they don't have flagpoles, said Candice Mauro, the company's president. 'Our business is so booming,' Mauro said. She said it has been difficult to keep up with customer demand, and employees in the flag division are working overtime. In the weeks since April's elections, Mauro said, she has seen a 30 percent jump in flag sales. But this time, the demand is for the ultramarine Alberta provincial flag.
